‘She Matters’ Founder Creates App for Black Mothers Dealing with Postpartum
As many as 75 percent of women suffer from postpartum depression. As someone who was a part of that large percentage while in her second master’s program, Jade Kearney wanted to make a change.
Kearney quickly learned how to run a company while dealing with the same struggles of the people she was trying to help.
While running a company, she also orchestrated workshops and conferences to assist Black women on their journey to success.
After a difficult experience finding a therapist as a Black woman, Kearney went on to become the founder of She Matters, a mobile app that helps guide mothers dealing with postpartum. It featured certified therapist trained to make sessions culturally relevant.
“While I was trying to finish my second master’s degree, I had to figure out how to navigate that space alone because between cultural stigma and medical neglect for Black women in the postpartum period, there was really no outlet for me,” said Kearney, who felt like no parent should have to suffer through postpartum alone.
She Matters provides members access to therapists who understand the untrustworthy relationship Black women have with the healthcare system.
In the first 24 hours of its launch, more than 3,400 people signed up for She Matters.
There are already 180 trained therapists ready to help and another 700 on the waiting list.
Although the numbers were booming, Black women who are founders of companies get just 1.2 percent of billion-dollar venture funding in the United States.
Kearney also has a deep understanding of this issue, as she too has experienced the difficulty.
“It’s so challenging, but so is just to be at this level as a Black female,” she said in Tech Crunch. “The whole thing is crazy and challenging. So if we’re in the room, we’ve clearly been able to jump over all of the hurdles to get there, and we’re usually one or two in the space. So then to say you’ve gotten here, you’re [unique], and we’re not going to give you money.
“It’s crazy, it really is. It’s a lot.”
Up until this point, she has raised $300,000 in angel money and is discussing deals with other investors to raise $2 million in seed funding.
Kearney has found a great balance in first trying to help herself, but now many others. She desires to help other Black women across the country achieve their goals as well.