FELLOW SPOTLIGHT: OBI CHUKWUMA
Through life challenges and a strong sense of purpose, Obi has created an original solution for women hair loss and health: MMARA, a platform that helps users understand and work through beauty and hair issues with an innovative mobile system.
I’m not compromising on my core values to get a check. Build something strong and actually care about your users and I’m convinced you will be just fine.
Tell us about your venture/work.
MMARA is a mobile hair coach that sets out to be proactive instead of reactive. We offer data-driven insights that can optimize habits, anticipate changes in hair health and reduce beauty concerns through early detection and equip our users with the best chances of successful treatment.
Over 30 million women in the U.S. are grappling with hair loss, a challenge that sadly isn’t rare. In fact, it’s so prevalent that more than half of us will encounter it before reaching menopause. But amidst this common struggle, there’s room for hope. Many of us face telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss where strands abruptly shed during routine activities like combing or washing. This condition ranks among the leading causes of rapid hair loss and can stem from various factors including stress, dietary shifts, nutritional imbalances, hormonal fluctuations, illnesses, and more. Fortunately, one of the most effective strategies to combat telogen effluvium is early detection and implementing necessary lifestyle adjustments.
Relationships are so important and they need to be nurtured. Also figure out your true motivation and tap into it.
How did you decide to tackle this particular issue?
I’ve always been obsessed with hair and somehow knew I would end up in the industry. However, my true WHY stems from an incident that occurred roughly 10 years ago. In October 2014, my dad suddenly passed away – it was two days before my 18th birthday and about two months into my Freshmen year of college.
I completely dissociated, I didn’t really care about anything and frankly I was angry and resentful because why did it have to be him. He was such an incredible dad and husband – it just wasn’t fair. In the aftermath, I found myself neglecting my well-being, seeking solace in parties and distractions. I felt as though I’d lost control, grappling with the unpredictability of life for the very first time.
My well-being, including the health of my hair and skin, took a backseat as I prioritized maintaining a positive and happy appearance. It got so bad that after about a year, my hair was so thin and damaged that I ended up cutting it to just about one inch in length. I had totally lost control and my hair, my identity was taken away from me.
We created MMARA to help women counter the unpredictability of life by helping them maintain control of their beauty because we’ve all been there and we all wish we had something like MMARA to guide us through those times.
But in all seriousness, what made me finally make the decision to take the path was when I finally found a problem that I was OBSESSED with and was completely dissatisfied with any of the solutions available.
How did you find out you wanted to take an entrepreneurial path?
Honestly, I always wanted to. To me, the idea of working for someone else for my entire life was never appetizing. Even as a small child I would try to sell things. I used to go door-to-door in my neighborhood selling my used toys or lemonade. I would even re-package Chips Ahoy cookies to sell them around dinner time to the neighboring parents.
But in all seriousness, what made me finally make the decision to take the path was when I finally found a problem that I was OBSESSED with and was completely dissatisfied with any of the solutions available. That was four years ago. Once I found my problem and really started to see a vision, I knew I wanted to do it. The problem and our core mission has always remained exactly the same.
What do you enjoy most about being an impact entrepreneur? What are the main challenges?
I love what I do. I definitely work more than I did with a normal 9-5, but I don’t mind. In terms of challenges, I’m not like most entrepreneurs in the startup/tech space. I believe in a work/life balance, I don’t believe in missing life’s important moments for the sake of the business and I don’t believe in growth at all costs. Investors don’t like this but I don’t care. I’m not compromising on my core values to get a check. Build something strong and actually care about your users and I’m convinced you will be just fine.
So far the biggest challenge has been around funding but I take it as a blessing. While it would be awesome to have investors easily write me checks, I want to retain as much equity as possible and being rejected countless times has forced me to be really strategic and lean as a builder. If it wasn’t for that I would have never realized I could build my MVP with no code for a FRACTION of the cost of using traditional development.
What advice do you have for early-stage impact entrepreneurs about using their time and relationships to prepare for this kind of career?
It takes a village. Relationships are so important and they need to be nurtured. Also figure out your true motivation and tap into it. There are times when the only motivation is literally you and it is hard. You will get rejected, you will get discouraged, you will face issues – figure out your WHY and truly embody it – it will help you push through those times.
That is ultimately how you will inspire people to join you.