Shanika Graffeo shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Shanika, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I’m chasing liberation—liberation from pain, from shame, from silence. I’m chasing a world where menstruators are believed the first time they speak up about their pain. Where a young girl doesn’t have to miss school because she doesn’t have access to period products. Where people with chronic conditions like endo and PCOS don’t have to wait years for a diagnosis, or suffer in silence while they do.
I’m chasing equity. Dignity. Options. Representation. I want KUSHIE to be more than a brand, I want it to be a cultural shift. A resource. A safe place. A voice for the voiceless. I’m chasing systems that work for us, not against us. I’m chasing visibility for bodies that have been pushed to the margins.
And if I stopped? Honestly, it would feel like betraying the younger version of me who needed a brand like KUSHIE. It would mean leaving millions of people in the same cycle of pain, confusion, and dismissal that I fought so hard to rise from. I don’t chase trends, I chase transformation. And the moment I stop is the moment I accept the status quo. That’s not an option.
So I keep going. For every person who’s ever whispered, “Me too.” For every cycle that hurts. For every story still untold. That’s what I’m chasing. And I won’t stop.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! I’m Shanika, the founder of KUSHIE, a bold, unapologetic wellness brand built at the soul of advocacy, comfort, and menstrual health equity. I didn’t start KUSHIE as a business, I built it as a lifeline, born from my own journey through PCOS, endometriosis, and years of being dismissed by systems that were never built with people like me in mind.
KUSHIE exists for the folks who have been told to “just deal with it.” Our flagship product, a sleek, wearable heat therapy belt, offers drug-free, non-invasive relief for period pain and chronic cycle-related discomfort. We also offer period underwear, buttery-soft loungewear, and carefully curated care kits to help people feel supported and seen during every part of their cycle.
But what makes us different isn’t just what we sell, it’s what we stand for. Through our Flow Forward Initiative, we’re pushing menstrual equity forward by providing free menstrual kits and education in schools, clinics, and underserved communities. KUSHIE is a love letter to every menstruator who’s ever felt invisible, gaslit, or ignored.
What makes KUSHIE special is that it’s real. Rooted in lived experience. Fueled by empathy. Backed by a mission to make period care radically more inclusive, compassionate, and empowering. Whether you bleed monthly or love someone who does—we’re for you. And I’m incredibly proud of the community we’re creating: one rooted in healing, truth, and unapologetic visibility, cycle by cycle.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Miscommunication breaks bonds faster than anything. Assumptions, silence, pride, those things create distance where there used to be connection. We stop listening. We stop extending grace. And over time, the space between us grows wider, even when the love is still there.
But what restores those bonds is just as powerful: honest communication and humility. The courage to say, “I misunderstood you.” The willingness to say, “I was wrong.” And the grace to say, “Let’s try again.” Love has a way of bridging gaps when we choose vulnerability over ego and presence over performance. Whether it’s in business, relationships, or community, connection is a practice. It requires intention. And when we center love, clarity, and real listening, the bond doesn’t just repair, it deepens.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
One of the greatest wounds I’ve ever experienced, and the most recent, was losing my younger brother, Dylan. He was more than family. He was joy in motion. He loved playing baseball, he loved his friends and family, and he had this kind of smile that could shift the entire energy of a room. He helped people without needing recognition. He just showed up for others, every day, in his own quiet and powerful way.
Grief changes you. It guts you. It rearranges the way you see the world. And losing Dylan shattered something in me that I’m still working to rebuild. Healing hasn’t been linear, and it certainly hasn’t been easy. But what’s helped me the most is honoring his memory by living. By loving harder. By helping people in the ways he used to help me.
I carry him with me in every conversation, every act of care, every time I speak life into KUSHIE or hold space for someone who’s hurting. Dylan reminds me that legacy isn’t about how long you’re here – it’s about how deeply you love while you are. And through KUSHIE, I get to keep spreading the kind of love he gave so freely. That’s how I heal.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m committed to building a world where period care is seen as a right, not a luxury. That belief drives everything I do, whether it’s developing accessible products or fighting for policy change. I’m not just here to sell solutions. I’m here to challenge the systems that make menstruation harder for certain communities to navigate in the first place.
The Flow Forward Initiative is the heart of that mission. I want to make sure schools, clinics, and underserved communities have access to not just free period products, but education, dignity, and support. That’s not something that happens overnight. It takes time. It takes resistance. And it takes unwavering belief.
Even if it takes years, even if it’s slow, I’m committed to pushing this mission forward until every young person can bleed without shame, pain, or silence. That’s the future I’m chasing. And I’m not letting go.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m near the water, especially on a warm day or breezy evening. There’s something sacred about it. The sound of waves crashing, the gentle splash of sea animals in the distance, the quiet discovery of footprints and shells left behind by the tide, it all grounds me. I can feel my breath slow down, my body soften. A slightly cool breeze wraps around me like permission to just be. No pressure. No noise. Just presence.
In those moments, I’m reminded that the Earth holds space for us to heal, and that peace isn’t always found in stillness. Sometimes, it’s found in the rhythm of waves, in the scent of saltwater, in the beauty of something bigger than yourself. That’s where I go to remember who I am beneath the weight of it all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kushie.org
- Instagram: @shekushie
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kushie?trk=public_profile_topcard-current-company
- Facebook: https://www.tiktok.com/@shekushie
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SheKushie
