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Ovee

What to expect when you're not expecting - an inclusive platform for women's sexual and reproductive health

$5,193
pledged of$10,000 goal
60
0Days Left

Project Description

The Problem

 

Meet Mikki, she is experiencing extreme itching, increased vaginal discharge, and a fish-like odor. Understandably, Mikki was worried, but she was too embarrassed to talk about it with her family or her doctor. She was desperate for answers!

Like most of us do, she turned to Google. Mikki found herself in a rabbit hole of overly clinical information and worst case scenarios. To make matters worse, her friends jumped to conclusions and only added to her stress. 

 

 

Health is deeply personal. When something is off it can make you feel vulnerable and isolated both emotionally and physically, especially if you can’t visibly see what’s going on. The inequity in healthcare only adds to the stress for women. 

The undervaluing and stigmatization of women’s sexual & reproductive health has caused women to be continuously left out the conversation when it comes to their bodies. They encounter way too many physical and emotional barriers when it comes to healthcare. A lack of open-dialogue and available resources often prolongs the timeline for women to seek the care they desperately need and deserve.

 

OUR MISSION

At Ovee, our mission is to provide women with a safe space to find answers to their questions, receive emotional support from a welcoming community, and ultimately lessen the mental burden that often accompanies reproductive health.

Using the Ovee concierge, women can find answers to their questions, relevant content, helpful resources, debunked misconceptions, alternative product reviews, and an opportunity to relate to other women’s experiences. Instead of the anxiety inducing results of a google search, our platform provides honest content and solutions, vetted by a medical professional.

 

 

 

We’re tackling subjects and misconceptions that you might not want to type into your browser in public–– for example: 

“can I give my boyfriend my yeast infection?” or "can I get pregnant while I'm on my period"

After extensive customer interviews, we’ve realized not every problem can be solved digitally.  We’re bridging this gap by incorporating commerce into our platform so women have actionable steps to attaining the resources they need. As a member of the community, our customers are encouraged to transparently share their thoughts on the products they’ve tested. Choice is powerful in health, we strive to be an aggregator of the resources that are available to women.

 

How does it work? 

Mikki turns to Ovee! Trust is extremely important for us in building a relationship with Mikki, so the first thing she sees when she comes to Ovee is our privacy policy. Mikki needs to know that we are only collecting trends, never personal data, and it is only used to improve the community. She can opt in or out of sharing information at any time.

She navigates to our search concierge, where she can ask her question in a safe space without the fear of judgement or stigma. Using natural language processing and training data from our community, we are able to detect that Mikki is having abnormal discharge and odor and direct her to a FAQ about vaginal infections. All of our content is vetted by research and our medical advisor, so Mikki feels confident that she can trust the information.

 

 

After reading through the information on vaginal infections, Mikki comes to her own decision to that she needs to see a doctor and we are able to find low-cost resources based on her preferences. It turns out that she has Bacterial Vaginosis which is extremely common and easily treatable.

But as many of us know, there are issues that aren’t always strictly medical. Mikki is terrified of telling her boyfriend that she can't have sex for a week because of her infection. She wants advice from other women like her and we are able to point her in the direction of a community members blog post about how she handled a similar situation.

 

 

Even after her infection has cleared up, Mikki comes back to Ovee when she thinks that her favorite brand of scented tampons could potentially cause further irritation. She is curious about alternatives. The co-founders of Ovee, alongside the feedback from our box box testers write transparent reviews so women like Mikki can decide if a product is right for them.

In the future, Mikki can return to Ovee if another issue or concern arises. Until then she has the opportunity to give back to the community by subscribing to the Box Box to test products and supports other women by sharing her experience.

 

The team

 

The co-founders, Jane and Courtney, have been friends since they both began the MFA Design & Technology program at Parsons three years ago. They met in their first ever studio class and quickly became friends when they realized they shared a similar path to Grad School - degrees in biology, working in a laboratory, changing their minds about med school, and finding their way to New York City. Since creating Ovee, they have become the ultimate work wifeys - the first person they talk to in the morning and the last person they talk to at night. As user centered designers, developers, former health scientists, but mainly as women, they have been focused on using their knowledge and skills to build a product that creates a safe space for open dialogue when it comes to difficult topics.

Joined by Maddy, the head of user experience, and April, the medical expert, the Ovee team is a badass community of designers, artists, developers, and medical professionals who have dedicated their lives to giving women agency over their health.

 

why crowdfunding?

At Ovee our strength is in our engaged community, and it's important for us that the Ovee community is as closely involved in development as possible, whether it's feedback, suggestions, user testing, cheering us on, spreading the word, or ,in this case, even helping us raise funds! 

iFundWomen, a crowdfunding platform supporting female entrepreneurs, is the perfect place for us to get the Ovee lady gang involved!. The funds from our crowdfunding campaign will be used to accelerate the development of Ovee and allow us to hire our part-time employees full-time! Moving forward we will focus on scaling what we know works so well with a smaller community.

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Thank you for helping us to empower women to take control of their health! Your help means the world to us. We wouldn't be here without you! 💖💖💖

The Campaign FAQs

Can only women donate? 

No way! We appreciate all of our supporters equally. Reducing stigma and providing equal access to healthcare depends on all of us, including men #heforshe. 

 

So like... what exactly are you?

We are a platform and search concierge for anything and everything related to your sexual and reproductive health. If you have a question, if you want to read a story from a fellow vagina-haver, or if you want to try out the latest in trendy products, Ovee is there to help!
 

You keep saying sexual and reproductive health, but what do you mean?

You got the basics: menstruation, annual exams, pap smears, infections, STD’s , etc. etc. BUT we know it’s so much more! Your health is deeply personal and when we say “sexual and reproductive health” we know it includes the mental, emotional, and social aspects of your health as well.  


Are you a period tracking app?

Nope! But we can refer you to a bunch of fantastic period tracking apps and give you feedback on what our community thinks about them ;)

 

What should I do if I have a health question?

Just like thank, u next ….. we’re everywhere. You can message us on our website, email us @ [email protected], or slide into our DM’s on insta, fb, or twitter.

 

Can you prescribe me birth control?

Unfortunately no, but we can help you navigate the often confusing world of contraception, find a provider in your area, and help you decide what’s right for you!


Can you help me get tested?

Absolutely! We can find a free-low cost clinic in your area to make sure everything is in tip top shape down there. Getting tested can be a stressful so we want to support you every step of the way.


Are you a licensed medical provider?

One of us is! We have a medical advisor, April, that has over 15 years of experience in the field. She’s the one that answers your questions and to be blunt, she really knows her shit.

 

Do you only sourcing medical content?

There are enough WebMD’s and mayo clinic’s out there! Accurate medical info is important, but we also want to provide people with support around questions you might not feel comfortable asking a medical provider. For example, “I have a yeast infection, how do I tell my 19 y.o. Boyfriend that we shouldn’t have sex?” (btdubs men CAN get yeast infections, especially if they’re uncircumsized! #factsYouWon’tFindOnYourSnappleLid)

 

Do you only source holistic solutions?

Not exclusively! Think of us like the myth busters of women’s health. We try those weird vitamins you see on your insta feed, the home remedies you aren’t sure will work, and we partner with a lot of holistic companies in the space. While we appreciate the au naturel approach, we know that it doesn’t work for everyone! Our goal is to keep our ladies as happy and healthy as possible and sometimes that requires pharmaceuticals over an apple cider vinegar bath.*

*yes, we have tried this as a cure for a yeast infection and NO it did not work.


How do you decide what products to endorse?

Trick question, we never fully endorse anything! Women are so unique that we don’t feel comfortable saying one product is definitively best for everyone. All members of the team thoroughly test a product, discuss at length, and then provide our community with a brutally honest review of what our experience was like. Our goal is never to promote a single product, but provide women with enough information so they can figure out what’s right for them.

 

How do you plan to make money?

The favorite investor question. We currently sell a box subscription where women can try out a selection of female-centric products, we are developing a market place so everything you test you can purchase afterwards, and there’s our Ovee #swag of course!

 

Saman
02/02/2019
Ovee T-shirt
$300
Allison
02/02/2019
Ovee T-shirt
$35
Rachel Johnston
02/01/2019
Keychain
$10
Brigie
01/31/2019
Ovee accessories 💁🏻
$25
chelsea
01/30/2019
Ovee T-shirt
$35
Anonymous
01/30/2019
ALL-STAR treatment
$400
Andrea Gardner
01/29/2019
Monetary Contribution
$20
Sara Boyle
01/29/2019
Ovee accessories 💁🏻
$25
Brooke
01/29/2019
Keychain
$10
Fishington
01/29/2019
Monetary Contribution
$50
Monetary Contribution

Just Because I Care

14 Supporters
Select this reward
10.00 USD
Keychain

Keep track of your keys AND fight the patriarchy. Let us know what keychain option you want: 

"(.)(.)" 

"(V)"

"Love sex. Hate Sexism" 

"FEELIN' MYSELF"

"Women don't owe you shit" 

"Vagina Vagina Vagina"

46 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
5.00 USD
Social media shout out

We will let the world know what a generous, kind, and fantastic human you are in the form of a tweet, post, gram, voicemail, or whatever digital medium you choose! 

96 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
The Vibe Box

Treat yourself to a sexy box for your box! (Or send the best gift ever to a friend)

INCLUDES

  • Emojibator
  • Sustain Natural Massage Oil
  • Unbound Lube
  • "Feelin' Myself" Earrings
100 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
Ovee accessories 💁🏻

Choose between some sweet ear swag, necklace, or proudly display your love of Ovee with a decorative tote 😏

91 Left
9 Supporters
Select this reward
35.00 USD
Ovee T-shirt

All the fun of displaying some nip in public without the draftiness with this limited edition Ovee t-shirt! Leave us a note with which shirt, size, and color you would prefer ➡️ "( . )( . )"  OR "Ovee Lady Gang"  [black or white]

83 Left
17 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Limited edition surprise BOX BOX

Surprise your box with this limited edition BOX BOX. Box will include an assortment of Ovee tested products along with some signature Ovee #swag. 

47 Left
3 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
1-year BOX BOX subscription

A 1-year box subscription to our BOX BOX! Get the latest in trendy feminine products and some Ovee #swag shipped to your door every 3 months. Great for your box or as a Holiday gift for someone else's box 😉

44 Left
6 Supporters
Select this reward
400.00 USD
ALL-STAR treatment

Shine bright like the STAR you are with our Ovee varsity jacket. OR treat your box with a vibrating BOX BOX (yes, we are going to ship you a box of assorted vibrators). Send us a note with your choice!

47 Left
3 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Founding Member

Become a founding member of Ovee! You will be listed as a sponsor on our website, get all the social media praise, have your pick of any of the Ovee #swag, and most importantly receive our undying appreciation and gratitude 💖💖💖

25 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

New york, NY
Created 1 Campaign
Social Good

Rewards

Monetary Contribution

Just Because I Care

14 Supporters
Select this reward
10.00 USD
Keychain

Keep track of your keys AND fight the patriarchy. Let us know what keychain option you want: 

"(.)(.)" 

"(V)"

"Love sex. Hate Sexism" 

"FEELIN' MYSELF"

"Women don't owe you shit" 

"Vagina Vagina Vagina"

46 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
5.00 USD
Social media shout out

We will let the world know what a generous, kind, and fantastic human you are in the form of a tweet, post, gram, voicemail, or whatever digital medium you choose! 

96 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
The Vibe Box

Treat yourself to a sexy box for your box! (Or send the best gift ever to a friend)

INCLUDES

  • Emojibator
  • Sustain Natural Massage Oil
  • Unbound Lube
  • "Feelin' Myself" Earrings
100 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
Ovee accessories 💁🏻

Choose between some sweet ear swag, necklace, or proudly display your love of Ovee with a decorative tote 😏

91 Left
9 Supporters
Select this reward
35.00 USD
Ovee T-shirt

All the fun of displaying some nip in public without the draftiness with this limited edition Ovee t-shirt! Leave us a note with which shirt, size, and color you would prefer ➡️ "( . )( . )"  OR "Ovee Lady Gang"  [black or white]

83 Left
17 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Limited edition surprise BOX BOX

Surprise your box with this limited edition BOX BOX. Box will include an assortment of Ovee tested products along with some signature Ovee #swag. 

47 Left
3 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
1-year BOX BOX subscription

A 1-year box subscription to our BOX BOX! Get the latest in trendy feminine products and some Ovee #swag shipped to your door every 3 months. Great for your box or as a Holiday gift for someone else's box 😉

44 Left
6 Supporters
Select this reward
400.00 USD
ALL-STAR treatment

Shine bright like the STAR you are with our Ovee varsity jacket. OR treat your box with a vibrating BOX BOX (yes, we are going to ship you a box of assorted vibrators). Send us a note with your choice!

47 Left
3 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Founding Member

Become a founding member of Ovee! You will be listed as a sponsor on our website, get all the social media praise, have your pick of any of the Ovee #swag, and most importantly receive our undying appreciation and gratitude 💖💖💖

25 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward