I’m originally from Oakland, and relocated to Los Angeles for college,I attended Cal State University Northridge and got my degree in Public Relations. After moving to LA I knew I wanted life here but wanted more than just an industry job. Being raised in Oakland is where my interest and roots with Activism started. I self-taught myself the strategy of social media and how to sell things on it before it became heavily monopolized, I then landed a gig doing social media on a tour called #SchoolsNotPrisons that went to low-income areas and inside prisons to give free concerts in 2016 with Pusha T, Miguel, Ty Dolla Sign, Diggy Simmons, Miguel and many more. It was the exact calling I needed and the perfect balance between activism and working with music still. Since then, it opened me into a world of activism that helped build my agency today.
KISH: What is your dream and how will accomplishing your dream benefit you and others?
Teja: Is for social media to put activism at the forefront although that’s not a goal that is directly for me it impacts people who need it and opens their eyes for what’s going on for the world. The overall goal is for our voice to have a say with the government, the white house and those in power.
KISH: Who or what inspired you to pursue this dream?
Teja: My grandmother did. My entire life my grandma had worked in the non profit sector in the Bay Area. I’ve watched and helped her give back my whole life. I’m happy to have found the perfect cross between what she has done and something i’m interested in as a milinemum.
KISH: What challenges have you encountered while pursuing your dream?
Teja: Nothing is ever smooth when you are a Black woman in America. I don’t want to call them struggles because I’m very blessed. Hurdles – many of them. You never want to imagine that social justice work has politics in it, but it might be the most competitive space I’ve seen. In recent years there has been a lot of capitalizing off the work we’ve been putting in for years, that was a hurdle and learning process. Seeing all these organizations and competition pop up for people that are only interested in that moment and not the long haul. I also dealt with a lot of men that were bosses in the past that took advantage of my ideas, my work ethic and what type of creative work I was doing. Which is why I made my agency women only.
KISH: Who or what inspired you to keep pushing regardless of the challenges you’ve encountered?
Teja: The work. How often do you turn on the tv an see a black or brown person being murder by the police, how often do you see reports on climate change, a corrupt president, not to mention a global pandemic. People online need to hear how they can help with what they see is going on in front of them. Essentially this work never stops.
KISH: Please provide final thoughts/advice for others by finishing this sentence… dream.
