BlackFULLness is a new mindfulness app specifically designed for the Black community. The founders, Sonia Russell and David L. Walker Jr., were brought to the project by Eugene entrepreneur Adam Wendt.
The app is mean to address specific needs of the Black community for stress reduction and mindfulness practices.
It is the result of work between Russell and Walker’s media company Special Sauce; Wendt’s company Trifoia; and Dr. Natalie Watson Singleton of Spelman College. The three groups were brought together when Trifoia’s CEO Adam Wendt started looking at gaps within the stress reduction space.
“The idea for the research project came during a volunteer event I attended at the Eugene-Springfield NAACP,” said Wendt. “I met with another volunteer who mentioned that mindfulness approaches have failed in the Black community, specifically because of a lack of inclusion. The existing approaches to mindfulness were at odds with the cultural alignment for African Americans. BlackFULLness is an app designed specifically for and by African Americans to mitigate health disparities that are commonly seen in the Black community.”
Want more Portland startup news? Sign-up for The Beat delivered to your inbox twice weekly
Watson Singleton became a key figure in the app's development. She had extensively researched mindfulness among African Americans and could immediately be a knowledge asset to support the app.
Soon after, Russell, who is now CEO, and Walker, who is now chief strategy officer, also joined to help with the app development, promotion, and fundraising efforts.
“Adam and I have been friends for nearly thirty years,” said Russell. “When he reached out for help I jumped at the opportunity to contribute to something so meaningful and impactful.”
“We were excited to help create something that was accessible, culturally relevant, inclusive, and representative of the black experience,” added Walker.
The app will have a variety of features including over fifty different stress reduction practices, motivational talks, and prayers. Additionally, when users are in a time of crisis, a customizable S.O.S. button will take them to a breathing experience or any of the other practices within the app to reduce stress. Aside from breathing and meditation practices, the app will also incorporate mood tracking, audio journalism, and a goal-setting feature.
The app, which is currently set to go live during Black History Month in February 2022, is currently raising funds to support the launch.
“The goal is to create a model for other culturally marginalized groups,” added Russell. “We want to create an app that is an experience that no other app is offering and create a foundation for future apps.”
In the future, Trifoia hopes to replicate the model of the BlackFULLness app to support other marginalized and underserved communities.
This is part of a regular guest column written by the Technology Association of Oregon. If you are interested in submitting a guest post please email Malia Spencer at mspencer@bizjournals.com.
