Sinikiwe Stephanie Dhliwayo is a former cheerleader turned visual editor turned wellness enthusiast. She has a penchant for smiling, dancing, and bodies of water. Her affinity for visual storytelling stems from a desire to shift the perception of how Blackness and humanity are perceived.
Sinikiwe Stephanie is dedicated to the notion that love is a catalyst for lasting change and is unwavering in her commitment to making society more equitable and just.
Her work has been covered in places like Beyonce, Byrdie, Doen, Dame, Goop, Well and Good, and Refinery29, and she has had the honor of teaching and speaking at places such as Ad-Week, Adidas, Camelback Ventures Family Reunion, Create and Cultivate, FWB Fest, The Wing, Unwell Conference, Lululemon, Goop League, Summit, Faherty Sun Sessions, and Girlvana.
Testimonials
Sinikiwe visited one of our summer camps to lead participants through mindfulness activities, and the campers thoroughly enjoyed their time learning about meditation from Sinikiwe. Her engaging approach and insightful techniques made the experience enjoyable for both middle and high schoolers, and she managed to bring out the curiosity in those with no experience meditating before. Everyone left feeling more centered and equipped with valuable tools they could bring into their everyday lives. Thank you for supporting the next generation of tech innovators and leaders!
- Mica Le John, Chief of Staff Black Girls Code
I had the honor and the privilege of working with Sinikiwe on the launch of the Air Max DN Campaign, and was floored with the level of knowledge, creativity, and youthful cultural relevance she brought to our project and our team. Relative to the scale of this project (massive global launch of the next generation of Air Max), Sinikiwe's energy and insights not only helped us position the work with a youth led POV, but also helped us land the details in each execution which were incredibly vast over the course of a multi season launch.
She is a true professional and someone whom I look forward to working with again in the future!
- David Frank, VP Global Brand Creative- Men’s and Catalyst Nike
Sinikiwe’s ability to combine artistic expression and tactical digital connection within her writing is a superpower. I was able to experience her knack for bringing very technical elements into culturally relevant copywriting during Nike’s 2024 Air Max journey. Sinikiwe seamlessly integrated into the seasonal campaign as contracted talent - developing the language needed to connect with the audiences the team was looking to serve. Sinikiwe is nimble, as she can pivot on a dime when objectives shift. Her joy for writing is felt in every meeting connection. It was an honor to witness her craft and work alongside her.
- Whitney Mitchell, Digital Marketing Director Women’s Lifestyle Nike
Sinikiwe was a phenomenal asset to our team on the launch of the Air Max Dn. She consistently provided us with important references, perspectives, and partner ideas throughout each stage of the process. I was also lucky enough to be able to work alongside her in the final stages of the campaign as she crafted fresh, sharp copy for social, email, and web and gave me crucial and incredibly helpful feedback on my own work. I felt super thankful to work alongside her during every chapter of the campaign!
- Will Roelke, Senior Writer Men’s Global Lifestyle Nike
I had the pleasure to work with Sinikiwe on one Nike's most prioritized campaigns of the year for Air Max Dn. She is an absolute gem of a writer and tackles creative curveballs with strategy-backed narrative direction and poise. Sinikiwe is a proactive, consistent, and genuine teammate who fuels a positive work culture!
- Hannah J Kim, Designer II Global Brand Creative Nike
Sinikiwe is a force—for good and for change. I’ve had the privilege and pleasure to partner with Sinikiwe on a number of creative projects, including written and podcast content for Well+Good and a diversity, equity, and inclusion workshop that Sinikiwe hosted for the Well+Good staff. With each instance, Sinikiwe showed up with her full self. It’s clear she takes a great deal of pride in and care with her work: She’s generous with her time and knowledge, and deeply committed to making the wellness industry equitable, accessible, and safe for all. Sinikiwe walks the walk, and calls on her partners to do the same.
-Abbey Stone, Former Well+Good editor-in-chief, VP of content
Co-creating with Sinikiwe has been a phenomenal experience. I have had the joy of journeying with her to create space and platform to accelerate her mission through several global initiatives externally and internally at adidas. Sinikiwe’s approach to underpin with action and curate much needed resources for BIPOC communities in wellness and beyond, makes her an incredible brand partner and thought leader. It’s been inspiring to watch her continued growth and support her in realizing her vision over the years.
- Ayesha Martin Global Purpose Director, Adidas
I had an incredible experience working with Sinkiwe through my company, SKY TING, a NYC based yoga studio, and online platform. From combing through and giving feedback on our public-facing assets to working with our employees both in group and individually, she asks tough questions and helps illuminate blind spots so that as a company and individuals we can show up with more awareness in creating accessible, inclusive, and anti-racist spaces. As a white-owned business in a white-washed industry, Sinikiwe speaks from the heart, without giving you a pass. Don't expect the work to be easy or quick, but if you're committed to creating safe spaces and holding yourself and others you work with accountable, she gracefully holds up the mirror to show the different ways systemic racism and white supremacy show up, and how as a company there are options and ways to break free and move forward.
- Chloe Kernaghan Co-founder, Skyting
Sinikiwe is a dream to do this important work with. Not only does she have the heart for people, she has the vision and the ethic for this work. I’m proud of what she is building and would show up for anything she produces any time in any place because I know we will all leave better.
-EbonyJanice Moore womanist scholar, author, and activist
Sinikiwe is a true gift to the wellness community. Her lifelong commitment to wellness for all and the work she does to bring that commitment to life, irrevocably transforms individuals, communities and organizations no matter where they are on their anti-racism journey. It has been a true honor to learn from and collaborate with her. And if that weren't enough, her impeccable taste and her eye are definitely worth celebrating too.
- Ellie Burrows Gluck CEO and Co-founder MNDFL
We partnered with Sinikiwe on multiple events, ranging from her teaching yoga classes at our retreat, doing a guided meditation for in-store events, and offering a virtual vignette on gratitude. Each one was a gift to all who heard her speak. Sinikiwe seamlessly holds power and knowledge with vulnerability and accessibility, making her versatile in all she does. Her mission is clear, her impact immediate, and her Naaya vision is inspiring.
- Kerry Faherty Co-founder Faherty Brand
I was initially introduced to Sinikiwe and Naaya 2.5 years ago, while I was building my company, Holisticism. Naaya had already popped up on my radar because I was looking for like-minded founders interested in building a more equitable, inclusive wellness space, and Sinikiwe's work was the first of its kind that I'd seen executed so thoughtfully.
Over the past few years, I've had the pleasure of collaborating on projects, events, and creative experiences with Naaya and Sinikiwe. I know that Naaya's impact, and truly any project that Sinikiwe leads, is far-reaching yet difficult to trace.
We could certainly look at the hundreds of young people she's directly taught and mentored; the thousands of dollars’ worth of resources Naaya has redistributed to the community for mental and physical healthcare; even the reach of their digital footprint.
But more importantly, because Sinikiwe is willing to stand in integrity always, even when it's uncomfortable and unpopular, she and Naaya have had an immeasurable impact on the wellness industry as a whole. From features in Goop to collabs with brands like Adidas and lululemon, Naaya's ripple effect in this space is wide and long. Naaya is truly a leader in wellness, and I'm delighted to support the company and its founder however I can.
- Michelle Pellizzon founder Holisticism
As a CEO of a newly launching brand, it was critical to find a film director that not only stood for similar values but was able to show our campaign with a specific point of view emotionally and humanly. We reached out directly to Sinikiwe because it was clear from her work with Naaya and the creative perspective that her vision would align. She is professional, attentive, and strategic. So not only did her creative vision align, it surpassed expectations in terms of the "how" it will engage viewers, which is often the most critical part. Sinikiwe was also game to try new things, inject her personal energy and collaborate which is incredibly key to how we want to break through to our viewer. It was a pleasure working with her.
- Stephanie Lee CEO and Co-founder Selfmade