Venture:
OkaySo
Founders:
Elise Schuster ’09PH and Francisco Ramirez ’09PH
Industry:
Health and wellness
Venture Type:
Nonprofit
What is the social or environmental issue being addressed?
Young people across the United States have few reliable places to go for information about personal topics like sexual health, identity, and stress. Schools don’t cover these topics, friends cannot be trusted, and 80 percent of young people say they have no trusted place to go online for support. Instead, young people turn to porn or Google when what they need is an expert they can trust. All of the statistics around teen pregnancy and STI rates, loneliness and stress, and homophobia in schools, to name just a few, support the need for trusted, accessible advice and information for young people.
Innovation:
OkaySo is a free mobile app where young people create anonymous accounts and ask teams of vetted, volunteer experts any questions they have about sexual health, identity, relationships, stress, and more. Since launching three years ago, we have answered over 12,000 questions from folks across the United States and have launched a new partner program, helping other youth-serving agencies use technology to reach youth they would have not otherwise been able to reach.
Read More:
- Catalyst 2021 Winner: OkaySo
CTIA Wireless Foundation
October 13, 2021 - Visible Connect #TeamTuesday: Meet OkaySo
Visible Connect
March 30, 2021 - Teens' Biggest Sex Questions Answered By Their Peers
Vogue
November 13, 2018