Our First Business and Film Project
Resigning from my directorial position was difficult, but it paved the way for my next adventure: starting my own business. Although I was aware of the challenges ahead, I was determined to take this step toward entrepreneurship. I knew that it would demand unwavering commitment, perseverance, and time. However, my decision was driven by my desire to delve deeper into my own identity and explore the practice of trauma management through an independent film project. This venture would not only allow me to tell my story, but also serve as a platform to share powerful insights and lessons learned along the way.
During my years of service learning, community activism, diversity and inclusion training, and outreach services, I understood the importance of relationships in shaping policies, laws, and business models. I believe that our history of unresolved trauma and broken relationships between communities in the US has led to emotional discontent, abuse of power, and difficulty expressing oneself. Therefore, reconciling our past is essential to creating a better future.
At the University, my work involved rebuilding community relationships, facilitating conversations, developing programs, and providing resources. However, I encountered emotional discontent between community groups due to broken promises, lack of acknowledgment, and disregard for cultural significance. This affected learning and community development, resulting in stress and anxiety for learners and community partnerships. As a leader, I felt isolated in my work, which involved complex relationship-building and constant flexibility.
To set an example for others, I took individual accountability for my actions within the system. I led a documentary project that captured our accountability practices and tools we developed to address trauma. Although we hoped to connect with like-minded communities, it was difficult to find others willing to engage in this sort of work, so we built our own. Through this process, we developed a business framework, tools, and support system that perpetuates our practices and accountability. Our experiences have shaped our company’s toolkits and support resources on this platform.
Starting our own business was a crucial step in modeling individual accountability for creating a system that better supported us in being our best selves. As we have worked in various roles, we have come to understand the importance of relationships in shaping policies, laws, and business models. By reconciling our past and acknowledging the impact of historical trauma on our present, we can create a better future for all communities.
As part of our mission to support individuals and organizations in this journey, we are also undertaking a documentary film project to capture our practice and inform the types of tools we use to serve others. Our consulting services offer a range of toolkits, training programs, and support resources that are designed to foster community building, reconciliation, and healing. We believe that by working together and building strong relationships, we can create a more equitable and sustainable future for all.
