Tech It Anywhere
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Colleen Williams

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Kyle Woumn, VP of Product and Engineering, Overflow

Kyle Woumn: Unlocking Generosity

Overflow is a California-based startup with a mission to “re-invent modern philanthropy” by enabling non-profit organizations to easily accept donations of publicly-traded stocks. At the helm of their engineering department is Kyle Woumn, a former Twilio software engineer and a finalist in Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2022.

Kyle’s passion for technology was sparked at an early age. He earned a computer science degree from Georgia Tech and began his career at Twilio soon after. But since May 2020, he’s directed his talents to a matter near and dear to his heart: generosity. As the Vice President of Product and Engineering at Overflow, he’s committed to making giving as easy as possible.

“We’re essentially the Pay Pal for stock,” Woumn explained to Tech It Anywhere, “A lot of people, their wealth is in stock, whereas 10% is in cash. So, we’re trying to unlock most of that,” he elaborated. According to Woumn, enabling stock donations has been critical to allowing non-profits to maximize their fundraising, as the value of stock donations is often higher than cash donations.

“The average value [of donations] through our platform is $8,000,” Kyle explains.

Overflow also partners with The Giving Block to allow cryptocurrency donations on the platform.

Highlights

2021 was a big year for Overflow. In addition to launching “Overflow for Corporations” to provide corporate employees better options for their personal philanthropy, the company raised $10M in a Series A round.

“Overflow for Corporations is going to be my primary focus [in 2022],” Woumn explained. “[Overflow for Corporations] allows employees to make equity donations to nonprofits,” he adds.

2022 Plans

Kyle has had a long and fulfilling journey in tech but, in his current role, he feels that he’s truly found his calling.

“I realized how important team is right and how important it is for your team to be aligned,” he explains, “Vance, he’s a great leader and someone that has vision and, a big vision at that too. [He’s] someone that can execute and make things happen,” Kyle elaborates about Overflow’s CEO Vance Roush and finding a home with the Overflow team.

To support their big visions, Overflow has increased its staff by approximately sixfold over the past year.

On being named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022, “It feels like a dream. A list doesn’t define who I am. But it is good to be recognized,” he adds.

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Nathalie Walton, CEO and Co-founder of Expectful

Nathalie Walton: A CEO Fighting For Maternal Health

As the co-founder and CEO of Expectful, Nathalie Walton began 2021 by raising $4.2M to further to company’s ambitious mission: to become a holistic health and wellness platform for expectant mothers. But that was probably the least impressive she accomplished that year. Since then, Walton has transformed the company into a powerhouse of resources for maternal health. In addition to fertility-focused meditations, the app now offers parents access to lactation consultants, sleep coaching, nutritionists, bereavement specialists, fertility coaches, and live events.

“Really, the biggest thing that we did was this pivot into this vision of this holistic wellness platform for fertility, pregnancy, and parenthood,” Walton explained to Tech It Anywhere, “It’s really hard to find all the pieces that you need when you’re trying to conceive when you’re pregnant as a new mom, and so like, that’s our pivot into being that one-stop-shop for everyone in that space,” she added.

To support this larger-than-life vision, she’s also expanded the company, pulling in talent from all across the country and growing the platform’s network of service providers.

“A lot of people think that the hard work is the fundraising, and fundraising is hard, but the real work begins after that,” Walton elaborated.

The Why

Walton, who got an MBA at Stanford’s GSB and has worked at big names like Airbnb and Google, has a very personal connection to Expectful’s mission. Her own high-risk pregnancy and birthing experience prompted her to seek help coping with the emotional and physical toll they had taken on her. In a Medium article, she discussed the moment the doctor told her she was at risk for preterm delivery and that her baby might not survive.  On top of all of that, she had just started a challenging new role at a large tech company.

At this point, she turned her entire focus toward taking the best care of herself so she could complete a full-term pregnancy. And she did it. She stayed pregnant for 262 days, surpassing her goal of 259 days. Then, everything came crashing down.

“The delivery doctor described my birth as an ’emergency of all emergencies’; my placenta had abrupted and my son, Everett, and I were fortunate to make it out alive. Had I not been in one [of] the country’s top hospitals, and had I not had access to every possible wellness resource that one can encounter, my story may not have had the same outcome,” she wrote in her Medium article.

This knowledge – that many women, especially Black women,  suffer through high-risk pregnancies and deliveries without access to the resources she had – fueled her to find a way to help.

“The sad reality is that many families don’t survive. Black mothers are 3–4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications (and are more likely to have pregnancy complications) than White women. Frankly, it wouldn’t have mattered if I were Beyoncé or Serena Williams; as Black women, they too faced life-threatening situations during their motherhood journey. Regardless of education, socio-economic status, or physical ability, to be pregnant as a Black woman in the United States is an existential risk,” she explained in her Medium post.

Plans

In 2021 Expectful launched Black Mamas Meditate, a free meditation collection designed by and for Black women to address the unique challenges Black mothers face in their fertility journeys. Additionally, Expectful remains committed to accessibility through its long-standing partnership with Johnson and Johnson to offer free subscriptions to anyone who needs them.

Walton’s plans for Expectful in 2022 are even more ambitious than for 2021.

“We built the foundation for this holistic wellness platform. And now I think it’s it’s doing the hard work of just making sure that this is the product that users want and love,” Walton told Tech It Anywhere.

That includes expanding their network of service providers even more and making Expectful as visible and accessible as possible.

“It’s exciting that people can see what we’re doing and in hopes of helping them. That’s what is most exciting to me,” Walton gushed about the platform’s growth, “I get DMs from people I don’t even know, and they’re like, just I want you to know how much your product helped me,” she elaborated.

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Shennel Fuller

Shennel Fuller: Founder and CEO of Miles and Milan

2021 was a big year for Shennel Fuller, the founder and CEO of Miles and Milan – a luxury children’s clothing brand. Miles and Milan’s public profile exploded in 2021, with shoutouts in Oprah’s Favorite Things 2021, The Today Show, and Who What Wear. But, as Fuller will tell you, the real work started long before the media attention rolled in. Fuller – a former retail buyer for Converse, 7 For All Mankind, and Levi Strauss and Co., – launched Miles and Milan five years ago out of personal frustration with the baby clothes options available to her at the time.

“Children’s clothes, for as long as they’ve been created, have always been gendered identified. Either it’s ballerinas for little girls and pink tutus or firetrucks and baseballs for boys. My goal was really to kind of disrupt that and say that, you know, children and parenting is a complete blank canvas, and you kind of learn as you go. So, why not start with a great foundation that can allow you to build up your children’s wardrobe?” Fuller explained to Tech It Anywhere about the company’s beginnings.

With that goal in mind, she got to work building a brand that could connect with parents who shared her personal aesthetics. But, unlike many startup founders spend a lot of time developing complex product offerings and pitching investors, Fuller took a more pragmatic approach.

“My true background is, I’ve been a buyer for corporate retail for over 10, 15 years. I’ve worked with some very large name brands with Converse and 7 For All Mankind and Levi’s and did a little bit of consulting on the side. So, you know, it’s, there is a straight way to do it, where it’s like you either hire showroom and you go to shows and things like that, but I didn’t do that right away.”  she explained.

Instead, she bootstrapped the company in the early days, focusing heavily on making a small line of high-quality items. In fact, Fuller spent a year designing only two products: a onesie for a girl and a onesie for a boy. These products resonated deeply with parents and quickly established her reputation in the boutique baby clothes market.

“It became a cult following. I didn’t really spend very heavily in marketing at all, and it just got picked up by real-life moms,” Fuller said.

Over the years, Miles and Milan built a quiet and loyal following through word of mouth. So, even Fuller was surprised by the boom in mainstream press coverage the brand received in 2021.

“I would present myself, I would give my elevator pitch, and before I know it, people would start to write articles about me. And then it just continued to snowball. I was putting myself out of my comfort zone but at the same time the product was speaking for itself, ” she added.

2022 Plans

In 2022, Fuller has her sights set on a new challenge: amplifying her brand’s recognition beyond the coastal cities. With all the media attention, the company has seen increased sales and inquiries from the Mid West and Fuller is hoping to strengthen her brand’s relationship with moms from all parts of the country. Right now, Miles and Milan is sold in Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The company has also partnered with popular subscription services Stitch Fix and The Dopple, as well as the online retailer Maisonette.

As to how the brand will be tackling 2022, Fuller explains:

“Definitely developing and trying to figure out the next brand partnerships that are coming our way. Because a lot of people are knocking on our doors. So, finding out how do we continue to build new partnerships with wholesale brands, and continue to work with the ones that we have, but make sure that they’re complementary,” she elaborates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SVG Relief Fund

Squeeze Cash Launches Relief Fund For The Victims Of The La Soufriere Eruption

Residents of St. Vincent and The Grenadines are in crisis mode as La Soufriere – a stratovolcano that forms the country’s highest peak –  continues to erupt after initially exploding on Friday, April 9, 2020. According to reports from Associated Press, at least 16,000 people have been forced from their homes, 3200 of whom have sought refuge in government shelters. Many others have been evacuated to other Caribbean countries by cruise ships that rushed to the nation’s assistance.

Now, St. Vincent-based payment app Squeeze Cash is stepping in to help residents through this difficult time. Squeeze Cash has announced the St. Vincent Volcano Relief Fund to make it easier than ever for anyone abroad to assist relief efforts. Vincentians and non-Vincentians anywhere in the world can download the Squeeze Cash app and donate directly to the relief fund. They can also send money directly to loved ones on the island who use the app. To help even further, Squeeze Cash is currently waiving all cashout fees.

 

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In a press release, Squeeze Cash Co-Founder and CEO explained, “As a Vincentian, born and raised, it’s imperative for us to be able to use our technology to assist my people in this time of need. With Squeeze Cash we not only launching this fund, but will also waive all cash-out fees for any SVG personal, merchant, or NGO accounts in the aftermath of this disaster. Anyone can send funds instantly from virtually anywhere in the world so your friends and family in St. Vincent can avoid standing in lines for hours every day.”

Squeeze Cash Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Ashley Mclean also added, “With our latest update, you can not only send and receive funds but now you can top up airtime for your SVG friends and family from anywhere at any time to their Digicel or Flow mobile numbers. We’re making it easier than ever to stay connected–we know how important keeping in touch is as the news is constantly changing.”

The press release also explained that the relief fund will provide immediate and ongoing support to shelters, workers, and families. The fund will support purchasing and distributing crucial items such as water, baby diapers, and food to those affected by the disaster. Squeeze Cash has also partnered with C.K. Greaves, KFC, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Relief, Inc. Transport. LAC Services will also be providing transportation and distribution services in an effort to assist as many victims as possible.

About Squeeze Cash

Squeeze Cash is a multi-currency app based in St. Vincent and The Grenadines. With Squeeze Cash, you can send cash to friends and family at home, on the go, or from across the globe. Squeeze Cash has also made it easy to pay merchants in-store or from the comfort of your home with a contactless QR scan to pay feature. The user-friendly platform allows users to recharge their digital wallets on-demand, cash out to any regional bank, and receive instant transaction notifications and updates.

 

 

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Checkout with credit card

Three Caribbean-Based Payment Apps To Watch

Cashless payments have become the norm across the world, and these three startups want to make sure that Caribbean businesses and consumers can enjoy all the conveniences and benefits of cashless payments.

Squeeze Cash

Lead by CEO Kenrick Quashie of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Squeeze Cash’s goal is to allow customers to “pay, send and request money across borders.”

Squeeze Cash customers can use the app to pay for goods and services in-store or online. They can also send and receive cash from any country, and transfer funds to their bank accounts. Learn more about how the app works here.

 

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WiPay

Founded by Trinidadian Aldwyn Wayne, Wipay empowers its customers to “accept and make payments online using all forms of payment in local currency.”

The app is now available in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Lucia.

The WiPay team also created a solution for Trinidadians to pay court fines digitally called CourtPay.

 

 

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mMoneyBB

A product of the Barbadian fintech firm Bitt, mMoney is just one product that serves Bitt’s mission to create “payment systems that promote social inclusion, financial empowerment and economic growth for this and future generations.”

Barbadians can use mMoney to pay utilities, settle restaurant checks, and send money to other mMoney users in Barbados.

 

 

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Know of any other cool fintech products in the Caribbean? Send us the deets here.

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Tech Beach Retreat Founders, Kirk-Anthony Hamilton and Kyle Maloney

Tech Beach Launches TBR Lab To Help Propel Caribbean Startups

Founded in 2016 by Jamaican Kirk-Anthony Hamilton and Trinidadian Kyle Maloney, Tech Beach retreat has carved out a space for Caribbean entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and knowledge and learn from global leaders. Over the years, they’ve drawn the attention of big names in the tech industry, such as Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, Marlon Nichols, Managing General Partner at MaC Venture Capital, and Annie-Jean Baptiste, Head of Product Inclusion at Google.

Now, with a recent USD $1M grant from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Lab, they are launching an accelerator to help promising Caribbean startups take their products and services to the next level. The accelerator – TBR Lab – dedicates USD $500,000 worth of benefits to each participant in the form of resources, mentorship, and training.

In a statement about the program, Terry-Ann Segree from IDB Lab explains what this program means to the region:

“IDB Lab is the innovation laboratory of the IDB Group, mobilizing financing, knowledge, and connections to catalyze innovation for inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean. IDB Lab embraces innovation for inclusion, by bringing market-driven solutions to vulnerable populations to generate transformational impact mainly through innovative entrepreneurs,” she explains. 

“The partnership with the TBR Lab is a strategic milestone for the Caribbean and the journey towards improving the levels of innovation and digital transformation in the region while providing critical support to technology startups who are leading the charge in this agenda,” Segree adds.

Who Can Apply

The founders originally intended to host the accelerators in-person, at physical locations in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and The Bahamas. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted them to move everything online. The accelerator will be fully virtual (for now) and founders from any Caribbean country are welcome to apply.

“In the short term, we expect that cutting-edge technology will continue to be essential to the delivery of products and services as the world continues to wrestle with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which requires greater innovation, use of technology and new business models,” Segree explains. 

“In both the short and long term, we believe our partnership with Tech Beach Retreat will provide regional technology entrepreneurs with access to a world-class technology acceleration program allowing them to benefit from insights from leading international technology professionals and industry leaders. This partnership will strengthen the regional innovation and technology ecosystem and connect the Caribbean with other global innovation ecosystems. We would like to take the opportunity to reiterate our continued support to the development of the region as we work together to improve the lives of the people in the region,” she adds. 

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