Raising capital for a pink ribbon startup
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I want to build a place for pink ribbon survivors to be able to connect with one another.
In the summer of 2008, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. As I started my treatment, I also started my blog, My Fabulous Boobies. I wrote and shared stories about my experience with breast cancer. And I gathered friends and supporters via the blog and social media. I found that the network of survivors that I had cobbled together via Twitter, Facebook and my blog served as a strong lifeline to keep me grounded and faithful that I would make it through. This network helped me to find answers to a variety of questions that I had. Questions that google couldn't answer and that my medical team was unfamiliar with (and that I was uncomfortable asking them about).
Prior to breast cancer, I started, and maintained many different email communities as a hobby. I have been functioning as a community manager for online groups for nearly 15 years now. One of my largest groups, DC Sistagirls, confirmed for me years ago that gathering women together as a sister-circle network via technology was a fantastic idea. It was a benefit to my life to be able to instantly tap into a strong network of connected women with similar life objectives and goals.
Several times throughout my treatment, well-intentioned people offered to connect me with different breast cancer support groups. I appreciated the thoughts but judging from the faces that surrounded me in the cancer center, I just didn't think that the women in those groups would understand my perspective even though we shared a life-altering illness. The face of breast cancer is rarely young, rarely single and rarely black. And yet, here I was. I wanted to learn how to navigate life with breast cancer as a young single woman. Getting back to "normal" was my goal throughout treatment and my concerns were not the same concerns that a woman who was a grandmother might have. Or concerns that a woman who has been married for decades might share. We had similarities, but we had differences. I wanted to find "my" tribe.
I searched the internet -- because I am an internet-junkie, web-addicted, smart-phone needing sister -- for groups, websites, something... for women like me. I found communities but nothing that resonated and nothing I could take with me. I began receiving emails, tweets, comments and random introductions to other young women who were, like me, searching for others like themselves. So, the question began stewing in my mind... how do we connect to one another? I didn't have an answer then.
That was two years ago. And I've been thinking, searching and trying to figure out the answer since then. Finally, it hit me -- do what you know how to do; build a community for these women to come together. One problem, technology has changed significantly since my first email group started. There are so many social media options and web applications and websites out there but none of them seemed quite right. I just haven't found a website or application that fits the way that I believe that we want to communicate with one another.
So, here I am. I have desire. I have time. I have a concept. What I don't have is the technical skills to build what I need or the money to hire developers who can do this job. And here's where you come in.
I've accepted that building this community is my current mission and goal in life. Nothing much matters beyond this project. I have spent many months (and lots of money) going to conferences and meetings learning how to build a technology startup (and reading a ton of books and watching a lot of videos).
In the summer of 2008, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. As I started my treatment, I also started my blog, My Fabulous Boobies. I wrote and shared stories about my experience with breast cancer. And I gathered friends and supporters via the blog and social media. I found that the network of survivors that I had cobbled together via Twitter, Facebook and my blog served as a strong lifeline to keep me grounded and faithful that I would make it through. This network helped me to find answers to a variety of questions that I had. Questions that google couldn't answer and that my medical team was unfamiliar with (and that I was uncomfortable asking them about).
Prior to breast cancer, I started, and maintained many different email communities as a hobby. I have been functioning as a community manager for online groups for nearly 15 years now. One of my largest groups, DC Sistagirls, confirmed for me years ago that gathering women together as a sister-circle network via technology was a fantastic idea. It was a benefit to my life to be able to instantly tap into a strong network of connected women with similar life objectives and goals.
Several times throughout my treatment, well-intentioned people offered to connect me with different breast cancer support groups. I appreciated the thoughts but judging from the faces that surrounded me in the cancer center, I just didn't think that the women in those groups would understand my perspective even though we shared a life-altering illness. The face of breast cancer is rarely young, rarely single and rarely black. And yet, here I was. I wanted to learn how to navigate life with breast cancer as a young single woman. Getting back to "normal" was my goal throughout treatment and my concerns were not the same concerns that a woman who was a grandmother might have. Or concerns that a woman who has been married for decades might share. We had similarities, but we had differences. I wanted to find "my" tribe.
I searched the internet -- because I am an internet-junkie, web-addicted, smart-phone needing sister -- for groups, websites, something... for women like me. I found communities but nothing that resonated and nothing I could take with me. I began receiving emails, tweets, comments and random introductions to other young women who were, like me, searching for others like themselves. So, the question began stewing in my mind... how do we connect to one another? I didn't have an answer then.
That was two years ago. And I've been thinking, searching and trying to figure out the answer since then. Finally, it hit me -- do what you know how to do; build a community for these women to come together. One problem, technology has changed significantly since my first email group started. There are so many social media options and web applications and websites out there but none of them seemed quite right. I just haven't found a website or application that fits the way that I believe that we want to communicate with one another.
So, here I am. I have desire. I have time. I have a concept. What I don't have is the technical skills to build what I need or the money to hire developers who can do this job. And here's where you come in.
I've accepted that building this community is my current mission and goal in life. Nothing much matters beyond this project. I have spent many months (and lots of money) going to conferences and meetings learning how to build a technology startup (and reading a ton of books and watching a lot of videos).
I have reached a point where I have to stop being a team of one, and bring on people with more expertise than I have in different areas. Otherwise, this dream will die with me because I lack the knowledge to implement it all.
I am passionate about giving back to the community of breast cancer survivors. Women need tangible help before and during treatment and there are a lot of fantastic organizations out there that assist with that. But, the period following treatment is hard for survivors because life is so different. That is where this application comes in to provide help. If you believe that a virtual world for pink ribbon survivors is a good idea, then your investment in this vision will be utilized in the following ways:
I have the best blog supporters and pink ribbon supporters in the world. Each email, tweet, phone call and in-person meeting that I've had with a young woman who is navigating her new normal after breast cancer has impressed on me just how much we all are looking for the other members of our tribe. I just want to build the way for us to connect that works the way that we work. Take the support group concept to a mobile internet world.
I am passionate about giving back to the community of breast cancer survivors. Women need tangible help before and during treatment and there are a lot of fantastic organizations out there that assist with that. But, the period following treatment is hard for survivors because life is so different. That is where this application comes in to provide help. If you believe that a virtual world for pink ribbon survivors is a good idea, then your investment in this vision will be utilized in the following ways:
- Hiring a web designer
- Hiring a web development team
- Hiring legal counsel
- Logo design
- Marketing
I have the best blog supporters and pink ribbon supporters in the world. Each email, tweet, phone call and in-person meeting that I've had with a young woman who is navigating her new normal after breast cancer has impressed on me just how much we all are looking for the other members of our tribe. I just want to build the way for us to connect that works the way that we work. Take the support group concept to a mobile internet world.
Organizer
Nicole McLean
Organizer
