Meet Jaye Wilson

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jaye Wilson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jaye below.

Jaye, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I learned a long time ago there is no such thing as being “the only one”. There will always be an area of commonality that exists because we all are intersectional beings. I believe we place more exclusions on ourselves that put up barriers to disconnect us from those commonalities.

I think it can be hard to visualize the relatability when we only rely on physical attributes, but I like to lead with genuine curiosity and openness. I invite people in to get to know me and I use that as my entry point to reciprocate that same energy.

I am only successful with navigating rooms where the people in those rooms see themselves in me and I see myself in them.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Jaye Wilson and I am the Founding President and CEO of Melinated Moms. Melinated Moms is a MOM Profit – a community-centered women empowerment organization targeted at creating safe spaces for moms, women and birthing people to find equity in the maternal health experiences. We do this through hosting maternal health and wellness-focused events, social engagements and advocacy workshops and training with the added benefit of a sisterhood membership. I started my organization after going through a divorce and becoming a single, solo mom. I wanted to know how to ask for help and support and navigate this new space of motherhood I didn’t know I would experience. I went looking for supportive groups and spaces that were reflective of where I was in my life and when I couldn’t find it, I decided to create one. My work gained traction through hosting a social event called “Childbirthing in Communities of Color” in May 2018. This event gained the attention of the Governor of NJ and the First Lady in alignment with their initiative, Nurture NJ which addressed black maternal mortality in the state of NJ.

In the 7 years we’ve been in business, I have seen the power of community lead my work, my passion and my purpose. We have a national and international presence that was established through the pandemic and continues to grow everyday. We’ve held pivotal conversations, panel discussions and transformational community call to action moments that have changed how moms identify with all sides of themselves. This helped us build our organization into a revolutionary membership platform that spans across the world.

Our next events will take place both virtually and in person.

Melinated MommyTalks
PG County, MD
1/11/2025
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1092487261809?aff=oddtdtcreator

For more information on other upcoming events, visit our website at www.melinatedmoms.com/events

Follow our social media at www.instagram.com/melinatedmoms

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three most important qualities that have impacted my journey are:
1. My ability to pivot when things need to change.
2. My adaptability to the varied environments of the moms who need us.
3. My motivation from my children to keep going even when it gets hard to see clarity in my purpose.

My advice is to keep going, do it scared and stay the course. Taking in as much information as you can to break the barriers behind the words “I can’t” is the best advice I can give. Once I learned how to reframe “I can’t” to “why can’t I” I have literally been able to change the world.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

I was a little hesitant to answer this question because my response may seem a bit unorthodox; but my parents taught me resilience and resourcefulness. My relationship with my parents is not a traditional one. I used to be fearful to speak out about it, but I think it’s actually important to say out loud. I was raised by my grandmother; she taught me the value of motherhood and navigating hard moments especially with limited resources. She also taught me that my parents may not have provided the support or guidance I needed from them; but they did know how to connect me to the resources I needed emotionally to feel whole – which existed in my grandmother.

From that aspect, I have taken a lot of those values she taught me and poured it into my motherhood with my own children.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photo credit: William of Nazareth
@williamofnazareth
www.williamofnazareth.com

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