MEET OUR FOUNDER

I Am Venus was founded by Cariahnna Collazo-Cintron in August 2019. Cariahnna grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York with her older brother, grandmother, and parents. When Cariahnna was in grade school she was sexually assaulted and later became a domestic abuse survivor. When she was asked why she started this organization she said,

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"I wanted to help other women from all backgrounds who had endured different forms of trauma and misfortune. I know that, like myself, many women are afraid to speak up in times of need. And often may not understand the complexities of the situations they experience. DV/DA/GBV are thought to be so cut and dry, but a lot more goes into DV situations than just being physically assaulted. It took me a long time to finally begin confronting the things I had been through and to forgive the people in my past who had hurt me and forgive myself for ever blaming myself. I want to give women and TGNC folks a voice and a safe place to talk about the difficulties that we face. I am an advocate for mental health and I believe that with the right community beside you, you can overcome anything." 

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Her drive to help women boost their confidence and community engagement grew from a long-lasting battle with self-doubt, insecurity, and a lack of female support in her community. Cariahnna graduated from the CUNY School of Professional Studies with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a minor in Human Relations. She is pursuing a career in social work and non-profit management and hopes to obtain her Master's in Social Work from Columbia University in the years to come. It is through this platform that she plans on building the dynamic community of unstoppable women that she wished she had when she was younger, one boost of confidence at a time.