Ujama

Ujama Inc., founded in 2016 by Hugh Molotsi, operates a social commerce platform designed to foster community-based mutual aid. The company's name derives from the Swahili word "ujamaa," meaning extended family, which reflects its mission to connect people for collaborative support. Molotsi, the company's founder and CEO, leveraged a 22-year career at Intuit, where he was an Engineering Fellow and Vice President of Innovation, to launch Ujama. His experience in developing small business applications and payment systems at Intuit, combined with his personal challenges as a parent living far from his family in Zambia, inspired him to create a platform to help communities support one another.

Initially, Ujama focused on creating networks for parents to coordinate childcare and transportation, growing to a user base of over 12,000 before the COVID-19 pandemic shifted its trajectory. In response to the economic challenges created by the pandemic, the company pivoted to provide commerce tools for micro-businesses and individuals with side-hustles, facilitating customer discovery and transactions. The platform operates as an online community where members can connect, message each other to give and get help, plan events, and fundraise. A key feature is its marketplace, which allows users to sell products and services directly within their trusted communities. Ujama's business model is not based on direct fees for member-provided services but has explored revenue through the sale of its own virtual currency, "Upendo Points."

Users can earn Upendo Points by helping others on the platform and can redeem these points for rewards, such as gift cards. This system is designed to incentivize participation and reinforce the platform's cooperative ethos. While the company has received funding, including a seed round in 2020 and an equity crowdfunding round in 2022, its primary service is no longer available as of 2024. Prior to ceasing operations, Ujama also created Soko, the Farmers' Market App, to further connect communities with local producers.

Keywords: cooperative economics, community commerce, mutual aid platform, social marketplace, peer-to-peer services, Hugh Molotsi, community support network, micro-business tools, gig economy platform, parent networking, shared childcare, Upendo Points, Soko app, community fundraising, local marketplace, social entrepreneurship, Intuit alumni, collaborative consumption, community building, trusted connections