ACTIV-ISM is an anti-racism wellness company that meets at the intersection of education and fitness. Our goal at ACTIV-ISM is to educate, empower and uplift marginalized folks and create an ongoing practice of accountability, instruction and exploration for their allies. Founded by Kira West and Taylor Rae Almonte in 2020, ACTIV-ISM offers a wide variety of resources and programs with the fight for racial justice its center.
KIRA WEST
Kira West is a Brooklyn born content creator, runner and writer with a passion for making wellness more inclusive. She believes that wellness on a basic level, should be a right for everyone and not an exclusive privilege. Upon defining wellness for herself, Kira naturally began to delve into the lack of diversity and inclusion within the space. As she began to cultivate a community, Kira began to dig more deeply into the lack of support systems and inherent racism at play which perpetuate health challenges for marginalized groups. Kira realized she could be a part of creating change. As a result, she is leveraging her experience and expertise to cultivate an online community that empowers, educates, advocates and for the advancement of the historically oppressed. Kira has been featured in multiple publications such as Yahoo!, Insider and E! for her contributions to change within the wellness industry. Most recently, she was featured in the September 2020 cover story for SELF Magazine where she discussed “What It Means to Be Black in Fitness.” alongside Taylor.
TAYLOR RAE ALMONTE
Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman is a Brooklyn-based creator, athlete and activist. Her social impact work meets at the intersection of racial justice and wellness. After almost a decade as a professional boxing and strength trainer, Taylor co-founded ACTIV-ISM, an anti-racism wellness company that amplifies marginalized voices and educates their allies. She has worked professionally as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion educator and led trainings and programs for companies like Starbucks, ClassPass, Rumble, Reebok and more. Alongside this work, Taylor has also leveraged her social media platforms to create major campaigns for Nike, Anthropology, Lululemon, Victoria Beckham and others. Career highlights include presenting for the Reebok Human Rights Awards, a feature on the cover of SELF magazine, and co-authoring ACTIV-ATING: Your Vocabulary, a book on having tough conversations about race and racism. Taylor is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Columbia University at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights. Her thesis focuses on the Eighth Amendment right that protects all from cruel and unusual punishment in America and how that is translated to incarcerated populations, and especially those in solitary confinement, when denied access to outdoor physical activity. Taylor utilizes her unique skill set to empower and mobilized those that are most vulnerable as she advocates for lasting change.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. “
- Barack OBAMA
