Amanda Ducach: I co-founded EdgeTech Inc. with my husband Vish almost ten years ago, which is an IT consulting and staffing company.
Amanda Ducach: A few years ago, I received a call from my best friend, Alicia, who was in the ER with her two-year-old child who had just received a new medical diagnosis. She felt isolated and overwhelmed, so I thought to introduce her to another mom nearby who could relate to her situation and offer support. This led to the launch of Ema (formerly SocialMama) in early 2019, a community for like-minded mothers to build friendships and receive expert-led experiences throughout their journey of femalehood. Originally created as a platform for mothers to connect, the app evolved to support women’s health as a group. To make it scalable, the team integrated AI technology and rebranded it as Ema.
Amanda Ducach: Ema’s brain uses generative AI like GPT, guided by subject matter experts who improve her performance through training, user observation, and content-filtering techniques.
Amanda Ducach: Creating Ema has been an incredibly rewarding and insightful journey. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the power of empathy and connection, not just between people but also between technology and its users. By incorporating empathy into Ema’s AI, we’ve been able to create a more meaningful and supportive experience for women and new moms.
Amanda Ducach: My hope is to revolutionize the way women receive healthcare by democratizing women’s health. For far too long, women have had to navigate biases and discrimination in the medical industry, which has resulted in a lack of access to comprehensive healthcare services. Women’s health issues have been overlooked, ignored, and dismissed, leaving many women feeling isolated and helpless. Ema connects women with the friends they need and trusted AI support.