Zamariya Clemons shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Zamariya, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
Something I’m most proud of that I’m helping to build is Community! So many of my families have begun to become interconnected. Not only are they apart of the social club at VOW their parents are inviting other members parents to their work out groups, and creating book clubs, noticing they live in the same neighborhood or close by and planning adult play dates or carpooling to meetings.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Zamariya Clemons, and I’m the founder of the youth social club at The Village of Women. We serve girls ages 8 to 13, with a Greensboro location and an expansion to Raleigh launching January 2026. What makes VOW special is that we teach through play. Our core is life skills, social skills, and exploring the careers of women in our community. It’s hands on, joyful, and rooted in showing girls what’s possible in ways they’ll actually enjoy.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Disappointment breaks bonds. Humanity restores them. I really believe one sincere act of kindness can repair what frustration once fractured.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Running and sustaining a youth nonprofit is a lot of long hours and emotional labor there’s moments I can feel overwhelmed and I will allow myself to think I’m doing this all for nothing but then I quickly remember all the bright faces I get to see at programming and how much they look forward to seeing eachother and me. That’s what keeps me going.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
My team and the kids we serve. VOW is for kids, by kids. We make space for their voices. We ask what experiences they want, what skills they hope to learn, and what careers they’re curious about. Their ideas shape everything here!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
Running and sustaining a youth nonprofit comes with long hours and a lot of emotional labor. There are moments when the weight of it all feels overwhelming and I question if any of it matters. But then I remember the bright faces I see at programming and how excited the girls are to see each other, and me. That reminder is enough to pull me right back in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vowvillageofwomen.com/home
- Instagram: @vow.gso @vow.rdu
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vowvillageofwomen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FyiCqBpWs/?mibextid=wwXIfr
