We Make Healing Beautiful
Our Mission
Vanede aims to expand anti-sexual assault and domestic violence advocacy beyond the scope of crisis centers by developing prevention and response strategies that position beauty professionals as community partners in violence prevention.
Partners & Collaborators
About Us
Abuse is an ugly experience. We make healing beautiful
Abuse is a deeply traumatic experience, often accompanied by loneliness, anxiety, fear, depression, and shame. With one in four women facing interpersonal violence in their lifetime, this pervasive issue leaves a lasting impact on our communities and underscores the urgent need for community intervention.
At Vanede, we unlock an overlooked space for advocacy within the beauty industry. Our platform trains beauty professionals to provide support and designs unique interventions that create holistic, resource-rich safe spaces for survivors. By empowering these professionals, we foster community-driven change and expand the network of support for those affected by gender-based violence.
Our Programs
The Beauty Collective
An interactive and engaged community of beauty professionals armed with the resources, tools and skills necessary to serve as advocates against interpersonal violence.
Love on Wheels
An integrated resource hub offering comprehensive virtual victim advocacy support and services to enhance accessibility, user experience, and community engagement.
Beauty with a Purpose
A curated workshop experience hosted in collaboration with beauty retailers and salons to extend access to information as well as to create safe and fun spaces to discuss interpersonal violence
We Remember you
An annual charity event hosted in domestic violence shelters across Nigeria, West Africa.
Meet the Founder
NNEKA OBIEKWE, MPH
Nneka Obiekwe's career exemplifies a powerful fusion of advocacy for victims of interpersonal violence and her professional involvement in the beauty industry. Her journey commenced in 2009 as a student at Syracuse University, where she pioneered a workshop on interpersonal violence that not only won the university's inaugural ‘Empowered Bystander’ award but also ignited her lifelong commitment to violence prevention—a commitment that spans over a decade of activism.
Nneka has held pivotal roles throughout her career, including a fellowship at Syracuse University’s Rape Crisis Center, serving as a Victim Advocate at the Dekalb Rape Crisis Center in Decatur, GA, and working as a crisis hotline advocate for RAINN. These roles have cemented her dedication to supporting survivors and combating interpersonal violence.
With the establishment of Vanede, Nneka aims to leverage the beauty industry's broad influence to advocate for violence prevention more robustly. Her clear mission with Vanede is to transform beauty enthusiasts into proactive advocates for change, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and tools to make a significant impact within their communities and beyond.