We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Wande Okunoren-Meadows a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Wande , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I am the eldest of three siblings born to two Nigerian parents. They were disciplined and no-nonsense. They always taught us that they would be there for us, but not to expect that anything or everything would be given to us. We were expected to do our chores and be contributing members of the household, Monday- Sunday; they ignored the part in the Bible that said Sunday shall be a day of rest, lol.

I graduated from Emory University and always knew I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father and enter the medical field, a pediatrician to be exact. During my first week in school, I took a Biology course. By the end of the day, I was looking for the DROP/ADD period. I loved children and medicine, but I was not willing to work or study that darn hard to become a physician. I dropped out of biology before the drop/add period even really began. A few years later I got on academic probation and had to take a semester off. But it wasn’t because I couldn’t do the work. I was in Atlanta, home to a vibrant social life, one I had lacked as a youth growing up! During my time away from college, I met a man and he proposed to me. I excitedly shared the news with my parents. To my surprise, they did not meet my joy. They said, “That’s great, but we aren’t paying for your wedding until you get back to school and get your degree”. My heart dropped. I was shocked. I had become content with adjusting to life as a 3-year college student. Let me be clear. I had not used my degree for anything since I left. I have never worked for anyone. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, but my parents were teaching me a lesson in finishing. Because of them, I graduated with a double major in sociology and anthropology and a double minor in dance and violence studies.

To this day, if my kids start something, I insist on them finishing the task. If they start a club and don’t like it, they must wait till the end of the program before they disenroll. I have applied that too much of my life. Not the lesson of “hard work pays off”, but the lesson of finishing a task. They didn’t scold me, they didn’t berate and belittle me, and the consequences were enough. May my father continue to Walk In His Presence while my mother guide me in wisdom and love on earth and drive me crazy regularly :-).

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 an early childhood advocate with over 28 years of experience leading and championing community-based programming. As a disruptive innovator, I call for designing meaningful solutions through collaborative partnerships.

In 1994, my mother, Olutoyin Okunoren, purchased Little Ones Learning Center in Forest Park, GA. Together we transformed the Center into a holistic early childhood education program where 175 children, their families, and staff grow, eat, and learn about local, organic, and sustainably grown food. Our Three Star Quality Rated and National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited Center serves as a model program stimulating young children’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and social growth. Our Center’s integrated wellness and curriculum program has prompted visits from Georgia’s former First Lady Sandra Deal and former Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and is a frequent destination for stakeholders and state and national conferences.

We found that families had significant barriers to accessing nutrient-dense, sustainably grown, fresh food. We operated the Little Lions Farm Stand in 2018 to provide fresh and local produce and eggs. The Farm Stand gained international attention and support in 2019 when the City of Forest Park determined that the stand was in violation of a local zoning ordinance. We mobilized a grassroots effort and after over a year of litigation and advocacy, the City of Forest Park voted unanimously to update the outdated ordinance and grant a conditional use permit allowing produce sales.

Our fight against inequity spawned a new venture focused on increasing opportunities in historically underrepresented communities. In 2018, Hand Heart and Soul Project (HHSP) was founded to serve Clayton County through actionable training, resources, and support. HHSP spurs collaboration across individuals, families, and early care providers.

The Hand, Heart, and Soul Project does three things. We provide children and families access to nutrient-dense foods. We work with early childcare providers and schools to develop holistic programs focused on health, wealth, education, and nutrition and we advocate on the local, state, and national platforms to amplify minoritized and marginalized voices in places of decision-making.

Because of my own lived experiences, I am frequently invited to inform early care and equity-focused initiatives. I advised the Democratic National Committee’s Planning COVID-19 health crisis platform in a conversation moderated by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. I was appointed to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal’s first Early Education Subcommittee, and have testified before a Georgia House Study Committee on Children’s Mental Health, I was selected as a 2021 Center for Civic Innovation Alumni Fellow, where “good troublemakers” are celebrated. I also enjoy amplifying the Hand, Heart, and Soul Project’s mission through service on the Atlanta Alliance Equity Fund and as an inaugural governance committee member of the Big Green DAO, which seeks to decentralize and shift power.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Hard work does not pay. Back story: You can work your ass off to write a stellar grant, and I can have all the documentation needed, and we are out there doing the work, but sometimes it is not enough to overcome the systems of oppression and racism that exist. The data is out there. There are systems that are designed for some to fail. No matter how hard I work, I will never become the physician that I had hoped I’d become. My brain and body are not hard-wired for that. I can practice 8 days a week, and won’t become a basketball star. That is not my calling. The lesson is that we must tell our children that entire story and not just that “hard work pays off”. It does, but that is not the entire story, especially when we have external and structural factors that are roadblocks.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I don’t know if I have a “strong reputation”, but trust, honor, and character mean a great deal to me. I have never claimed perfection, nor do I want to be and there may be a tale or two floating about, but I value and respect my name. It means something. It’s my crown. I represent my parents and ancestors as if it were a banner.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.handheartsoulproject.org AND www.littleoneslearningcenterga.com
• Instagram: @handheartsoulproject AND @littleonesfp
• Facebook: @handheartsoulproject AND @littleoneslearningcenterfp
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wande-okunoren-meadows/

Image Credits
Linden Tree Photography, Lynsey Witherspoon, Tris Glaze Photography