In honor of International Women’s Month, we have decided to sit down over Zoom with Marla González, Founder, and CEO of Humanified, to chat about the significance of creating an app that can launch direct change, being a woman of color in the tech industry and making your dreams become a reality. 

Anagricel Duran: Why Humanified? Why create this platform now? 

Marla González: This is something that has been in the works since 2017. Like any idea, right, you think of a problem and you try to find a solution for that problem and it’s hard for you. You realize that there’s a need in the market that has to be addressed. There were a lot of moments of change. One, in particular, was my previous nanny, who had a cousin that came illegally and got caught on the border and then deported. She had an eight-month-old baby who was put up for adoption. So when I was doing research, trying to find a way to help, where can I volunteer? what can I do? It was really hard. It’s hard for us as individuals to take action in a space that is very behind in the digital sense and that happens to be the world of nonprofits. They’re fundraising-oriented and they need the funding so that they can help. If we can help them and also create change as well, because we have a voice and we have platforms that are enabling us to do that and creating awareness, then I think it’s a win-win.

AD: What has been the biggest challenge with creating Humanified?

MG: So in 2017 when we first started the application, it was a completely different app. It was the same idea just executed differently. We modified it so now it’s a content-based application. We’re providing the platform, not the content itself. 

In 2018, we launched our first beta, and a week later my son, who was 19 months at the time, got diagnosed with severe autism. That killed me emotionally. You know, it’s a really painful part of, I mean, I can’t even…it’s hard to talk about. It was because you don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know if he’s ever going to call you mom. I still don’t know if he will and he’s four now. We had just acquired an agency a few months before too. It was just too much and we had to put it Humanified on hold.

But things happen for a reason because now is the time. Everything has to do with timing. If Apple would have launched five years before, it probably wouldn’t have taken off, you know? I think that we’re ready as people to take this and use this tool. For us to feel better. To help each other and for others that need help too, to be able to find it without judgment and create a positive impact. Whatever the cost, whatever you believe in, whatever it is, to create awareness for that. To create content that is going to help, not just vanity content, but content that is in-pro of something and be a part of something bigger. That restlessness that society is feeling right now is because of that, it’s because we are meant to help one another.

AD: You are a WOC creating this app and stepping into space where that isn’t as common so how do you maintain motivation in such a male-dominated world?

MG: It’s exciting because I think that there should be more women in tech. I think that there should be a lot more diversity as well. I do feel like there is a bit of pretentiousness in the tech world. For example, one time I was pitching to this guy and he was like, ”you have two kids, why don’t you just stay home?” How do you answer that? My job is to forget that, I’ve learned that ignorance is ignorance and it’s not up to me. I’m here to do my job and prove them wrong, that’s all I have to do. Just keep moving forward and just cancel all the white noise because, at the end of the day, I want to be able to live to give. That’s my motto. That’s my mission in life. 

AD: Do you have any advice for women who want to make their dreams a reality but are scared to do so? Kind of like how you had this idea for Humanified and you’re out here grinding, trying to make it a reality. What about those women who have these ideas and are petrified to go for them? 

MG: I didn’t go to Harvard, I’m a college dropout. I never thought that I would run two businesses, sell one, and acquire another one. None of those things, If you would’ve asked me when I was twenty-five or twenty-seven, I thought that I would never do it, it wasn’t even an option for me. My dad is a serial entrepreneur, so I learned a lot from him. The main thing is to work hard. If you want to build something, you have to work for it. It’s all about understanding the market, really understanding your problem, looking at your competitors, and finding what sets you apart. 

Overall, just go for it! In the beginning, it’s going to be hard. An entrepreneur learns by doing. I will go head to head with a Harvard Business School Grad any day and I know that I’m going to find my way out of whatever situation because I know how to be resourceful. It’s all about understanding and just getting things done, getting things accomplished, and building the team that’s going to help you get there.

It’s not only about you, it’s mainly about your team. Your team is the one that will take you where you want to be, so you have to take care of them as well. Be authentic to yourself and go for it, create a plan and follow through with it. Honestly, that’s how I did it.

AD: What do you want to accomplish with Humanified?

MG: That we inspire change in masses. I want to be able to change an entire industry. I know this is a big idea, but you have to dream big. I want Humanified to be an aggregator for all the non-profits, for it to be a resource center that is the place to go when you want to do good.

A big part of our mission is to take smaller nonprofits and fuel them so that they can fundraise faster. 93% of the 1.5 million NGOs registered here in the US don’t even make a million a year. That’s a big percentage and we need to really help those nonprofits that are doing the work and helping, not solely creating awareness, but are out there at the forefront helping. At the end of the day, we want to be able to transform that space for the better.

AD: How does Humanified work as an app? 

MG: It is super user-friendly! it’s a content-first platform so what makes us unique is that our users are able to create movements. You can connect with nonprofits and see what they’re up to as well as donate and make an impact. You can create a moment for a Movement that you are a part of or are passionate about. Since this is a content-based platform, you can do the same thing that you do in any social network but this has a deeper purpose. 

After years in the making, Humanified is now launching its beta app in the US! You can sign up to become a Humanifier and create the change that you want to see in the world. Find more about the upcoming launch on our social media channels. Get a first glimpse at the first social impact network for good. The time has come to make change happen.

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