CLIENT NAME: Jazmina Urriola, Founder
BUSINESS NAME: Allayya
BUSINESS WEBSITE: www.allayya.com
As a biotechnologist and recent immigrant to the United States from Panama, Jazmina Urriola found it difficult to find a job in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Once she realized that there was no job leads in her career field, she decided to pursue her dream of starting her own company, Allayya (formerly known as KeenStride)! Jazmina’s business idea was an e-commerce subscription box company that encourages and inspires women everywhere to bring their best selves to the world through bi-monthly curated boxes of tools and products for personal growth. The bonus was that her idea was as pandemic-friendly as they come.
Inspired by her son Enzo, who has a rare genetic condition called achondroplasia, Allayya was created. Caring for Enzo sparked a more open-minded, empathetic, and compassionate person in her, so she created a company that could spark those attributes in countless others. Since Allayya draws inspiration from psychological research, the items in each subscription box help her customers cultivate a growth mindset and shift their behavior.
“Through the Women’s Business Center’s Emprende Accelerator Program, I had the opportunity to meet other business owners and hear their inspiring stories—the final nudge I needed to embark on my own entrepreneurial journey. ” – Jazmina Urriola
The Women’s Business Center successfully helped to create Allayya’s first business plan and business entity. Jazmina is confident that Allayya’s successful December launch, during an ongoing pandemic no less, was because of the advice, readiness, and training services she experienced working with Dallas/Fort Worth WBC.
Jazmina plans on continuing her training and consultations with Dallas/Fort Worth WBC so she is better equipped to create and execute brand awareness strategies to achieve the growth she wants for Allayya. In the future, Jazmina plans to use data science and outreach strategies to offer her loyal members the opportunity to co-create their subscription experience so it becomes fully relevant to their lives. Through Allayya, Jazmina will also continue to nurture a community of like-minded women who want to become the best version of themselves, both for their own growth and for the people around them.
Her advice to anyone who wants to start a business or has an established business is, “[do] not hesitate in reaching out and asking for help whenever [you] need it. In my experience, the Women’s Business Center’s team is always ready and willing to help. They want entrepreneurs to succeed. They are there for us.”