Today we’d like to introduce you to Saida Florexil.
Hi Saida, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Saida. I am the daughter of two Haitian immigrants. I was born in Wellington. I was party-raised in Haiti and in West Palm Beach. I was born deaf. I lip-read and use American Sign Language to communicate with people. As someone who relies heavily on lip-reading, I can ask someone to repeat themselves four-time when communicating with them. I often misunderstand what people are saying. I do a lot of filling in the blanks and use context clues to help me comprehend what people are saying. During my time in college, I have been researching assistive technology. I wanted to find something that could support me with communication because hearing aids were no longer helpful for me, and most people around me don’t use sign language to communicate. So I wanted to find something that would allow me to communicate with others without worrying about communication barriers. Since I couldn’t find the product that met my needs, I decide to build one. And that’s how I came up with Imanyco.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Developing my product was not easy I failed at least three times. In the beginning, it was hard finding the support and resources that I needed to help me with Imanyco. Life does not have a smooth road. I do my best to make the best out of it. I am grateful for my challenges because they are “the opportunities” that allow me to see things differently and help shape who I am today. For example, if I didn’t have a hearing disability, I probably would be doing something different than starting a deep tech company.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My startup is Imanyco. We support the deaf and hard of hearing community with communication to help them be part of the conversation in the world around them. Our product is a live transcription web app called Comunify. Comunify transcribes and color-codes each speaker during conversations so that someone with a hearing loss can quickly identify who is speaking. It can be challenging for a deaf person to follow a group conversation even when utilizing current live transcription apps. I wanted to create something that would allow people with hearing disabilities to understand what people are saying and enjoy group conversations without wondering who is speaking.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
For me, it’s all about drive and passion. In other words, it’s about the willingness to commit to working on something you believe in and accomplishing it. When you are purpose-driven, you believe in what you do. You know why you are doing it even when everyone else thinks you are crazy. You seek to work with people who believe in you and what you do.
Pricing:
- $0/month – Basic Plan. Up to 6 hours (360 total minutes) per month; 15 minutes per sessions
- $10/month – Premium Plan. Unlimited number of sessions and duration of conversations
Contact Info:
- Email: info@imanyco.com
- Website: https://imanyco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imanyco_usa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imanyco/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/imanyco
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGvftKzcQs3k-JhpB7v3nfQ/about
Image Credits
Koda Creative
