f the status quo
At NOVA, our unyielding commitment is anchored in our foundational principles, values, and mission to foster a world where justice and equity are not a dream but a reality for all women. We cultivate an environment where women are empowered to embrace their authentic selves, radiating a strength that fuels the liberation of everyone within their sphere of influence, inspiring communities to soar and effect transformative change.
WOMEN WILL CHANGE THE WORLD.
Women hold the keys to shaping a future beyond our wildest dreams. Unleashed to function at their fullest potential, the metamorphosis they will ignite promises to be nothing short of revolutionary. The world as we know it is far from perfect and we can't afford to stand idle; it's time to trade in complacency for action, beginning with individual and local initiatives. Indeed, every seismic shift begins with a ripple - even the smallest step can make an immeasurable difference.
The road may be steep and the journey tough, but we're more than ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. It starts with self-transformation - cultivating a spirit that dares to challenge the status quo, embracing your unique identity and harnessing your intrinsic power. Then, it's time to look the world in the eye, say, “F it” and rise to meet your destiny.
These are the platforms we strive to influence through our initiatives, each an opportunity to empower another NOVA woman, catalyzing a ripple of change that expands into a tide of transformation.
01/ SOCIAL JUSTICE
Social justice and equality for all individuals, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.
Toppling the pillars of systemic oppression and ushering in a world marked by justice and equality is not a mission we take lightly. It's a monumental task that demands time, dedication, and unyielding resilience. But at NOVA, we believe it's not just a lofty ideal; it's an absolute imperative. We pledge to use our voice relentlessly, striving to repair the fractures in our society and reshape our world into one that is not only more equitable but also fosters the brightest light to shine from within every individual. We claim a society where thriving diversity and love are universal, cultivating a vibrant and multi-faceted tapestry of human experience and societal contributions.
Racial Justice: Advocate for policies that address systemic racism and promote racial equity. Ending police brutality, providing equitable opportunities, ensuring fair housing, and promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of society will take dismantling the current system to achieve. It starts with you: educating yourself on these issues, speaking out when you see injustice and voting at the local level are just a few ways to get started.
Gender Equality: Prioritize gender equality, including equal pay for equal work, reproductive rights and protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Regardless of how a person identifies or whom they love, they are entitled to every right a white man receives, if not more. NOVA fearlessly fights for every woman. Period.
Equal Representation: Our society should represent what our world actually looks like. In order to create a society and enact laws, programs and initiatives that protect and represent every individual we must have a diverse representation that reflects the individuals for whom the representation vows to work.
Disability Rights: Push for the rights of individuals with disabilities, including access to healthcare, education, employment and public spaces.
02/ HUMAN RIGHTS
The inherent dignity and worth of every human being should be advocated for around the world.
Women's Rights: Women's rights and gender equity, including reproductive freedom and care, equal pay, and protections against gender-based and domestic violence are only the fundamental rights women are entitled to. Go further and push even harder for Black and Brown women to sit in leadership positions, receive support and funding for entrepreneurship and have more protection in almost every societal setting. All women need space to flourish and utilize their unique powers to change the world. Give it to them and watch women create a supernaturally iconic world.
Black and Brown Lives: Really, why is this even debated… We don’t have enough space here, but let’s start by recognizing that someone’s skin color does not disqualify them from basic, inalienable human rights. Police reform, criminal justice transformation, voting rights, economic equity, reproductive justice and reparations are just the start.
LGBTQIA+ Rights: Protection for LGBTQIA+ individuals, including non-discrimination laws, marriage equality and access to healthcare are needed more now than ever. We must push further than the basics and begin to support transgender rights and protections, ban “conversion therapies”, offer more support to LGBTQIA+ youth and advocate internationally to decriminalize non-cissexual orientations. LOVE IS LOVE.
Refugee and Immigrant Rights: Advocate for the protection of refugees and immigrants, including asylum seekers and undocumented individuals. We must reform immigration policies and create a better pathway to citizenship and family reunification.
03/ MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is a critical component of overall health and well-being. Everyone deserves access to high-quality mental healthcare.
Mental Health Parity: Prioritize mental health parity laws that require insurance companies to provide equal coverage for mental health and substance use disorders as they do for physical health conditions. Mental-based diagnoses carry the same impact on an individual’s life as physical ones, if not more.
Access to Mental Healthcare: Everyone should have access to high-quality mental healthcare, regardless of their income or insurance status. We need increased funding for mental health services and the expansion of telehealth services.
Mental Health Stigma: The damaging impact of mental health stigma has led to individuals not seeking care, the inability to live an honest life and ultimately a decreased quality of life. NOVA fearlessly advocates for increased education and awareness to reduce stigma and promote mental health literacy. THE FUTURE IS STIGMA FREE.
Mental Health in the Workplace: Mental health issues can impact productivity and quality of life in the workplace. Advocate for employers to prioritize mental health by providing mental health resources, support for employees and an inclusive, positive environment.
Trauma-Informed Care: Trauma can have a significant impact on mental health and how we operate and interact every day. Trauma-informed care can address the root causes of mental health issues and promote healing and resilience. It is the ultimate self-healing that can lead us to our highest self.
Environmental protection and sustainability are needed now. NOVA recognizes the urgent need to address climate change and preserve our planet for future generations.
Climate Change: Don’t delay action on climate change. Enact policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to renewable energy sources and promote sustainable practices in agriculture, transportation and manufacturing.
Conservation: Protect our world’s natural resources, including forests, oceans and wildlife habitats. Support efforts to reduce waste and promote recycling and composting.
Environmental Justice: Marginalized communities are often disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards. We must pursue policies that promote environmental justice and equitable access to clean air, water and land.
Check out how the Rhodiolife in our Breakthrough drink mix is sustainably cultivated.
Criminal justice reform and the abolition of mass incarceration through restorative justice and community-based approaches to crime prevention and rehabilitation.
Mass Incarceration: Argue for the reduction of mass incarceration, including decriminalizing drug offenses, eliminating mandatory minimum sentences and promoting alternatives to incarceration.
Restorative Justice: Defend restorative justice practices that prioritize rehabilitation and reconciliation over punishment and promote community-based approaches to crime prevention and rehabilitation.
Healthcare is a basic human right. A healthcare system that provides comprehensive coverage to all individuals is essential to creating a just world.
Single-Payer Healthcare: Press for a single-payer healthcare system that provides comprehensive coverage to all individuals, regardless of their income or insurance status.
Prescription Drug Affordability: Support policies to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, including negotiating drug prices with pharmaceutical companies and allowing the importation of cheaper, albeit safe, drugs from other countries.
07/ EDUCATION
Education empowers individuals, promotes social mobility and creates a more robust society. We need increased funding for public education and student debt relief.
Public Education: Public education is a cornerstone of democracy and social mobility. Advocate for increased funding for public schools and teacher pay. And safer schools for our children, but that’s a whole conversation in itself.
College Affordability: Make college more affordable. Let’s start by increasing funding for Pell Grants and reducing student loan debt. Eventually, college should be free.
STEM Education: Increase funding and support for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in minority and marginalized communities and for girls.
08/ ECONOMIC EQUITY
Urge economic justice and equity, advocating for progressive taxation, fair labor practices and a living wage.
Progressive Taxation: Promote progressive taxation, where the wealthiest individuals and corporations pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes to support programs that benefit the greater good.
Living Wage: Promote a living wage that enables individuals and families to afford basic needs and participate fully in the economy.
Worker Protections: Back protections for workers, including fair labor practices, workplace safety, and access to paid sick leave and family leave.
And… obviously. The last, but absolutely not the least:
09/ MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION
Marijuana should be federally legal. Current marijuana laws are outdated and need to be reformed to reflect the current reality of marijuana legalization in many states.
Marijuana Legalization: Support the legalization of marijuana at the federal level, regulating and taxing it similarly to alcohol and tobacco. Period.
Commutations and Clemency: Non-violent marijuana offenses need to be commuted. NOVA supports mass clemency for individuals who are currently incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses.
Expungement: Advocate for efforts to expunge the records of individuals who have been convicted of non-violent drug offenses, including those related to marijuana so that they are not hindered in employment, housing and other areas of their lives.
Racial Justice: Acknowledge the role that marijuana prohibition has played in perpetuating racial disparities in the criminal justice system and support policies that address these disparities. This includes ensuring that individuals from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs have access to the legal marijuana industry and using the tax revenue generated from legal marijuana sales to fund social programs that benefit these communities.
Medical Marijuana: The use of medical marijuana for individuals with serious illnesses is a priority.* Patients and their doctors should be able to make decisions about their healthcare without fear of legal repercussions.*
A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER
FOR CHANGE TO TRULY REVERBERATE ACROSS THE WORLD, AUTHENTICITY MUST BE AT ITS CORE.
Only when we embrace our true selves, honoring our deepest values, can we navigate the path that matters most and discover our unique purpose. We are each a distinctive spark, a one-of-one, with a potential impact that can echo across the globe.
What resonates with me most – and what I believe to be my life's mission – is forging a lasting legacy that revolutionizes lives, particularly those of women and underrepresented, marginalized communities.
The corporate world might balk at such audacious declarations (though they shouldn't be seen as audacious; they're fundamental rights), but this is my life's purpose. I boldly step into the challenge of reshaping our world, no matter the magnitude of that transformation. If this costs me business, so be it. I am committed to seizing every opportunity to nurture a world pulsing with love and radiating light.
I INVITE YOU TO STEP INTO YOUR NOVA SEASON AND JOIN ME ON THIS JOURNEY. TOGETHER, WE WILL CONQUER.