Meet Wynter Eddins | Nonprofit Founder & Spokenword Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wynter Eddins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wynter, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was rooted in hope and frustration. I was hopeful that education could transform and be an overflowing well of growth and determination for youth. However, I felt frustrated that our current public education system was so disconnected with the realities facing young adults and the inability to transition into adulthood with fundamental life skills. As a public school teacher for middle school, a survivor of domestic violence, and a creative, I pulled from my strengths and began to envision spaces where young women could gather, build healthy relationships, and become empowered in their economic journeys. I drew on my personal experience, remembering the unnerving feeling finishing college, being overwhelmed with student debt, and unsure of how to make ends meet. Additionally, I never wanted a young woman to experience the kind of harm that I experienced after surviving an abusive relationship. I wanted to ensure that they entered into all relationships aware of red flags, creating healthy boundaries, and communicating their needs. Everyone deserves to live a financially healthy life, and live in a state of holistic peace. That is why my nonprofit, Simply Youth Institute was born in 2019.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Simply Youth Institute (SYI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving Los Angeles county. Our mission is to empower holistic peace in young women through finance and wellness education, addressing generational poverty. Financial wellness is fundamental to living in a state of holistic peace. Other organizations teach financial literacy but there is student disconnection, excluding the holistic person from the curriculum framework. Therefore, SYI ensures that all areas of wellness are being met to promote overall financial wellbeing, including social, intellectual, physical, spiritual, and mental wellness. Everyone comes from varying cultural background and it’s important to recognize that peoples’ relationships with money and understanding money differ from the type of background they come from. For example, as a Black woman, who was raised in a middle class household, I was very much disconnected to financial literacy, mental health resources, and having honest conversations around navigating womanhood.

I arrived at my third year of business through constantly letting rejection wash over. The nonprofit world presents challenges of delivering services without encountering “red tape” and “gatekeepers.” Additionally, since it is a nonprofit, there is the challenge of finding funding to sustain our programs. However, I grew more confident with practice in communicating the needs of our organization and reaching out to donors, businesses, and acquiring grants. Furthermore, ensuring our services reach participants and retain young adults to encourage their return into the programs is another challenge.

I have learned to overcome all challenges with intentional planning and having a grand vision which is more important than the quantity of our services. Slowing down, and planning out the participants’ experience is more valuable when students are at the center of our work. I find the most happiness when I am out in the community and I get to engage. Especially in the nonprofit world, it is important to show face and tell my story in order to gain trust and support from the larger community. I want the world to recognize SYI as the most accessible and engaging student centered financial wellness organizations. I want the world to remember that SYI will forever see each student uniquely as we nurture their fullest and most determined selves. My story is still building, but I want everyone to remember that I transformed every defeat into a challenge to overcome. I am still climbing and forever creating, keeping top of mind self love, community and youth development.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My best friend is in town! When she arrives we will first stop at In N Out! I know she has missed the taste of the L.A. burger and this is the best way for her to remember. Since it is still daytime, we are off to Zuma Beach in Malibu, CA. We will read some poetry on the beach and walk the beautiful Pacific coast shoreline. No need to get into the water, we will soak up the sunrays on our beach towels till sunset, enjoying the packed snacks that we have in the cooler. Throughout the week, we will climb the beautiful Santa Susana Mountains in my stomping grounds of Granada Hills, overlooking the breathtaking scenery of Los Angeles. We will visit the Vegan festival in North Hollywood Sunday afternoon and enjoy the delicious taste of L.A.’s eateries and bars. We will also visit the historical and enriched Leimert Park, and I will perform spokenword at one of the many venues. We will end our walking at Kenneth Hahn park at the Martin Luther King Jr. statue to reflect on all this beautiful city called Los Angeles has to offer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to Dr. Marliyn Van Dyke! She supported Simply Youth Institute the moment it came into existence. With her support, my team and I were able to build up our programs in the first year, and reach over 100 young women in the community! She is a constant voice of encouragement and positivity. Her own life reflects tremendous determination as qualifying at 65 years old to run the Boston Marathon in 2021 and 2022. She has modeled for the women in the organization, that setting a goal, sticking to it, and having hope will overcome all obstacles and challenges. I thank her for her positive heart and her overall joy for life! She is a powerhouse with her partner Bryan who shares the same incredible enthusiasm and vitality for enjoying and living life to the fullest.

Website: www.simplyyouthinstitute.com, www.wyntereddins.com

Instagram: @simplyyouthinstitute @wynterlauren

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/wynter-eddins-b8102437

Twitter: @simply_youth_in @ColdestsWynter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009311587370

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX-Ku6uXK8BWt5ApbQpm8Sg