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

Nzinga, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new firm – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

The first member in the Women’s Caucus was a friend of mine, also a young college-aged woman, who’d experienced harassment within a supposed political safe space and had little support from the more tenured, experienced people within Georgia politics who she’d expressed her discomfort with. After listening to her story, I was inspired to start a women’s caucus within the Democratic Party of Georgia’s youth branch to be able to advance female interests and provide a stronger, united voice for young women in politics who often feel intimidated and unable to share their experiences and perspectiveswith others older and higher-ranking people in politics.

Nzinga, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! My name is Nzinga Sombo and I’m an activist, political organizer, and first-year college student based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Like most “Gen-Zers”, I had been engulfed in American political conversations since my infancy; I witnessed my daycare class decrease in number as parents, who could no longer afford childcare during the 2008 recession, slowly began to withdraw their children; as I colored in printed out ginger men and Santa Claus coloring pages, I overheard my first-grade teachers quietly whispering amongst one another, each baring tears in their eyes as they congregated over one phone, watching news coverage of the Sandy Hook shooting; I recall walking through my elementary school’s halls the day after trump had been elected, as my peers, shackled with anxiety, walked into with their minds preoccupied with frets of whether deportation was on the horizon for them and their families. The most prominent discourse occurred during my transition into high school, which was promptly halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the age of 14, I watched as George Floyd protests sparked across the nation, and sinophobia took hold of America. I had taken it upon myself to join the ‘Gen-z for Biden’ (now Gen-Z for Change) initiative, hosting conversations with students in my hometown on how to mobilize the movement and increase voter registration in our generation. Political discourse has always been a persistent part of my life and every transitional phase of life I faced was marked by its uniquely unprecedented event.

My involvement with the Young Democrats of Georgia started in September of 2024 after one of the teachers at my former high school had been shot and killed in the Apalachee High School mass shooting. I’d originally hoped to center much of my involvement around anti-gun-violence efforts, but as I got more involved in the organization and more connected to young women from across the state I was reminded of how many young women were scared of getting involved in politics, whether it be based on bad prior experiences or feeling generally intimidated. The plight of women across the state of Georgia, however, means that young women’s voices in politics are crucial now more than ever. Eighty-two out of the hundred and fifty-nine counties in Georgia, almost entirely in rural Georgia, do not have an ob-gyn due to Georgia’s draconian anti-reproductive healthcare laws; Georgia is amongst the lowest in maternal healthcare, and gun violence against women is incredibly high across the state. My resolve to combat these problems led to me forming the Women’s Caucus of the Young Democrats of Georgia to strengthen my resolve against bigotry and misogyny across the state.

From my work with the Young Democrats, something I’m insanely proud of is the number of Young Women across the state who’ve been mobilized and supported by the Women’s Caucus, as well as the intersectional roots and relationships we’ve developed. We’ve been able to work with organizations that range from supporting Latina migrants to raising clothing for women’s homeless shelters in downtown Atlanta, and scouting out and supporting democratic female candidates in rural Georgia’s municipal races.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

To me, women are the most fascinating, multifaceted beings in the Universe, and with each woman comes a unique story, history, and drive.

Acknowledging this, I think approaching community organizing with the mindset that everyone alongside of their lived experiences should be valued and treated as such has helped to build my reputation as someone compassionate.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I would say the most effective strategy for growing our membership is empathy, alongside of knowing just how to make spaces for young women in politics as accepting and enriching as possible.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nzidze/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nzidze/

Image Credits

Bob Mackey Photography (Photos #2 and #5)