Meet Andrea-Rachel Parker | actress•tech mogul•artist•inclusivity advisor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea-Rachel Parker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi andrea-rachel, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
today, almost 25% of the world is considered disabled. with the number standing close to 1.3 billion which is 16% of the global population. the continent with the biggest disability population? south asia, and sub-saharan africa. nationally, the biggest disability community, is in the south, then the mid west. with 14% of Americans being disabled and there only being a 5% difference of separation between the racial demographics putting blacks at a 5% higher rate of disability & Asians at a 5% higher rate than both & natives at the highest rate of them all.

I say that to say, our website is hopefully more and more impactful because there is no escaping that truth of it. at some point, everyone experiences a disability of some sort. whether short term, long term cognitive or physical.. ailments eventually effect most people . some experience it early in life & live out the rest of their days well adjusted and a ok, and some end their days disturbed but one thing that is a commonality among us all is that at some point we get sickly. and then we have to combat the stereotypes fears, propaganda that is associated with being sick or disabled. it can cause many to grow up with insecurities, isolation, poor diet, financial woes, anxiety, and creates stress, the silent killer some say. well maybe just my mother but stress creates stiffness in joints and limits are ability to focus to say the least. no one likes to be around the sick, the extremely sick have rules and legal limitations placed on them… and our hub aims to help them combat these woes. It solves everything in one. Allows for people to make connections, trade, build their brand business, make money, find resources, collab with others all to destigmatize these conditions while helping keep the economy safe secure and still effective’. there aren’t too many places where surviving cancer, surviving dv or sa doesn’t change the way someone works with you, thinks about you or refers to you. there aren’t too many places where you can control your narrative and share things about your story or lifestyle to further build you. my younger bro was on the spectrum & really wanted to get into voice over work. he was so good at doing voices and I just remembered thinking one day that I wish there was a place online that was safe for him to meet people and make friends that he could talk/type about his love for the arts, cartoons, action films with, & not face the stigmas and be heard and feel free in his drawings and understandings and have access to more. more brands, more cool events where people wanted him there & could deal with him.
globally, I genuinely think this, our platform, with a bit of time, will become more and more prevalent. as diseases spread, as isolation begins, as spiritual warfare ensues and occurs, people of a certain kind & their allies will be looking for a hub that has them in mind. ways to know about new brands, events all over., access to exclusive things but the power to be & network without stereotypes. when I’m 125 years old, alone & a tad bit less mobile, this site will allow me to stay present active learn from the kids be more & more of the know; and vice versa the kids will be in their 20s 30’s and this hub will be the place where them & their peers can exchange goods services items and promote projects to get ahead. it’s like building a team within a team the fastest way for people who could have been considered less. our impact will be to touch hearts. lessen isolation and fear, limit stereotypes, change narratives. the impact will be feeling like there is a way, when you can’t see one or think of one & recreating ways to establish hope..

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I was telling another publication about tf?! www..doyoutradefor.com, it’s a great way to find people to collaborate with! each profile lets you know what someone is potentially using the platform for & whether they are location scouting, spotters of space or looking to barter/ exchange skills or work on collaborative projects together.
If they are looking to just promote their work/or art they can find a free tier and for more access to cooler things that provide resources and direct connections to other orgs, and brands there is a premium tier! really been working hard on this for some time now,’ building trust, finding a swift way to bring people together, figuring out how to do everything with limited resources so we can then raise & get funded/granted. it’s been a journey to say the least but we are adding some cool features for those who join the free tier to keep the momentum & excitement of it all. think this is the first time we are seeing social technology being created to better the disability & inclusivity demographic specifically!. simple process, they sign up (lock in) & create a profile. set the profile to what the use is for and begin posting & sharing with other users.. they have access to different features that allow them to stay in the know, discuss specific things and build brand identity in a safer space. obviously we offer other things like a blog, and merch but the focus has always been about the people. we believe in defying differences so our users can connect collab create. the bartering aspect just ties in that the people of the community can build together using other resources and means outside of financial, making it a, you scratch my back, I scratch yours.

we have a may event coming up, we try to do 2 a year, one that honors my brother Chaz Antwan Williams who has passed away, and another where users have a biz exec, content creator, influencer or advisor come in and tell their story, in their way. that our clients & users can probably relate to. I really try to make some fun of it. we usually do so in nyc and now have branched to other areas and added virtual events as well to help our users build community. for example premium packages includes deals with other brands & services & so now we are excited to be collaborating with craftworksstudio.org! we just used their space too for content purposes & photos so it’s all about building together with other people & sharing resources. they’re in 135 gazebo jhnstwn pa beautiful space forreal

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
in a perfect scenario I would love to hang at the veganxchange la & the the vegan joint! all days two best places to eat & network, often times I believe people forget that most of my living items are vegan. if they aren’t vegan then it’s probably a gift or from when I was much younger. also guess I can use this time to shoutout the abundance academy that my actress associate dionne audain told me about. if you don’t know Dionne she is a working actress who recently had one of her shows scenes go viral online for calling out misplay in a playlist. people thought it was her as a real life judge talking about music hubs when it was just her doing an acting job but yeah she told me of acting academy “abundancebound” iamabundancebound.com by miata doga so a day going to the vegan events and laces above and the.n coming in & listening to some empowerment financial audio from abundance bound & doing a session with them then doing a craftworks studio class or workshop which I mentioned earlier in the first article. craftworkstudios.org we now collab with them. offering a discount to their membership & classes to our premium members & host one of our annual community events there. I would also probably go to Woodland Hills cafe to hear my hg Franceli Chapman (celihangout.com)who has released her poetry book and performance act of “between spaces” …& does poetry performances and readings there and all over LA and may add on a virtual tarot reading by amber dawn for shxtsngiggles & the fun spooky effect lol..I honestly don’t know though, depends on the mission of them coming by and the mood we are in but ultimately listening to a live band eating vegan nachos and talking about cinema and books does it. oh, coolest band in la? currently bc i love the audacity to just be rashly bold i would say, pinktastic plastixx lol so out my norm but also seems super funn& frivolous so i would put my day around that after a vegan eats to go see them perform!!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
mother’s day, as I write this is just around the corner. so I would like to dedicate this especially to the mothers out there! the mothers that try to be great mothers, the mothers, who try to break negative cycles, the mothers who have stayed active in their children’s lives without trying to force them to conform. the mothers who raise kids while pursuing their very own dreams and passions. the mothers raising kids daily as they fight disabling diseases & sicknesses. the mothers who seek out advice and help, and listen. we wish health, and a easier way on those mothers..mothers who took risks and made sacrifices, mothers who champion their kids, talents & erase their insecurities. mothers who aren’t opportunistic at all, but still help their child find opportunities. mothers who raise hell for their kids rights and provide safe environments for them to be kids in, to grow in and nourish them in. mothers who have healed so that their kids have a easier time. mothers who are advocates for the things their kids love & believe in always getting better doing better being better and finding better. our platform is usually, for those who are actively breaking stereotypes, defying differences, creating new spaces of love, and always being their authentic selves..but I am glad that this year I even had a mother to ask anything of.. despite everything, despite any of the previous name calling, abandonment, lies, overbearing stalkerish nature & troubles that can creep up or arise. .. mothers are necessary. so shout out to the mothers. step mothers. god mothers. dog mothers. and just women who have a nurturing spirit to treat and take care of things well. may this be the year that all the insecurities, strife and unhappiness not affect you and better things come. shouts to my mom. even though she doesn’t like nor care for things like this …

Website: https://www.tradeforsocial.com

Instagram: doyoutf

Facebook: doyoutf

Other: https://www.andrearachel.com

Image Credits
all taken on location at craftworkstudio 135 gazebo jhnstwn pa