Community Highlights: Meet Ziarekenya Smith of Inpathy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ziarekenya Smith. 

Hi Ziarekenya, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Well, my name is Ziarekenya Smith. I am the founder of Inpathy. We are gearing up to reinvent social media to inspire transparency, normalize moods and recreate the human experience. Why? Because seven years ago, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Art & Design, and I decided not to go left and follow my peers in the design field. I decided to go right in and find more fulfillment in my work. During my journey, I hit a wall. The wall was my family questioning why I was breaking out of the tradition of going to college, graduating college, and getting a job. They couldn’t understand why I wanted to find fulfillment in my work. 

At the time, it caused me slight depression, anxiety, and self-doubt; I wanted to express this online, but I stopped myself. Because the unwritten rules on social media are if it’s not perfect, positive, or fun, don’t’ post it, so I didn’t. But I quickly ask myself, why? Because life is a series of peaks and valleys. That’s what makes us human. I knew the current structure of social media only shows the highlight reel of your made shots and not your missed shots is not sustainable long term for human well-being. Studies show the adverse effect social media have on millennials, gen zers, and the youth, causing anxiety, depression, and the feeling of isolation. 

We are the most connected generation in history but the most disconnected emotionally. That’s when Inpathy was born. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Understanding and accepting the route as an African American tech founder and raising capital will be longer than other non-minority. Our second fortunate struggle is our slow, steady growth, raising 500K – 1M to complete the last 25% of Inpathy’s development for iOS, operation cost, and hiring qualified talent. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Inpathy, we wanted to bridge the gap to show people that it’s okay to have fun moments and not-so-fun moments. We wanted to show people it’s okay to be human. We achieve that through transparency. We believe transparency is the key to empathy. On Inpathy, you will see people’s moods constantly fluctuating from high to low. You will see stories of the good and bad; with that framework we are creating, you will know that it’s okay to be okay and it’s okay not to be okay. It’s all a part of the human experience. That’s what makes us different from our competitors. We are not trying to make you happy or fix you; we want to show you that it’s okay to be human when you come on our platform. 

You can join Inpathy waitlist here. https://linktr.ee/inpathy 

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The Bible App, The Bible “The Book of Proverbs.” The Book of Proverbs gives you principles on navigating life and how to obtain life success. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Inpathy.co
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/inpathy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inpathy
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/InpathyApp
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnJM_U4gv4ak8y3WSddL68g
• Other: Join Inpathy Waitlist – https://linktr.ee/inpathy