Vanessa Osage is the Director of Philanthropy at NAMI Washington, a nonprofit that provides education, support, and advocacy for mental health. Vanessa leads fundraising and donor engagement initiatives to support the organization’s programs. She also coordinates sponsorship and partnership efforts for signature events such as the NAMI WA Conference and Brainpower Showcase. Vanessa is also an author, having published Can’t Stop the Sunrise and Sex Education for Girls: A Parent’s Guide.

What does it mean to truly create safety in a world where systems often fail to provide it? How do individuals transform personal struggles into sources of strength and empathy that can uplift entire communities?

According to Vanessa Osage, a longtime nonprofit leader and author, safety begins with the courage to seek health and belonging even in the face of adversity. She highlights how her early experiences of displacement and survival shaped her empathy and ability to connect with others across differences. By weaving together themes of justice, empowerment, and healing, she explains how both one-on-one therapy and peer-led support groups can profoundly reorder lives.

In this episode of With Intention, Liz Frost sits down with Vanessa Osage, Director of Philanthropy at NAMI Washington, to discuss creating safety and community through mental health advocacy. They explore how lived experience can serve as an access point to empathy, why peer support groups and education can be life-changing, and the importance of advocacy in shifting systems. Vanessa also shares how storytelling and art play a role in reducing stigma.