Villie’s founder, Kimberly Jolasun, built a platform that allows Black women to create online fundraisers for their baby’s needs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black women had nearly three times the maternal death rate as white women. Jolasun was inspired to build a platform to empower moms, particularly Black mothers, during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Jolasun’s organization, based in Atlanta, brings together a community of women from throughout the country to provide support for their newborn or soon-to-be-born babies. The platform is funded by venture finance, with major investors including Fearless Fund, XRC Ventures, and TxO by a16z.
According to Black News, Villie is bringing the digital era to the way expecting and new parents connect, raise finances, get presents, and bring their community together. The site is dedicated to making support more accessible by providing tools that enable parents to easily engage their community.
Driven by their understanding that support means different things to every mom, Villie continually develops new features and functions to meet the diverse needs of its users. “We believe that no parent should have to navigate parenthood alone, and our mission at Villie.com is to empower every family to get support from their village with ease,” Jolasun shared.
Villie has successfully raised over $1 million for Black moms through the contributions of their loved ones, and the platform is growing as more people become aware of its cause. Jolasun’s organization’s goal integrates deeply ingrained West African ideas, such as the importance of community support in the parenting process.
Her own experiences as a mother of two with a supportive community prompted her to establish a platform that incorporates the aid that families provide to new parents.
“Villie is here to bridge the geographical gaps, reconnecting families and friends in an immersive digital village where each shared moment becomes a cherished memory,” she noted.