Nina Westbrook exuded style and grace at the Why Not? Foundation’s third annual Mental Health and Wellness Brunch.
Held March 20 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Westbrook joined a distinguished panel of entrepreneurs, tastemakers, influencers, and industry leaders to explore the versatility of today’s leading women. The panel featured fashion designer and Footlocker Women’s Creative Director Melody Ehsani, Blackbird House Founder and CEO Bridgid Coulter Cheadle, actress Ryan Michelle Bathe, and wellness expert Dr. Jenelle Kim, a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. They explored business growth, cultural influence, and wellness while raising funds to support the Why Not? Foundation’s focus on underserved and underrepresented communities in Los Angeles County.
The elegance was effortless as Nina led the empowering brunch in a brown blazer with rolled-up sleeves, an ivory satin skirt, and brown embellished pumps. Her freshly styled blowout framed her face as a gentle breeze from the outdoor wellness marketplace swept by. Meanwhile, her husband, Russell Westbrook, was up bright and early—despite playing a game against the Los Angeles Lakers the night before—to join their three children in cheering on Mommy ahead of her big event.
The Westbrook kids—son Noah and twin daughters Skye and Jordyn—beamed with pride and joy as they presented their mom with a bouquet of flowers and wished her good luck. It was a heartwarming glimpse into the teamwork she and Russell cultivate at home and through their foundation.
Founded in 2012, the Why Not? Foundation takes its name from Russell’s signature mantra, “Why Not?” As a certified marriage and family therapist, Nina naturally infused her passion for mental health and wellness into the foundation’s mission.
“We’ve made it a huge pillar in our foundation to really focus on mental health awareness and providing resources and mental health services to our students, to our foundation, and also just creating and raising that awareness for all of our communities,” Nina tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
What began as an initiative to build reading rooms in schools quickly expanded to providing tech resources for students in need during the pandemic. Now, it has evolved into a partnership with the LA Promise Fund to operate Westbrook Academy
—a school serving students in grades 6-12 from South and Southeast Los Angeles, empowering them to excel academically, artistically, and athletically.“Through our collaboration, we’ve been able to provide so many families with amazing opportunities for education, workforce development, and wraparound services,” Nina shared.
Alongside its partnership with the LA Promise Fund, the Why Not? Foundation is also focused on other key initiatives. These include TEC Leimert, which empowers young people by creating opportunities in the emerging creative economy, and a collaboration with Little Kitchen Academy, providing grants and scholarships to underserved kids and teens across the U.S. and Canada, giving them access to the program’s life-changing culinary education.
The mental health and wellness brunch doubled as a fundraiser to sustain and expand the foundation’s programs.
“This event really empowers or fuels a lot of our Westbrook Academy efforts,” said Why Not? Foundation lead, Amelia Williamson. “And then because of the [LA] fires this year, we’ve been really thinking about how do we [support] mental health for our young people. And so some of the funds raised from this event will help us to work in the fire recovery space.”
Nina infused her personal touch into the brunch, encouraging attendees to connect and share openly. Each table featured a card from her Do Tell! Conversation Card Game, prompting thought-provoking questions like, “What childhood memory helped shape your life today?” A flower station invited guests to create their own custom bouquets, which they received along with a curated gift bag filled with skincare and wellness products from the marketplace.
“I feel like a lot of times we’re so busy running around and we’re not really having the opportunity to check in and talk about how are you feeling today,” Nina explained. “Like really checking in and just making it just one way that we can have those conversations with our partners, with our children, with our family and friends, and talk about the things that we don’t always talk about.”
Beyond her work with the Why Not? Foundation, Nina leads Bene By Nina, a digital mental health and wellness community. She also hosts the Do Tell Relationship podcast, where she engages in candid deep dives with her guests about finding happiness, living with purpose, and exploring the secrets of genuine human connection.RELATED CONTENT: Russell Westbrook Cuts Ribbon To Newly Expanded Westbrook Academy