Founder Feature: Chelsea VonChaz, Founder of #happyperiod
Chelsea VonChaz, Founder of #HappyPeriod, sits down with FEMINIST to discuss her inspiration, motivations, and goals behind #HappyPeriod and highlights new and upcoming campaigns to help create safe period care.
Discover her founder story below →
Q: What is your personal mantra?
CVC: What’s for me will never miss me. Period.
Q: What inspired #HappyPeriod?
CVC: Seeing someone house-less, free-bleeding while crossing the street at a light, during an afternoon in Hollywood, CA. I got angry and the rest is history.
Q: How do you use the power of your business to empower your community?
“I do my best to be as collaborative as possible. I support my friends’ businesses and always hold space for collaboration now matter how big or small. As a charity, we have the power to pour into other cups, so we do that with love because we know periods do not get a lot of love.
Our intention is to advance the menstrual health and care for those we serve. #HappyPeriod empowers people with periods by informing them on how they can manage their cycles.”
- Chelsea VonChaz, Founder of #HappyPeriod
Q: What motivates you, and how do you stay inspired?
CVC: I’m motivated and inspired by my circle of family, friends, and community. Right now I feel extra motivated by my family and ancestry. I have a community that supports me with mentorship, affirmations and healthy validation.
Q: What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs hoping to create a bigger conversation through their work?
CVC: No one will be listening if you don’t talk, so speak up. Speak your mind to ignite and build the conversation Talk your shit.
Q: What message would you send to anyone looking to destigmatize and advocate for menstrual health in their daily life?
CVC: Regardless of anatomy, I think folks can make space for people with periods and support them better. Provide free products in more spaces, your business, schools, libraries, shelter, prisons, airports, just any where that has a toilet.
Q: What does being a feminist mean to you?
CVC: Ha! Well first of all, I’ll need to ask for your definition of feminist. I don’t truly identify as a feminist because of what I’ve witnessed of non-Black individuals claiming it, performing it within the movement, using the term for unaccountability, and using it cause harm onto others. Maybe it’s more so western feminism that I don’t fuck with. I respect radical Black feminists like Dr. Loretta Ross. So if Professor Ross is leading the feminist movement and she’s using her voice to center the needs of the most vulnerable, then count me in. However, that’s not the reality, so I have to support her as an individual Black feminist. I see a more positive representation of feminism when I’m outside of the U.S. I think the space here has been co-opted by white supremacy and has gone through so many waves that it’s not transparent to me on what the intention is now. I still don’t see the needs of Black, Brown, and Indigenous girls being represented and/or addressed. I don’t see enough Muslim girls at the table sharing their concerns. I don’t see advocacy for sex workers. I just see white women making it about just them and only centering issues that affect them too.
Q: Are there any new launches or features happening we should look out for?
CVC: Yes, we’re launching our own line of period care. After creating the dispenser and collaborating with some amazing brands, we’ve decided that it’s time we elevate. So now, people can help us create our line of period care essentials for everybody! We also have some exciting new merch that we’re finally ready to release. A period care box is what the gworls have been asking me for! So we have a mystery box that will be available as a purchase with love. Meaning every box purchased will support a teen that participates in our FLOW program. FLOW is our period health education activation for pre-teens and teens to have a safe space to learn and discuss all things menstrual care.
Support Chelsea and #HappyPeriod by following @wearehappyperiod on Instagram and visiting their shop at hashtaghappyperiod.org/shop. Also, #HappyPeriod is eager to announce its new campaign to help create their own safe period care, check it out at here.
