Meet Vaishna Rajakumar | Founder & Editor-in- Chief

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

Hi Vaishna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The idea for NAYLA originally started as a resource guide for women of colour.

When I was in grad school, an editor had assigned me a story about Indigenous women’s healthcare, and neither of us was Indigenous. Through my interviews with some incredible Indigenous women, I realized I was unequipped to write this story both culturally and because of my lack of understanding of the press’ role in Indigenous communities.

I brought these concerns up to my editor, and though he tried his best to help me source guides and resources, I scrapped the story. Ultimately, I could not find exactly what I was looking for: a centralized guide on how to safely and honourably communicate the stories of minority women.

This experience inspired me to create a resource guide for journalists and editors, allowing them to hear directly from these communities and learn about the best practices for inclusive journalism.

This idea evolved into a further iteration while I was working on a number of stories about understanding identity as an Asian person in white-dominated spaces.

Both my editors at the time were white, and though they were helpful, I found some of their edits to be othering or sensationalist in nature. One of my editors told me to focus on one of the sources, “racial pain,” and to really dissect why certain comments made to him were an act of racism and why he felt they were racist. While I found some validity in the feedback, overall, an over-explanation of this was sensationalist to me.

The culmination of both experiences inspired me to start NAYLA, a centralized space where women of colour can safely share their work, have their stories heard and their voices amplified, and provide culturally safe information for inclusive journalism, and celebrating creators of colour.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
NAYLA is a freelance publication dedicated to the stories, experiences and voices of women of colour. Many stories about women of colour in journalism, and even women journalists of colour, are sometimes underrepresented in publications and from leadership positions. There are outstanding publications dedicated to women, Asian folks, Black folks, etc., and they helped inspire me to create a centralized publication for minority women. The representation, stories, guides, and content we share are things I wish I had when I was growing up.

A funny story is that the name NAYLA started as a mistake. I wanted to create a publication with a name tied to my Sri Lankan heritage, so I chose the word nyla, which means moon. However, when I asked my dad how to spell it, he told me n-a-y-l-a, and thus, NAYLA was born! Though I could have changed it, I like the way it looks with the added ‘a.’

Something unexpected about starting the publication has been how much it has taught me about women, our world, and history. Of course, it has also stretched my brain to be innovative, develop ideas, become social media savvy, etc. But overall, it has made me a more aware and conscious person.

Starting the publication was somewhat easy for me as I have experience with different CMS systems and have a professional journalism background. The business side, however, has been a challenge: budgeting, branding, marketing, etc. Something that has helped me has been joining a women’s professional network called Monday Girl. Their resources and network have enabled me to connect with other women entrepreneurs, branding and social media insights and more, and it has honestly been a big help in the journey.
Though I started this publication alone, it is a mosaic of different women based on what I have learned from them or the stories that contributors share on the site.

NAYLA is still less than a year old, so it really is just the beginning for us. There is so much expansion on the horizon, from content to contributors to resources.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely recommend visiting Toronto in the summer. Toronto in the summer is Toronto at its best. You can go kayaking along the lakeshore, have a picnic at the Toronto Islands (a short ferry ride away from downtown), or visit one of the many parks. Trinity Bellwoods and Riverdale Park East are Toronto hotspots, especially during sunset. Also, the Trinity Bellwoods area has a lot of unique shops, cafes and bakeries nearby. It is also close to the Ossington strip, which has many great cafes and restaurants, including Superpoint for pizza (the burrata one is amazing) or Bang Bang Ice Cream for unique flavours.

Neo Coffee Bar is a great spot to check out as well, and the Kensington area is another area with unique shops and food.

Toronto is also close to Niagara, so you can take a day trip (or two) to the wineries, Niagara Falls, and Niagara on the Lake.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I really have to give a big shoutout to my mentor, Betty. I met Betty while I was studying for my master’s at NYU. As an Asian woman, journalist, and life coach, she was really able to help guide me through a lot personally and professionally, and she is still such a support in my life.

Website: https://www.naylamag.ca/

Instagram: @NAYLA.MAG

Linkedin: NAYLA Magazine

Other: Substack: @NAYLAMagazine

Image Credits
NAYLA Magazine