Blossoming In STEM... And Other Spaces

Yamila is a Dominican Republican who relocated to Canada to pursue her tertiary studies in Biology on a full scholarship. Suffice it to say, she has been making big waves ever since. Yamila Franco is a force to be reckoned with, and I don't mean that in a cliché way. I battled with writing this as I tried to decide how to do Yamila's story justice. I felt her list of accomplishments was too long to squeeze into just one article. Regardless, I chose not to pass up the opportunity to use a medium like this to share her achievements with the world. She is just that good.

Aligning her personal goals with the global sustainable development goals, Yamila leverages her skills of research, entrepreneurship, and community-building to help fellow innovators. Not only is she generous with her knowledge and abilities, but she also works tirelessly to help members of her community access equal opportunities. Can it then be said that Yamila is a ray of sunshine? I will leave that up to you to decide, but I guarantee that you will feel as inspired as I do after hearing her story. I am absolutely thrilled to highlight a few of the amazing things that this Black queen has been doing in our community and Canada at large.

BSV Interview

Last year, I got an opportunity to sit in on an interview with Yamila. This interview was probably the one that stood out to me the most. Until then, I had only interacted with Yamila in social settings, so I did not know the extent to which she was taking transformative action. I discovered that as a young entrepreneur, she isn't only on a journey to make money through her business ventures; she is also keen to give back to her community. She has done this in many ways, from financial literacy workshops to co-founding businesses that focus on environmental and societal issues. I could tell that she was on the cusp of greatness, and I could not wait to see the rest of her story unfold. Her creativity, generosity, and determination know no bounds, and this is the kind of energy I value seeing young successful Black women emanate.

HERE Magazine REP Youth Award Recipient

In 2019, HERE Magazine launched the REP (Representation, Engagement, Participation) Award for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) youth who exemplified the award criteria. A few qualities that they sought in the ideal candidate included relationship-building across cultures, supporting peers with societal barriers, and involvement in raising awareness of the challenges of racialized communities. Yamila is undoubtedly an embodiment of these characteristics and then some, so of course, as the universe would have it, she was the first award recipient in January 2020. This win propelled her further on her path to making a difference, and she did not disappoint. Keep reading, and you'll understand why we all see Yamila as a woman of indomitable spirit in our community.

Financial Literacy Workshops

"My goal is to raise more leaders in the community so we can break cycles of intergenerational poverty, create more opportunities for leadership & building sustainability at different levels of community and business"

Yamila Franco (in a quote taken from the SNIWWOC website)

I've never been one to be irresponsible with money, but there were many things I didn't know as far as building wealth is concerned. I would only save (sometimes) and not spend too much on things that weren't necessary. However, there were other elements that I did not consider, such as investments, life insurance, loans, and taking my retirement savings more seriously. One might go as far as to say I was not as financially literate as I should be. This is where Yamila's workshops provided succor for an immigrant who didn't fully comprehend financial stability beyond setting money aside each month for a rainy day. In these workshops, she teaches about the importance of retirement savings and other money moves and how they can affect wealth for generations.

Some of us in the Black community tend not to make the connection between retirement and wealth. Still, as seen in the figure above, racialized individuals are typically disadvantaged in this realm. As such, the onus is on us to make an added effort to change our financial outcomes through investments in our retirement and other financial opportunities. This is the type of knowledge that Yamila transmits, which allows us to take control and reclaim power over our monetary affairs. She also practices what she preaches and has successfully co-founded several businesses with the purpose of addressing some of the plights of our contemporary society.

Nyoka Design Labs

Yamila is the Chief Financial Officer and co-founder of the social enterprise Nyoka Design Labs. Nyoka came about to create an alternative for plastic glow sticks that can be detrimental to our environment and are often used in large numbers at festivals. The alternative, Nyoka Light Wand, was designed to reduce plastic and chemical waste as it uses a non-toxic, biodegradable light source based on bioluminescence. Fascinating, right? Yamila and her business partner, Paige, have won several competitions and funding opportunities for this transformative and eco-friendly idea. Their wins include the Startup Canada CanExport Challenge and the League of Innovators Founder Showcase, to name a few. To say I am merely impressed by these accomplishments is a gross understatement.

Startup Canada Canexport Challenge

Nyoka was represented by Yamila throughout the Canada CanExport Challenge. She went through three rounds of pitches and emerged as the top competitor in the startup category! Not only did Nyoka walk away with a cash prize, but they were also one of over 3400 entrepreneurs to receive support to becoming export-ready in Canada's global growth ecosystem.

League of Innovators Founder Showcase

Yamila and Paige got an opportunity to participate in the League of Innovators (LOI) start-up incubator for three months. They then pitched Nyoka Design Labs at the Founder Showcase to an audience of like-minded individuals. At the end of the evening, they walked away with the crowd-voted "People's Choice" designation, the only designation of that event.

Though Yamila and her team do not need external validation to motivate them, these wins were reminders that they have a top-notch business concept that has the potential to help heal the planet in more ways than one.

AfroHub Marketplace

AfroHub is a black-owned digital marketplace operated by a group of entrepreneurs keen on uplifting the Black community. Yes, you guessed it; Yamila is one of those marvelous Black entrepreneurs who made this concept a reality. Their platform connects consumers with Black-owned businesses to diminish inequalities and foster business sustainability through empowerment. They also provide multiple opportunities to Black-owned businesses for capacity building. These include, but are not limited to, marketing and branding solutions as well as human resources management solutions. Imagine starting a small business and having a team of selfless entrepreneurs walk you through the intricacies to ensure your success. That is the Afrohub team. Afrohub has filled an immense gap in the Black business community, and I only see it going up from here.

Have you been in search of Black-owned businesses, but you aren't sure where to start? Head over to Afrohub's website and show Yamila and all the other entrepreneurs your unwavering support!

Lessons Learned

I recently founded the Award for Diversity and Community Building at my university. Though my mom was my primary source of inspiration in achieving this, I will say that Yamila’s influence played a role in the process as well and was a driving force throughout the implementation of such an initiative. As I drew on Yamila's ingenuity, I learned a few lessons that I placed in my toolkit that I use to manoeuver life. These lessons contribute to my guiding principles and encourage me to never give up on my own journey to provide opportunities for myself and other Black folks in my community. Below are the three tidbits that resonated with me.

1. Don’t Be Afraid To Take Up Space

Being a Black woman in a predominantly white space can be intimidating. I inevitably stand out because of the colour of my skin, so, at times, I wonder if it is worth stepping up in these spaces or if I should try to be as invisible as possible. Occasionally, I even doubt myself when I end up in situations where I feel I am being tokenized. Having examples like Yamila around me shows me that it is okay to break down barriers, acknowledge my talents, and shatter glass ceilings while I, too, unapologetically take up space.

2. It Is Critical To Build Intergenerational Wealth

Too often, people go through the cycle of life amassing just enough funds to sustain themselves and perhaps live an above-average lifestyle if they're lucky. However, we don't all think about making our money work for not just us but also our offsprings and their offsprings. Though it is not a cure-all, the practice of building intergenerational wealth is vital to tackling financial disparities within the Black community and bridging the racial wealth gap. I have taken the time to adjust my practices based on Yamila's teachings as my intention is to lay a firm financial foundation for those who will come after me.

3. Perseverance Is Power

Yamila isn't afraid of sharing all the failures she encountered as she conceptualized and tried to start her own businesses. She speaks openly about the lack of knowledge she had initially and the barriers she faced, yet she didn't give up. She persevered. I thought about this as I created the award mentioned earlier. It took almost a year for the award to come to life as I faced quite a few challenges. However, I persisted because I knew the result was for the greater good and an opportunity for me to open doors for folks in my community. It was definitely worth the challenges. In that same vein, let us normalize talking about our failures, then using those experiences as a springboard to our success.

Were You Inspired?

I know I am! 🙌🏽

I am sure you understand by now why I think Yamila is a phenomenal woman. This may be the first time you're hearing about this powerhouse or even seeing her face, but it probably won't be the last. Even though she does not have thousands of Instagram followers, her influence and impact are far-reaching and indelible. Not only is she a steward of our physical environment, but she is also a catalyst for collective Black advancement. Her journey transcends entrepreneurial boundaries, and I know she has more in store. She is clothed in strength and determination, yet she walks in humility and exudes confidence and grace. Admirable. Her passion knows no bounds, and her name is Yamila Franco. Remember it, as it will be one for the history books!