From Finding Her Confidence to Creating Space for Others: Meet Nakita Vang, Hnub Tshiab’s 2026 Hmong Woman of the Year

“To me, being a leader is being someone who can live their most genuine and authentic life. Through this, they can affect the people around them to do the same.”

Nakita Vang has been selected as Hnub Tshiab’s 2026 Hmong Woman of the Year, recognizing her leadership, advocacy, and commitment to creating meaningful change for women and individuals in her community.

For Nakita, however, leadership was not something she always understood.

In fact, the first time she remembers hearing the words “Hmong women” and “leader” placed together was in 2015, when she participated in Hmong Women Leader Institute (HWLI), a leadership program through Hnub Tshiab: Hmong Women Achieving Together.

“This was the first time that I heard the words Hmong women and leader being put together.”

HWLI was a leadership program offered by Hnub Tshiab that created a space for Hmong women to learn, grow, and connect as they developed their leadership skills. Over five to six months, participants took part in leadership training, educational opportunities, and community-building experiences, while also exploring Hmong history, language, and traditional practices. The goal was to nurture strong Hmong women leaders who could create lasting change, not only in their own lives and families, but throughout their communities and beyond. 

Through the program, Nakita was introduced to many new experiences and saw different examples of what leadership could look like for Hmong women. 

Her experience with HWLI gave her something else: a new question.

What could leadership look like for her?

That question would stay with her for years.

After spending five years working as a marketing & social media consultant, where she helped other Hmong businesses define their brand, Nakita eventually knew she was ready for something else to fill her cup. She didn't necessarily know what that next chapter would be, but she knew she wanted to reconnect with something that had always made her feel most like herself: dance.

She began to notice the way dance made her feel and the way it made other people feel, too.

So she took a leap of faith and created Heal in Heels.

What began as a passion for dance grew into something much bigger: a space where women and individuals could build confidence, reconnect with their bodies, challenge limiting beliefs, and find healing and community.

And somewhere along the way, Nakita began to discover her own definition of leadership.

Redefining What It Means to Lead

Even today, Nakita says she is still figuring out exactly what it means to be a leader.

But her understanding of leadership has evolved significantly since that first experience with HWLI.

Leadership, she says, isn't necessarily about having a title, holding a position, or being the person in charge.

“To me, being a leader is someone who can live their most genuine and authentic life. Through this, they can affect the people around them to do the same.”

For Nakita, leadership begins with authenticity.

It means having the courage to live in alignment with who you are—and allowing that authenticity to give other people permission to do the same.

That philosophy is reflected in the work she does through Heal in Heels.

A Journey Toward Self-Acceptance

Finding that confidence did not happen overnight. 

Nakita recalls becoming aware of her differences from her peers as early as age seven. As she grew older, questions about her identity, confidence and sense of belonging continued to shape her experiences.

“I was too Hmong for American kids and too American for Hmong kids. I never felt pretty enough, smart enough, or exceptional enough to fit in, and my deep empathy made it hard to find friends who could match that capacity.”

For years, Nakita struggled with trying to understand where she belonged and who she needed to be to fit in.

Eventually, she realized that she did not need to change herself to find belonging.

“The moment I stopped trying to belong and being someone I wasn’t, I was able to step into my true self.”

Accepting herself allowed Nakita to build a stronger sense of identity and find people and spaces where she could be her authentic self. That experience would later influence the type of space she wanted to create for others.

Leading as a Hmong Woman

Nakita's identity as a Hmong woman is deeply connected to the work she does.

Her love and respect for her culture have helped shape the way she approaches her work, her relationships, and her leadership. She carries with her the values she learned growing up, including the importance of family, respect, and caring for her community.

But embracing her identity and choosing an unconventional path have not always been easy.

Nakita has experienced rejection from people who did not see her work—or the way she chooses to express herself—as fitting their expectations of what a Hmong woman or role model should look like.

“I've had people reject me as a speaker because they don't believe I'm a positive role model for young youth.”

But Nakita sees another side of that story.

“What they don't see is that through and through I am a Hmong daughter, raised in a household, taught how to be respectable, how to care for my family and our culture.”

For Nakita, being a Hmong woman does not mean fitting into one definition of what a Hmong woman should be.

It means carrying the values that matter to her while also giving herself permission to define her own path.

And the impact she sees in the women and individuals she teaches matters more to her than the rejection she has experienced.

“My students are the reason why I do what I do every day.”

Heal in Heels is more than a dance class. It is a space designed to help people develop a healthier relationship with their bodies while building confidence, connection, and community.

At its heart, the work is about helping people break free from limiting beliefs and see themselves beyond the expectations that society may place on them.

The People Who Helped Her Get Here

Nakita is quick to recognize that she did not arrive at this point alone.

Her students have played an important role in shaping Heal in Heels and continue to influence the direction of her work.

But when asked who her greatest support system has been, she points to two people immediately: her mom and her sister.

“My mom and sister are my biggest supporters. If it was not for them supporting me and encouraging me every step of the way, then I could not be where I am today.”

Their encouragement gave Nakita the confidence to continue pursuing a path that was not always easy to explain or understand to others.

And that support is something she now hopes to extend to the next generation.

Creating the Space She Needed

When asked what responsibility she feels toward the next generation of Hmong women and girls, Nakita's answer is simple:

To be authentic.

“I need to be able to walk my talk in order to give others permission to do so as well.”

Nakita knows firsthand what it feels like to grow up searching for confidence and trying to understand who you are.

Looking back, she wishes she had access to a space that helped her develop self-confidence and discover her identity earlier in life.

She wonders whether having that kind of support might have changed some of the paths she took and helped her avoid some of the darker places she experienced.

That realization has become part of the reason she does what she does today.

Every week, Nakita gets to witness the impact Heal in Heels has on the women who come to her classes. 

“I get to watch women completely shift how they see themselves and their bodies. What that looks like is wives making space for themselves; mothers rediscovering who they are outside of parenting, women rebuilding confidence after divorce, and adults making lifelong friends.”

Her leadership is not only about the work she is doing, but is also about being able to create something she wished she had when she was younger.

A Recognition of Her Journey

When Nakita learned she had been named Hnub Tshiab's 2026 Hmong Woman of the Year, she struggled to put her feelings into words.

The recognition was meaningful not simply because it was an award, but because of what it represented.

“This is better than any prestigious award that you can think of. The fact that someone chose to nominate me, out of hundreds of incredible Hmong women, is truly humbling.”

Nakita's journey, from a young woman questioning her identity, to discovering a new understanding of leadership, to creating a space where others can find confidence and connection, is a reflection of the kind of leadership Hnub Tshiab seeks to celebrate.

Hnub Tshiab’s mission is to be a catalyst for social, cultural, and institutional change that improves the lives of Hmong women and girls.

Each year, the Hmong Woman of the Year Award recognizes a woman who embodies that mission by creating change, celebrating who we are, and uplifting Hmong women and girls to reach their full potential. 

Hnub Tshiab's board chair, Mysee Vang, shares:

“Nakita is incredibly deserving of this recognition because she leads with courage. It takes courage to put yourself out there, to challenge expectations, and to create something that may not fit traditional ideas of what leadership looks like. Through Heal in Heels, Nakita has created a powerful space where Hmong women can build confidence, feel empowered, and connect with themselves and one another—both emotionally and physically. What I especially appreciate is that her work brings together Hmong women from different generations and walks of life. Nakita truly embodies the mission of Hnub Tshiab, and we are proud to recognize her as our 2026 Hmong Woman of the Year.” 

But perhaps the most meaningful part of her story is that she isn't finished defining what leadership means to her.

She is still learning.

Still growing.

Still dancing.

And still creating space for other women to discover who they are.

For Nakita, leadership may not be about having all the answers.

It may simply be about having the courage to live authentically and helping someone else believe they can do the same.