On Saturday, October 17, WellnessFest will invite the Shreveport community to explore what it looks like to make wellness part of everyday life. Created by LaDonna Welch, founder of Ebony Notes Co., this inaugural health and lifestyle summit was designed to bring conversations about mental, physical, and financial wellness together while giving attendees opportunities to turn what they learn into practical habits. The day will include expert panels, interactive breakout sessions, networking, and a marketplace featuring local vendors and black-owned brands. 

Welch describes Ebony Notes as an impact-based business centered on uplifting the community. Through its mobile app, workshops and restorative events, the company works to create culturally relevant resources and spaces for black women to prioritize their well-being. 

I decided to interview the founder on how this event contributes to our community. 

Q: For someone hearing about WellnessFest for the first time, what is the event, and what do you hope people experience or take away from attending? 

Welch: “WellnessFest in an experiential health and lifestyle summit created specifically to center Black women, working professionals, mothers, and community leader across the Ark-La-Tex region. My goal is to shift the narrative around what ‘healthy’ actually means. Your wellness, self-care routines, physical fitness, financial habits, and mental space aren’t separate, superficial buckets; they are all interconnected parts of your overall health and should be treated with the same priority. 

I don’t want attendees to just sit and listen to abstract advice. I want every woman to walk away with tangible strategies and actionable steps that empower her to either stay on track or get on track toward a softer, more intentional life.” 

Q: What inspired you to create WellnessFest, and was there a particular moment or experience that made you realize Shreveport needed an event like this? 

Welch: “WellnessFest has been on my business roadmap for three years. Ebony Notes Co. is fundamentally an impact-based business built to serve and uplift our community. In society, people often dismiss mental health, wellness, and self-care as luxury items or superficial trends. I want to change that narrative.” 

Q: College students often balance school, work, relationships, and deciding what comes next. What parts of WellnessFest do you think could be especially valuable to students navigating that season of life? 

Welch: “While the entire summit experience offers immense value, students could gain so much from our Mind & Metanoia track and our live demonstrations. College is a pivotal transition period where stress management and mindset shifts directly impact your long-term well-being. The Mind & Metanoia track gives students practical tools for mental hygiene, setting healthy boundaries early, and avoiding burnout before they even step fully into their careers. When paired with our live demonstrations, it provides students with accessible, real-time practices to ground themselves when life feels overwhelming.” 

Q: What have you learned about the wellness needs of people in Shreveport through your work, and how has that shaped the purpose of this event? 

Welch: “Through my work in Shreveport, I’ve learned that while Black women are not a monolith, we do share deeply common experiences when it comes to navigating systemic stress, health disparities, and the pressure to over-function. 

So many women in our community are silently carrying the weight of their families, careers, and neighborhoods without space to rest. This realization shaped the core purpose of WellnessFest: to create a localized, culturally responsive sanctuary where women don’t have to explain their struggle. They can just come, exhale, receive preventative health education, and learn how to protect their peace together.” 

Q: What can attendees expect to experience at this year’s WellnessFest, and is there anything you’re particularly excited about? 

Welch: “We’ve all seen standard health fairs where you just walk table to table collecting pamphlets, but WellnessFest is completely different; it’s the first experiential summit of its kind in our area! 

Attendees can expect a dynamic blend of main stage expert panels, a featured keynote and fireside chat, a Soft Living Marketplace, and deeply immersive breakout sessions. I’m especially excited about the interactive nature of the breakout sessions. You aren’t just sitting and getting talked at; you are actively engaging in live demonstrations, building customized action plans, reflecting, and walking out the door with tangible tools you can put into practice immediately.” 

Wellness doesn’t have to stop at the campus gates. WellnessFest also highlights the value of connecting with the community beyond campus. Students have access to classmates, professors, organizations and campus resources, but local professionals, mentors, organizations, and wellness programs can expand that support system. For students, attending a community event, volunteering, or exploring a local organization can lead to friendships, professional connections, and resources that remain valuable beyond college. 

Faculty and staff can benefit from those connections as well, especially as work and family responsibilities make daily routines increasingly narrow. Wellness is not only about individual habits. Exercise, budgeting, and rest can support physical, financial and mental health, but meaningful relationships and accessible resources matter too. Building a life that supports academic, professional, and personal goals requires both self-care and connection. 

For some, that process may begin with changing a habit. For others, it may begin by stepping outside a familiar routine and discovering a community ready to offer support.