Name: Jennifer Lucero
Business Name: Beacon Enterprises Inc
Location: Seattle, WA , USA
Establishment (Year): 2021
Category: Social Enterprise and NGO
Profession/ Specialty: Social Impact Mobile App
Website : www.mybeacon.me
Social Media : LinkedIn
Company Details
Beacon Enterprises is a social impact organization dedicated to creating technology that fosters support through action for individuals within their trusted social circles and community resources.
Mission:
The mission of Beacon Enterprises is to revitalize our sense of community by making it rewarding to ask for and give support of any kind, with those individuals know, love, and trust in everyday life.
Vision:
We envision a world where MyBeacon has shifted beliefs, making it easy to ask for help and where supporting one another’s wellbeing is the new social standard of strength.
The Problem:
In our digital age, escalating social isolation poses a concerning threat to mental health. Studies reveal that 76% of those grappling with mental health issues encounter hurdles in seeking help on conventional social media and networking platforms, a predicament amplified by shallow connections and fear of judgment. Asking for help of any kind can feel hard in the best of circumstances, with a perceived risk of negatively impacting social status or encountering unhelpful opinions when opening up with vulnerability. Additionally, the energy required to communicate what one is dealing with across various communication apps can be overwhelming, leading many to retreat from seeking support from loved ones when needed. Convenience services have created transactional solutions that eclipse the motivation of asking a friend for help, robbing organic opportunities for genuine human connection.
Solution:
MyBeacon is a distinctive mobile application designed to transcend the limitations of existing social networks and eliminate frustration associated with managing multiple communication apps. The app makes it easy to share what one is dealing with and enables actionable support experiences. Users can activate a “Beacon,” describe their situation, list needed action items, and share with selected supporters. Individuals can then volunteer for items, and each Beacon member can easily see what is covered versus what is still needed. While Beacons include a comments component, the primary function is to meet the listed needs, as opposed to promoting discussion threads. In a landscape witnessing a surge in mental health concerns, MyBeacon's innovative approach directly confronts the core challenges of help-seeking, building upon meaningful connections, and promoting well-being among trusted social circles.
Unique Selling Proposition or Competitive Advantage:
Simple & Easy UX focused on Action: MyBeacon offers a user-friendly experience focused on taking action. Users can ask for support of any kind without the need for templates or scripts, eliminating logistical pain-points in personal communication. All Beacon members can easily track what has been handled versus what is still needed. Moreover, if a volunteer cancels, the app automatically generates notifications to other supporters to fill the need. The platform provides stats that validate each user's impact, and future product development will incorporate gamification to reinforce neurological reward systems and personal value sentiment, emphasizing the vital importance of fostering human connection in an accelerated tech world.
Social Media Exhaustion: With people growing tired of social media standards, judgment, negativity amplification, and ad algorithms, MyBeacon offers a refreshing alternative. Recent research has shown alarming trends in mental health, suicide rates, hate speech, misinformation, and other factors directly attributed to social media platform business models. MyBeacon puts the support of the individual at the center of everything it does, aiming to alleviate social media exhaustion. Revenue generation is through free-mium subscription plans and community resource pages.
Mental Health & Well-being through Human Connection: MyBeacon recognizes that support from those we know, love, and trust is not transactional. It believes that feelings of deep, meaningful connection are irreplaceable and essential for mental health and well-being. By facilitating genuine human connections and fostering supportive communities, MyBeacon positions itself as a platform that prioritizes the individual's holistic health and happiness.
Challenges Faced During the Journey:
Jennifer Lucero's journey has been marked by numerous major life events, each contributing to her resilience and determination. From marriage and divorce to teenage pregnancy, sexual assault, poverty, childhood trauma, and surviving cancer, she has accumulated experiences that have shaped her perspective. When she was widowed in 2018, her survival mechanism involved managing tasks by tracking them on post-it notes on her living room wall. Despite feeling buried alive, offers to help poured in from every direction. Fortunately, her inner circle stepped in to assist, sharing her lists and magically assigning tasks. This support was lifesaving during her moment of crisis, highlighting the importance of community.
Jennifer considers herself fortunate to have a trusted community that inherently understands her needs. Her 20 years in the tech industry and natural problem-solving abilities led her to recognize the necessity of making support more accessible for anyone facing life's challenges.
Since embarking on the journey of creating MyBeacon, Jennifer has encountered various roadblocks, from finding the right team to bring the app to life to securing funding.
However, she remains undeterred, with unstoppable momentum driving her forward. Feedback from early focus groups, fellow entrepreneurs, coaches, advisors, beta testers, and future users on the waitlist validates that MyBeacon is filling a crucial need at the right time.
Advice for Women Entrepreneurs:
Jennifer Lucero offers empowering advice to fellow women entrepreneurs. She encourages them to trust their instincts and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams with determination. Embracing mistakes as learning opportunities is key to growth, so she advises women to keep pushing forward despite setbacks. Surrounding oneself with mentors and advisors who have walked a similar path can provide invaluable guidance and support. Jennifer emphasizes the importance of paying it forward once success is achieved, highlighting the collective need for more women entrepreneurs in the business world. With this encouragement, she rallies women to take action and make their mark. Let's go!
