Recognising that the tech space in Nigeria focuses on platforms where people can buy groceries, cars, find jobs, play music, watch videos, and engage in Ed-tech and health tech, among others, Joan Ologundudu discovered limited attention to family relationships.
Following this development, Joan created Elmaf – a family life tech platform that caters to people’s needs in marriage, relationships, parenting, and family life.
Professionals such as marriage counsellors, coaches, therapists, infidelity recovery experts, and divorce counsellors can sign up on Elmaf.co so that users who need their services can find them.
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“The unique feature of Elmaf is that you have access to a variety of professionals. You can make your choice. It is a one-stop platform to find professional services related to family, relationships, and marriage. You can also read or leave reviews of a service offered,” Joan says.
“I noticed that many of my colleagues, whom I graduated with, are not digitally represented. On TikTok, one of the creator search insights was that people were looking for relationship and marriage counsellors. So Elmaf will help professionals gain digital visibility so that people who need them can find them.”
According to Joan, from experiential gatherings, many people, after taking courses and getting certified in most of these family life practices, do not get clients.
“Many resort to having a side business or getting another job to meet economic demands. That should not be the case because the family institution needs professionals for the varied and diverse challenges that come with marriage and family life,” she says.
“Several years ago, much value was not placed on these professions. However, with the rising statistics of failed marriages and alarming rates of breakups, people are seeking answers.
“They just need a place where they can find them. This is the very solution Elmaf seeks to provide. Elmaf is a one-stop platform where anyone can find professionals for their needs related to individual, relationships, or marriage issues.”
Joan adds that Elmaf has also incorporated a feature for verified experts. Verified experts will have a blue check on their profiles, meaning they have provided evidence of being schooled, certified, or licensed to practice.
Users can also rate the services of the experts they use, and these ratings will be public. This structure reinforces the need for each expert to provide their best services to their clients.
Being a US-certified marriage counsellor who has practiced since her undergraduate years, Joan has built several communities with a reach of over 10,000 people. Joan saw the demand for her skills as a relationship counsellor when she was the go-to person for counselling as an undergraduate over 10 years ago.
Now, she has refined her skills by gaining proper certification. As a multi-passionate woman, Joan, through a Google scholarship, has a UI/UX design certificate.
Joan has also undergone green digital training and received her certificate from INCO Academy. She is also an alumna of Tech4Dev, where she earned a certificate in 3D animation and mixed reality.
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To strengthen the credibility of her services, Joan focuses on verified experts. “To be a verified expert on Elmaf, experts will need to provide details of the organization that certified them, and we would confirm all their claims,” says the founder.
One of the strategies she employs to attract professionals and users to Elmaf is reaching out to various organizations and individuals to encourage sign-ups.
On the initial capital required to kickstart Elmaf, Joan says, “It cost me a lot of money. Because of my background in tech, I did most of the tech work myself. I asked for the input of my husband, Abraham Ologundudu, and a few friends when I needed it. It was self-funded from my savings and income.”
On the main challenges she faced in the early stages of developing Elmaf, Joan says, “My first challenge was paying for some things that I needed in dollars. Several times, when there was no electricity, I had to use alternative sources for light (generator).”
Speaking on her short-term goals, Joan says, “By next year, I want to have received at least 1,000 testimonials from people who have utilized the services of an expert from Elmaf and whose marriages, relationships, or family lives have taken a new turn for good. Over the next five to ten years, my goal will be to continue to iterate Elmaf into a tech platform that will serve family life practices.”
On her advice for other entrepreneurs looking to start a business in the tech or family life sector, Joan says, “I would advise them to never stop learning and to look for ways to solve problems, collaborate, and submit to mentorship.”
