Why QueensConnected Exists
QueensConnected was created to hold space for Black and Racialized women and femmes—to gather, reflect, and feel supported in navigating everyday realities.
At its core, QueensConnected is about intentional connection. It is a space to celebrate, rest, unpack, and grow in community—while holding the complexity of our lived experiences.
Meet Naika
I’m Naika, the founder of QueensConnected. I bring a background in nursing and public health, with a Master of Public Health and over a decade of experience supporting organizations in advancing health equity.
Through my work, I have led health equity assessments, developed anti-racism policies, and facilitated learning sessions that help teams navigate complex and often uncomfortable realities with greater clarity and care.
This experience shapes how I hold space within QueensConnected—intentionally, thoughtfully, and with a deep understanding of both individual and systemic experiences.
If you would like to work with me, please visit the Services page for more information.
Media & News
Panel: La voix comme instrument de protestation et d’engagement - Université d'Ottawa
BLCK Print Magazine Second Edition (p.58)
Rogers TV - Caribbean Calendar: September 2025
Land Acknowledgment
I acknowledge that the City of Ottawa was built on stolen land, originally belonging to the Anishinaabeg Algonquin Nation, who have lived on this territory for millennia. I am deeply grateful to the land and the the Anishnaabeg Algonquin Nation for their stewardship, which I have and continue to benefit from.
As displanted Afrikans, many of our ancestors were forcefully brought here or to other lands against their will, while many chose to migrate to this land.
I stand in solidarity with the Anishnabeeg Algonquin people, other First Nation, Inuit, and Metis peoples whose lands were taken, as well as global Indigenous groups who are in the process of losing their lands and their right to exist. I commit to pushing for social justice for what has occurred in the past and is occurring presently. One of the ways I want to do this now is by supporting the land back movement here in Ottawa.
As a mother, I commit to teaching my daughters all of Canada’s history, exploring with them First Nations, Inuit, and Métis culture and heritage, as well as teaching them about colonialism, White supremacy, and how our liberation as Black women and people is tied to the liberation of all colonized groups, from Turtle Island, Haiti, Palestine, Sudan, Congo, and so on.