Advice from Nadya Okamoto to Youth Changemakers: “Go for it!”

Recognize what you don't know, or what you're not good at, and be hungry to learn. When I started PERIOD, I was a control freak about things - that kid in class who would rather do the entire group project, than wait to collaborate with others. That was an attitude and habit I had to eradicate pretty much immediately when I started PERIOD. Now, I try to walk into every room and onto every stage with a drive to learn from others. If I don't know an answer, I don't sit there feeling stuck - I start with Google and do some of my own research, and if I still have questions, I reach out to role models (usually starting with my mom) to learn more. I have also learned to assess what my strengths are, and what would be better delegated to someone else. Building a start-up is a lot of work, and you will be more productive and have more joy if you're spending your time doing things that you are good at - and find teammates who complement your skills!

The launch pad for PERIOD was a 4-day leadership conference I took part in when I was 16. I applied with an idea to distribute period products to people in need, but felt insecure about how I shared my story and pitched the concept. I felt alone because at school it felt unusual to try and start something on top of being a student, and even more unusual to talk openly about menstruation. At that conference, I found mentors and workshops that made me more confident in myself and my abilities, and I incubated my idea to build a plan for growth. That week changed my life. It launched me into growing PERIOD to now be the largest youth-run NGO in women's health in the world. It inspired me to recognize my power as a young female leader, eventually leading to my run for public office, publishing my debut book and going to Harvard.

This is why I am so excited to be partnering with T-Mobile on the Changemaker Challenge, to give young leaders with bold ideas the same opportunity that I had to get their ideas off the ground. So, if you are aged 13-23 with an idea to better your community, I highly encourage you to apply. If you are a top 30 winning team, you'll be flown out to the T-Mobile Headquarters in December for a 3-day Changemaker Lab, where myself, Ashoka and an awesome team from T-Mobile will help you build skills, create community, develop plans to bring your projects to life, and receive seed funding from the T-Mobile Foundation. The team from Ashoka are experts in the world of youth changemaking, and will arm you with what you need to make your idea a reality. All you need to apply is that attitude of feeling ready to learn and take action, along with an idea that you passionate about bringing to life. Join the #TMoChangemaker challenge and #MobilizeForGood!

Nadya