After 13 years as the co-founder of a certified organic beverage brand, 15 years in the natural products industry, and 25 years of editing myself to fit into spaces dominated by whiteness, I needed a change. Despite my professional successes, the skills required to succeed in those environments were at odds with what I truly wanted to do. So much of me had to be siloed and severed to be accepted, and even then, I always found myself in the margins. I was left unfulfilled and wanting more.

In 2020, tectonic plates were shifting, a global pandemic, a racial reckoning, political unrest, economic devastation, and a mass exodus of non-white Christians out of white Evangelical spaces, I could feel Creator, the universe, and the ancestors calling me to do a new thing. It was more than work-life balance, finding the perfect job, or a more diverse and progressive church; I craved resonance in my work and faith praxis. I needed a deep sense of purpose in the things I spent my waking hours doing and a connection to the community I was doing it with. I wanted to stop second-guessing myself and waiting for outside validation or permission. I wanted to use my talents and gifts in the service of liberation for people like me who longed to be fully and unapologetically themselves.

My name is Rebekah James Lovett. Welcome to Thambusami! I’m glad you are here.

When I look back at my professional career, the things I loved most had to do with people and connections—sharing what I know with individuals who historically are shut out of the conversation and given no seat at the table. I relished every opportunity to share my knowledge with members of the Global Majority (BIPOC) to succeed in their roles and to stand in their power. I am taking the lessons from my leadership and entrepreneurial journey to help BIPOC individuals thrive and flourish professionally, spiritually, and holistically.

I am the daughter of South Indian immigrants (Tamil & Malayalee) who came to the United States in the '70s. I am the wife to a partner of mixed European descent and the mother of biracial and multi-ethnic children who, until very recently, lived in a predominantly white community and have had to navigate racism and xenophobia in both school and faith communities.

My racial, ethnic, gender, and faith identities have shaped me tremendously and inform the work I do today. Helping people embrace the fullness of their identity is one of my greatest joys because this is not something BIPOC people have been allowed to do. So often, we are used as props for organizations to virtue signal, but seldom are we truly celebrated and welcomed for who we are. We saw a boon of DEI initiatives in 2020 only to realize that organizations were never sincere in their commitments, expected free labor and education from people of the Global Majority (BIPOC), or waited for the tides to shift so they could cut it altogether. We cannot put ourselves at the mercy of these initiatives, waiting on the sidelines for a policy that will force them to see us and respect us. I want to help you reclaim that dignity for yourself now and on your terms.

I know what it is like to disassociate to fit into environments not built with you in mind and do nothing to nurture your flourishing. To be in professional spaces or faith communities where you bring an edited version of yourself to cater to the comfort and expectations of those around you. Where you shrink yourself to accommodate racial bias, microaggressions and macroaggressions, you endure it all to protect yourself from being labeled “too sensitive” or from being shut out entirely. I know the toll it takes on the soul. I also know what the path to freedom and wholeness looks and feels like. This deep work is powerful, transformative, and necessary. I would be honored to walk alongside you on this sacred journey of being fully you.

Rebekah James Lovett

Founder, Thambusami