In this episode, we explore the work of museum education leader, creative strategist, author, and entrepreneur Kimaada Le Gendre. Her work, including her ventures Camp Naturebella, Naturebella's Kids, and Curating the Art of Learning, as well as her work as Chief Learning Officer at the Queens Museum and Director of the Suna Children's Museum, brings together creative practice, public engagement, and community-centered design to activate spaces and deepen connections between people and place. Host Monique T. Marshall speaks with Le Gendre about what it means to build a venture that collaborates with community stakeholders, cultural institutions, and local partners to co-create experiences rooted in shared knowledge and lived experience—and asks, what happens when we treat community not as audience, but as co-authors of space and experience? Hear how her work moves beyond traditional models of engagement by centering participation, dialogue, and accessibility as core components of impact. This thoughtful conversation highlights the importance of designing with community, the role of creative practice in fostering connection, and the powerful ways entrepreneurs can shape more inclusive and responsive environments, fostering power shifts in how spaces and ideas are designed and activated. Visit our podcast page. Visit Naturebella's Kids at their website and on Instagram. Visit Camp Naturebella. Visit Curating the Art of Learning. Visit the Queens Museum. Kimaada Le Gendre is a creative entrepreneur, award-winning author, and museum leader whose work bridges culture, creativity, and community. She's the founder of Naturebella's Kids, a children's brand that celebrates diversity, empowerment, and environmental awareness through bestselling picture books and products. That success inspired Camp Naturebella, a year-round initiative designed to capture the excitement of summer camp, giving girls brave spaces during the school year to explore, imagine, and lead with confidence. Today, Kimaada continues that mission through Curating the Art of Learning, her new consulting practice that helps educators, institutions, and creative entrepreneurs design programs rooted in representation, joy, and belonging. She currently serves as Chief Learning Officer and Director of The Suna Children's Museum at the Queens Museum, where she leads groundbreaking education and community engagement initiatives. Kimaada has been honored as a Power Player in Education by Politics NY & AM Metro New York in both 2023 and 2024, and received the Caribbean Impact Award in 2025 for her leadership and cultural advocacy. Across every project, from museums to children's media, her mission remains the same: to empower through learning that reflects who we are and what we can become.

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