Kayla Wilson is a Knowledgeable Founder of a grassroots social enterprise start-up, Metamorphosis Collective (Formerly Metamorphosis Mobile Boutique). Metamorphosis has redistributed thousands of dollars worth of clothing, money, personal care products, and PPE in an LGBT-friendly environment since 2018! With 3 chapters & a team of 7 volunteers, we hope to get legal entity status soon & continue to expand.
Kayla also has 5 years of experience as a leader and volunteer at ‘Zebra Coalition’, a Non-Profit dedicated to serving the LGBTQ community. They have served as a member of Zebra Coalitions Youth Council as their Event Coordinator. They attended panels, events, trainings, and conferences in the LGBTQ community including, The HRC ‘Time to Thrive’ Conference, and Cultural Competency trainings at various places of worship. They are a peer counselor with lived experience that shapes the way they interact with clients through a trauma informed lens.
Additionally, Kayla also has experience in the private sector as a Licensed Cosmetologist. Metamorphosis Collective opened the first gender neutral hair studio in Orlando,”Ethereal Hair Designs”, where they serviced clients in a private spa setting before moving to Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, they worked on political campaigns as a canvasser for 6 months & continued to take hair clients until the pandemic hit.
Recently, they finished their internship at Hopeworks Camden as a Community Building Intern where they used their previous experience in non-profit & peer support, as well as their newly learned coding skills, to help trainees with their social-emotional and technical needs. In this role, they facilitated weekly groups, did individual peer support sessions 1:1, supported the onboarding process, and create new processes to keep trainees feeling encouraged & supported.
“Thank you for being an awesome peer support specialist. You’re the best!! They are really amazing with their roles and position. I couldn’t make it through the day successfully without having them supporting me each week. They are very talented and inspire me when I feel down.”
-Timothy Vo, a peer support participant