Since sunsetting Empowered Together, I've been working on what comes next. Come behind the scenes with me to see what's cooking. As Empowered Together's marketplace failed to gain traction, I wondered if I had moved too far away from my personal experience as a caregiver. Whatever came next, I wanted to be operating from a place of confidence around needs and possible supports. Going all the way back to June, I heard about a friend who was working on a journal for folks in his community. I teared up as Justus read his poetry about food insecurity and shared how journaling could support people in the place he calls home. He and I daydreamed together about building ecosystems locally, he in Chicago and me in Connecticut. While grinding away on the marketplace, I slowed down to pay attention to what was happening around me. Caregivers kept reaching out, wanting support for themselves and their kids. I facilitated a couple sessions for moms at the library and another session at...
This past year, Empowered Together piloted its two-sided online marketplace in New Haven. The pilot tested the hypothesis that customers living with disabilities and businesses desiring to attract these customers would gain value from the marketplace. The pilot also tested the hypothesis that the value gained by businesses would translate into revenue for Empowered Together. In short, the pilot disproved both hypotheses. This means Empowered Together has come to an end. Last December I told my husband, John, that 2024 was going to be the make or break year for Empowered Together. At that point, the company had just enough cash to run the New Haven pilot. If that had been successful, I would've used the results to go out and fundraise in order to scale the marketplace to new business verticals and new locations. In the end, the product-market fit that had eluded Empowered Together proved to be its demise. Reflecting on this 1,264 day journey brings these insights, offered with hum...