Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Tanaya Kizzine.
Hi Dr. Tanaya, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been passionate about helping people and serving my community. As a pharmacist and women’s health advocate, I’ve spent years educating and supporting individuals on their health journeys. While my professional experiences have shaped me, my personal experiences have been equally influential.
As a woman who personally battles endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, and other health challenges, I understand what it feels like to navigate systems that don’t always make women feel seen, heard, or supported. Those experiences deepened my passion for women’s health and advocacy. The inspiration for Spot Me came from a very simple moment that I couldn’t stop thinking about.
One Sunday, while attending church, a young girl unexpectedly started her period and found herself in an uncomfortable and embarrassing situation. She was stuck in a bathroom stall and didn’t want to come out because she didn’t have the products she needed. I remember walking out to my car on a hot Texas day, retrieving a menstrual pad, and bringing it back to help her and her mother navigate the situation.
What struck me most was how something so common could leave a young girl feeling isolated, embarrassed, and unprepared.
That experience stayed with me long after that day. I started asking myself a simple question: What happens to women and girls who don’t have someone nearby to help?
I decided to take action by stocking all five women’s restrooms at my church with pads and tampons so that anyone who found themselves in a similar situation would have access to what they needed. What started as a small act of service quickly grew into a much larger vision.
I began thinking about women living in shelters, girls in schools, and unhoused or underhoused women who may not have reliable access to menstrual products. The more I learned about period insecurity, the more I realized how widespread the issue truly was and how often it goes unnoticed.
That vision eventually became Spot Me Inc.
In 2023, I founded Spot Me Inc. with a mission to end period insecurity by providing menstrual products, menstrual health education, and community support to women and girls in need. Since then, we’ve partnered with schools, shelters, colleges, churches, and community organizations throughout Texas and Louisiana to help restore dignity, confidence, access, and menstrual and hygiene education for those we serve.
Today, Spot Me is about much more than menstrual products. It’s about ensuring that no woman or girl has to miss school, miss opportunities, or suffer in silence because she lacks access to basic necessities. What began with one young girl in a church bathroom has grown into a mission that continues to impact women and girls throughout our communities.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like many nonprofit founders, I started with a big vision but limited resources. Building an organization from the ground up requires funding, partnerships, volunteers, community awareness, and a tremendous amount of faith.
One of the biggest challenges has been securing the funding necessary to sustain and grow the mission. The need is great, and while the desire to help is there, providing menstrual products, educational resources, outreach programs, and community support requires ongoing financial investment, partnerships, sponsorships, and community engagement.
As Spot Me has grown, I’ve learned that running a nonprofit requires much more than passion. It requires strategic planning, fundraising, relationship building, grant writing, community partnerships, volunteer engagement, and a commitment to continually raising awareness about an issue that is often overlooked.
Another challenge has been educating people about period insecurity itself. Many people are surprised to learn how widespread the issue is and how deeply it affects education, mental health, self-esteem, and overall well-being. Breaking down stigma and creating meaningful conversations around menstrual health remain ongoing efforts.
Of course, there have been personal challenges as well. Balancing the responsibilities of leading a nonprofit, serving as a pharmacist, wellness advocate, and mom while navigating my own health conditions is challenging and exhausting at times. But those challenges pale in comparison to the stories of the women and girls we serve.
Despite the challenges, every obstacle has reinforced why this work matters. Seeing the relief on a young girl’s face when she receives products she needs, hearing stories from women who finally feel supported, observing the smile on an educator’s face when the much needed Spot Me bags arrive, or watching volunteers come together to serve their community reminds me that the impact is worth every challenge.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Spot Me Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to ending period insecurity among women and girls through access to menstrual products, education, and community support.
Our signature program is the Spot Me Bag initiative, which provides thoughtfully curated menstrual hygiene kits filled with products that help women and girls manage their cycles with dignity and confidence. We distribute these bags through schools, shelters, community organizations, colleges, and outreach events.
What sets Spot Me apart is that we don’t just provide products. We create conversations. We believe menstrual health is a health equity issue, and we work to educate communities while reducing stigma around periods and women’s health.
I am especially proud of the community that has formed around our mission. We’ve partnered with schools, student organizations, service organizations/non profits, sororities, churches, corporations, and volunteers who believe every woman and girl deserves access to basic menstrual care. Watching people come together to pack bags, donate products, and advocate for menstrual equity has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.
I want readers to know that period insecurity exists in every community, often hidden in plain sight. I always relate period insecurity to food insecurity. If a woman or girl can’t afford food, they can’t afford period products either. A student may miss school because she doesn’t have products. A woman may have to choose between buying groceries and purchasing menstrual supplies. These are realities that many people never consider.
Our mission is simple: restore dignity, create access, educate, and empower women and girls to thrive.
What makes you happy?
Making a meaningful difference in someone’s life makes me happy.
I find fulfillment in serving others and helping people feel seen, supported, and empowered.
Some of the moments that bring me the greatest joy are watching a young girl receive a Spot Me Bag, witnessing her read directed affirmations during a presentation, observing her listen intently to a hygiene/period talk, and seeing her realize that someone cares. What may seem like a simple bag filled with menstrual products often represents so much more. It represents dignity, confidence, support, and the reassurance that she is not alone. Knowing that something as basic as access to essential products and education can help a young woman stay in school, participate in activities, and feel more confident about herself is incredibly rewarding.
I believe we all have a responsibility to use our gifts to make the world a little better than we found it. Every time we distribute bags, host a packing party, speak at a school, or partner with a community organization, I am reminded that small acts of kindness can create a ripple effect that extends far beyond what we can see.
Some of my happiest moments are witnessing communities come together to serve others. There is something powerful about people from different backgrounds uniting around a shared purpose and choosing compassion, generosity, and action. Those moments remind me that meaningful change happens when ordinary people decide to make a difference.
Pricing:
- Making financial contributions to support outreach and educational programs
- Sponsoring Spot Me Bags for women and girls in need
- Volunteering at packing parties and community events
- Hosting product drives
Contact Info:
- Website: https://spotmeinc.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spot_meinc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spotmeinc
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanaya-k-59085334
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@spotmeinc?si=CPUuVaGO60XpRttt
