UrbanGeekz Partners with CultureBanx for Editorial Series on Black Innovation Alliance Members
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Ayanna Smith is an award-winning publicist and social entrepreneur on a mission to use tech to support individuals going through a major life transition.
The mother of two, who battling breast cancer, has just launched Journey Together, an app to create a one-stop platform to organize support offered by family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and others. This can be everything from donations and rides to medical appointments or event music playlists.
Journey Together is a comprehensive solution to streamline diverse forms of assistance in one centralized platform. Whether you’re celebrating the birth of a newborn, grieving the loss of a loved one, or experiencing a serious medical illness the app is a powerful solution.
UrbanGeekz caught up with Ayanna to find out more.
UrbanGeekz Describe Journey Together and your current role?
Ayanna Smith: I am the Founder and CEO of Journey Together, an all-in-one support platform designed to simplify the organization and management of assistance for individuals facing various life challenges. Whether celebrating a new life, coping with loss, or dealing with a serious medical condition, Journey Together facilitates the coordination of care through a selected “solidarity co-op.” This curated approach ensures that everything from monetary donations and transportation to medical appointments, to book recommendations and music playlists, is centralized for ease of mind.
In addition to my role at Journey Together, I am recognized as an ecosystem builder in the Washington, DC region. Honored as the 2022 Community Builder of the Year by Technical.ly, I leverage my extensive background as a communications strategist to amplify the work of Black and Brown founders. My focus is on identifying and addressing gaps in the entrepreneurship and innovation space, contributing to the growth and inclusivity of the local startup community.
UrbanGeekz: What is your company’s unique value proposition that makes it stand out from the competition?
Ayanna Smith: Journey Together stands out by offering a versatile support platform for various life scenarios, including crises like the death of a loved one and military deployments. Unique features include notifications for supporters when the recipient is available for visitors and calls, reducing stress and conflicts. The app provides Facebook-like status updates for easy communication, wish lists for streamlined assistance, and organized recommendations to simplify overwhelming information. Users can create and store notes in folders, enhancing organization. Journey Together also allows task sign-ups for practical support, such as childcare and grocery shopping. Overall, our app distinguishes itself through a holistic, user-friendly approach, ensuring a comprehensive solution for managing support in diverse situations.
UrbanGeekz: How has BIack Innovation Alliance supported you on a personal and/or professional level?
Ayanna Smith: I’m grateful to BIA for providing a platform where like-minded ecosystem builders collaborate to address common challenges in their local innovation communities. BIA stands out as an exceptional organization that fosters collaboration among its members, facilitating the sharing of ideas and interventions. This collaborative approach is crucial, as many resources to strengthen local innovation exist, but there’s often a lack of cross-collaboration. BIA bridges this gap, offering opportunities for members to connect, share insights, and collectively solve problems. Engaging with fellow Black innovators who share a common mindset while doing similar impactful work is both energizing and rewarding. BIA’s unique focus on fostering collaboration sets it apart, making it a valuable resource for those dedicated to the advancement of Black entrepreneurs.
UrbanGeekz: What inspired you to start your business?
Ayanna Smith: Journey Together emerged from my personal struggle with breast cancer. Faced with a flood of healthcare advice and overwhelming support from loved ones through various channels, I found the “help” burdensome, counterproductive, and stressful. This experience inspired me to create Journey Together—a comprehensive solution to streamline diverse forms of assistance in one centralized platform.
The goal is to empower individuals in need to efficiently manage and coordinate support, ensuring a more organized and less burdensome experience during challenging times. My own journey with breast cancer was the driving force behind the vision of providing a user-friendly, all-encompassing tool that eases the complexities of navigating and receiving help during critical moments.
UrbanGeekz: Are there any milestones you have achieved that you’d like to share?
Ayanna Smith: As the founder of Journey Together, my significant milestones include successfully developing and preparing to launch a fully functional app after an intensive 10-month development and discovery period. Transitioning the concept into a tangible, user-ready product signifies a major achievement. Additionally, the early interest and inquiries from individuals eager to test and use the app are sources of pride. This reception indicates the app’s relevance and potential impact. I am particularly gratified to have created a solution addressing a universal need, as evidenced by the broad appeal of Journey Together— a comprehensive milestone reflecting both the app’s imminent launch and the positive engagement it has already garnered.
UrbanGeekz: What’s next for your company that we should be on the lookout for?
Ayanna Smith: Following our January 2024 launch, Journey Together is poised to enter the next phase, actively pursuing funding to advance into phase two. This involves the development and launch of a web-based version of our app, expanding accessibility and functionality. The overarching objective is to cultivate a robust following and user base. We are committed to enhancing the app iteratively based on valuable user feedback, ensuring that Journey Together continually evolves to meet the diverse needs of our growing community. Stay tuned for these exciting developments as we strive to provide an even more comprehensive and user-friendly platform for managing support in various life scenarios.
UrbanGeekz: Provide your company website and applicable social handles?
Absolutely.
Learn more about the app, which is slated to go live in January, at: www.journeytogetherapp.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/91705889/admin/feed/posts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journey_together_app
*UrbanGeekz and CultureBanx’s “Black Innovation’s’ Frontline” is an exciting first-of-its-kind editorial series showcasing Black Innovation Alliance member organizations. The Q&A series will highlight the founder’s impact across the entrepreneurial landscape in the United States through a unique culturally attuned lens.
