Christiana Smith
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In this series, we are catching up with alumni leaders of Skate Like a Girl’s Skateboarding Inclusivity Cooperative (S.I.C.) Program, a partnership between Nike Made to Play, Converse Social and Community Impact and Nike SB. We catch up with the founder of A Positive Seed, Christiana Smith where a school project, deeply rooted in her experiences as a skateboarder in Midwest, ignited a spark that has kept her relentlessly sowing seeds of positivity for nearly a decade.
Name, pronouns, and age?
My name is Christiana Smith, pronouns are she/her and I am 26 years old.
What organization do you represent? Where is it located? When did it start?
I represent A Positive Seed in Detroit, Michigan and we started in 2015.
What S.I.C. Program Year were you a part of?
I was a part of the 2023 S.I.C. program year.
What inspired you to start skateboarding / how did you get into it?
I started skateboarding at about 11 years old. Being a super active kid, I loved to try every sport. Basketball was a favorite for a while before skateboarding. My older brothers had some plastic skateboards that I ended up using a lot more than they did which, alongside Tony Hawk Pro skater, definitely sparked my interest in skateboarding. Shortly after that, I was invited to a birthday party at an indoor skatepark here in Detroit, Michigan and I rode off of a ledge for the first time. That made me so hyped and had me all in ever since!
What made you start your organization / what were the gaps in your community that you saw?
Growing up in Michigan, I was typically the only girl skating that I knew of. It was definitely intimidating to start making space for myself all by myself. My love for skateboarding alongside my progression helped me gain a lot of confidence. However, I continued to notice a lot of gaps of inclusivity in the Michigan scene.
So I actually started hosting skate meetups targeted for girls to hopefully help close those gaps. Monthly sessions at Modern Indoor Skatepark year round with pop up sessions at different outdoor skateparks in the Detroit metro area when the weather was good. A few years into these girls' sessions, a few of my guy friends came up to me and said, “Dude - every time I go to a skatepark there’s a girl skater there. I think you really made an impact!”
Then, for a video production class at school,I created a self-portrait, mini-documentary called, “Skating in a Dress.” After posting it, I was shocked to receive messages from folks all around the world letting me know that it inspired them, made them want to keep skating or get back into it. That was such a reflection moment that made me realize how simple it was to make a positive impact on people’s lives and how skateboarding can be done by anyone and more people should feel comfortable to get on board. All these moments ultimately inspired me to start A Positive Seed.
A Positive Seed is really about inclusivity, making a positive impact in whatever capacity one can, and being in tune with mental health.
What is one big win from 2023?
A big win for this year was getting more organized behind the scenes and building our team. These accomplishments, although may seem small on paper, but has helped us greatly with the sustainability of our work at A Positive Seed so we can continue to do mission-aligned work for as long as possible. We’ve been doing this work for almost a decade now with many “burn-out” moments, so this win is really important to me.
What is one piece of advice you would give your “younger” community leader self?
That you cannot do this work alone. Team work makes the dream work. There are tons of like-minded people around you that believe in the same message and are more than happy to help and be involved.
What is something you have taken away from being part of the S.I.C. Cohort?
The importance of community - near and far! It has been so great meeting the other 2023 S.I.C. leaders at our in-person orientation. We even collaborated on an event with our friends in California, Sk8 n’ Meet Santana.
What has been your favorite moment in skateboarding in the past few years?
The wave of inclusivity. The way our world is now is a dream for my younger self who didn’t have many people to look up to, especially in the Midwest.
What would your Walk Out Song Be?
“Recipes” by Baby Smoove.
