Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Natalie Baddour . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Natalie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Fully Liberated Youth (FLY) is a Community Nonprofit with a mission, “To holistically resource and empower young people who are experiencing oppression, trauma, gang involvement, or system involvement so they can continue becoming the liberated individuals our communities need.” FLY was birthed out of grief and hope. As a Palestinian, my story has been restored by the relationships of those deeply impacted by gang and system involvement. These relationships allowed me to find truth and meaning within my own experiences and brought me back to my truest self. Gang activity is the culmination of systemic oppression, racism, and poverty. Through the relationships I had the privilege of building and my own personal experiences, there was a deep need for something more equitable, restorative, liberating, intersectional and justice centric, leading to the creation of FLY.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the Co-Founder of FLY, an entrepreneur, consultant, community organizer, and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), trained in EMDR and MI and strongly believe in connecting experiences, trauma, and systems to our personal narratives. I am grateful to witness the larger impact FLY has on the community, as it creates deep trusting relationships that are centered on mutuality, kinship, and secure attachments.

Fully Liberated Youth (FLY) is a youth-serving organization whose core focus statement is “the voices and stories of our young people impacted by gang or system-involvement will liberate the world.” FLY deeply believes in radical relationships that build on a young person’s sense of belonging and identity. This is achieved through its four uniquely framed programs, these being, School-Based Prevention Services (preventative program: dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline), Community-Based Intervention Services (intervention program: pre-adjudicated court phase), Division of Youth Services (re-entry/transition from long-term commitment) and Community and Policy Advocacy (systemic and legislative reform through youth agency and voice). The services provided within these programs consist of therapy (Individual, Family, EMDR, substance misuse), case management, advocacy and mentorship.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a Palestinian, I was born into a revolutionary and resilient family. One that was centered on faith, hope, family and visions of a more equitable world. I was raised by entrepreneurs so I saw first-hand the struggle, hustle, and grit it takes to believe and achieve in something greater. Starting and sustaining a business requires consistent levels of resilience, however, resilience doesn’t exist without hope. So at the crux of it all, I continue to have hope in humanity and what we collectively can envision for our world.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There are countless books, authors, and individuals that have influenced me personally and professionally. I have always gravitated towards existential and systemic books, ones often written by activists, organizers and spiritual mystics. Some of these individuals being; Malcom X, Angela Davis, Gregory Boyle, Tupac, Howard Thurman, George Habash, Leila Khaled, Nelson Mandela, Nina Simone and countless others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fullyliberatedyouth.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullyliberatedyouth/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FullyLiberatedYouth/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-baddour-lpc-emdr-48b236217/