EP 276 A Fashionable Safety Jewelry and Accessories Technology Keeping Women Safe

Startup Life Show with Ande Lyons

April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
Our guest, Rajia Abdelaziz, is the Co-Founder and CEO of invisaWear, the best safety jewelry and fashion accessories technology on the market.
From her own personal experience, Rajia understands how important it is to feel safe. She was walking to her car after an event at college, when a car full of guys pulled up next to her, yelling frightening comments at her, and when one of the guys started to get out to take action, Rajia was able to run and get in her car, unharmed.
However, the feeling of being extremely helpless did not go away. Which is why, at just 21 years old, Rajia and her Co-Founder, Ray Hamilton, developed invisaWear, a life-saving technology for jewelry and fashion accessories.
invisaWear’s smart jewelry and accessories allow users to instantly connect with friends, family and authorities in case of an emergency. They look like necklaces, bracelets, keychains, fitness bands, and even scrunchies… but they are actually safety devices!
With a double press of the button on the accessory, ADT Security sends a discreet alert containing the GPS location to up to 5 pre-configured emergency contacts and optionally alerts authorities. ADT is able to connect directly with 9-1-1 dispatchers at the nearest dispatch department and send help if needed.
In just two years, Rajia and Ray developed the hardware and software, got the app approved on both iOS and Android, and over the following 3 years raised $3 million in funding to develop invisaWear's wide range of smart jewelry and accessories.
With over 560k followers and 32 million views, invisaWear’s TikTok channel consistently educates viewers on sexual assault awareness and other protective and defensive measures folks can take to stay safe.
Rajia is a BostInno 25 Under 25 Recipient and has a Dual degree (B.S.) in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
To learn more about invisaWear please visit: https://www.invisawear.com/
Follow invisaWear on social media here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invisawear/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@invisawear
Connect with Rajia on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajiaabdelaziz/
Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers from Boston!
Ande ♥
https://andelyons.com
#lifesavingtechnology #sexualassaultawarenessmonth #sexualassaultprevention
JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUP
Get an alert whenever I post a new show!
https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE
WBENC APPLICATION SUPPORT
Learn more here: https://bit.ly/GetWBENC
Send me an email: [e-mail]
CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE:
https://twitter.com/AndeLyons
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/
https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/
TikTok: @andelyons
ANDELICIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Join Innovation Women here: https://bit.ly/AndeInnoWomen
Arlan’s Academy: https://arlansacademy.com/
Scroobious - use Ande15 discount code: https://www.scroobious.com/
How to Raise a Seed Round: https://bit.ly/AAElizabethYin
Tune in to Mia Voss' Shit We Don't Talk About podcast here: https://shitwedonttalkaboutpodcast.com/
SPONSORSHIP
If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! [e-mail].
What We Learned:
00:00 Meet Rajia Abdelaziz
11:00 - Believe in yourself
15:00 - how to be a success entrepreneur at 21
23:40 - best co-founder advice for startups
26:00 - how invisaWear built its MVP
30:00 - leveraging an Indiegogo campaign for traction
33:00 - how invisaWear manufactures product locally
36:00 - invisaWear's packaging strategy
41:00 - how invisaWear works
44:20 - leveraging partnerships - the ADT story
59:45 - pitching investors when you're a woman
1:06:00 - best advice for managing founder doubt
1:08:00 - what does success look like today vs. when invisaWear was launched