At Rae, we are on a mission to champion the well-being being of all. In an effort to continue to support all communities to shine, we’re highlighting the work of Future Front Texas (FFTX), an organization that creates spaces for people to nurture their creativity, values and growth, and focuses on amplifying a spectrum of identities and putting women and femmes, nonbinary folks, LGBTQ+ folks, people of color, Black folks, Indigenous folks, folks of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and communities to the front. We recently connected with the group’s development coordinator, Kaia Adams, to learn more about their efforts.

Can you tell us a bit more about how Future Front Texas came to be?

We started as a grassroots meet-up series called Boss Babes ATX (bbatx) in 2015. Since then, we have grown and evolved to be a four-person staff, a board and a network of amazing volunteers. This evolution has included a rebrand and name change, where we changed our name from Boss Babes ATX to Future Front Texas (FFTX) this past June. FFTX cultivates spaces where women and queer creatives, founders and leaders can grow together. Currently, we produce The Front Market and Festival, a year-round learning club, as well as multiple community funds and initiatives.

How do you think about the topic of well-being, and how does it intersect with the work you do?

I love this question. I see well-being as a holistic and community-oriented concept. Well-being is a state reached when one takes care of themselves and their community. I believe that when we care for our community we’re in turn caring for ourselves, and vice versa. FFTX prioritizes well-being by creating spaces for people to nurture their financial and professional resilience, creativity, values and growth. We envision spaces that amplify a spectrum of identities and put women and femmes, nonbinary folks, LGBTQ+ folks, people of color, Black folks, Indigenous folks, folks of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and communities to the front.

How do you focus on your own well-being throughout the day while supporting so many others?

It’s not always easy to do, but I have to remind myself that I can only give from a full cup. Meditating, stretching, and hydrating in the morning is a must for me. Taking small breaks throughout the day to take some deep breaths is another practice that really grounds me. Above all, knowing when to close my laptop for the day and what things can wait for tomorrow has been a game-changer.

Is there anything else you’d like our community to know?

Well-being means something different to and looks different for everyone. I encourage everyone to explore what it means to them, and if any of what I mentioned resonates with anyone reading this, say hello or find us on Instagram! We’d love to hear from you.