If you have a period, Nadya Okamoto is here to fight for you. The NYC native and Harvard graduate has pretty much always been a menstruation activist — calling for the end of the tampon tax, working hard to normalize periods, and teaching young people how to use hygiene products — but in 2020, she took things one step further and co-founded the brand August. The company began with a mission to "identify gaps in period care," and has now grown into a sustainable, gender inclusive, and socially impactful retailer of innovative menstrual products.
Distractify chatted with Nadya to learn about her desert island necessities, her biggest female hero, and more.
If you had to get a tattoo right now, what would it be?
NO: A realistic drawing of my dog.
What’s your most-used emoji?
NO: Blood drop emoji 🩸 #period
What’s your favorite TV show?
NO: Love Is Blind!
Tell us about the first concert you ever attended.
NO: James Brown — some free concert in the NYC park.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
NO: Anything ABBA or Whitney Houston, TBH.
If you weren't the founder of August, what would your dream job be?
NO: I think I'd be a full-time yoga or pilates instructor… fitness influencer? Yeah, that would be fun.
Share your top three desert island necessities.
NO: Air conditioning, Netflix or Hulu subscription so I can binge watch, and an espresso machine.
What's the weirdest or funniest rumor you've heard about yourself?
NO: That I really am always on my period…and take some hormone solution to be on my period all the time.
What’s your favorite color?
NO: Red, but lately I've been liking bright orange, too.
Who is your "shero" (a female hero who has inspired you the most)?
NO: My little sister. Former state senator Wendy Davis. Sarah Paiji Yoo, the founder of Blueland.
If you could switch lives with any celebrity for a day, who would it be and why?
NO: Zendaya. Her closet must be amazing…
What’s your No. 1 distraction?
NO: TikTok.