About
Nessa is a notable media presence. She hosts afternoon drive 3-7pm weekdays on New York City’s legendary radio station, HOT 97, along with her nationally syndicated show Nessa On Air that captivates over a million listeners weekly. In addition, she hosts MTV’s VMAs (Video Music Awards) and Reunions shows, and was also nominated for a New York Emmy for “Talk Stoop.” Nessa’s impact extends to the “Nessa OFF Air” podcast, a comedic focus on self-improvement through the lens of Nessa’s life experience, pop culture, and social issues.
Nessa is the co-founder of the Know Your Rights Camp, a non-profit organization she founded with Colin Kaepernick in 2015 with the mission to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization, and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders. Since then, KYRC has had eleven of its signature programmatic offerings, Know Your Rights Camps, that have served 2,800 youth and launched many initiatives and rapid response survival programs. These efforts have produced programs such as the Covid-19 Relief Fund that’s served hundreds of thousands of meals, rental assistance, PPE distribution and $1M in community bail funds, a Legal Defense Initiative to support protestors’ rights that protected 90,000 people’s rights, $2M to over 100 community and grassroots organizations and launched a first-of-its-kind Autopsy Initiative that has completed over 70 second autopsies free-of-charge for victims’ families who have lost their loved ones due to a police-related death since its inception 18 months ago. The KYRC app launched with a first-of-its-kind state by state guide to one’s rights when interacting with police during traffic stops and protests. Since the founding of KYRC, Nessa spearheaded the distribution of Colin Kaepernick’s Million Dollar Pledge and his proceeds from his jersey sales to organizations that work in underserved communities such as Center for Reproductive Rights New York and DREAM.
Nessa’s philanthropy includes the Nessa On Air Scholarship to support her mentees preparing for college in partnership with Lower East Side Girls Club. A University of California, Berkeley graduate, Nessa co-founded Kaepernick Media, showcasing Black and Brown creators in media.
