The idea for Theanna came to me exactly one year ago, today.

Today marks one year since Theanna was just an idea.

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During the summer of 2024, I started thinking about how I'm going to take PDS Lab, my service-based accelerator, to new heights and provide support to hundreds, if not thousands, of women with ideas.

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At this point, I had been building PDS Lab for 13 months, and it had grown faster than I was expecting.

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I knew I didn’t want to scale a service based business but what I had was working. 

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I also knew I wanted to open a new challenge for myself and build a tech company.

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Something I’ve done for dozens of other founders but never as a founder myself. 

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So in September 16, 2024, I was driving back home from daycare dropoff and it hit me like a ton of bricks. 

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PS. If any of you reading this has kids, then you know the amount of thoughts that go through your head when you’re driving alone. 

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It’s like a mirage and our brains our overloaded with freedom that we can actually… think. 

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So anyway, I was driving and I started crying. 

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My emotions were so filled with excitement and frustration.. Like “how have I not thought of this earlier?!”

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And I knew right then what I was going to build. 

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It came to me like a flash. Almost like when you’re watching a movie and they do flashbacks in hyperspeed… except it was the future and I saw the platform, the customers, the stages, the announcements, the startups, the funding. I saw it all in a flash. 

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I got home, tear-filled eyes and snapped a photo while still in the car.

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It was a memory I didn’t want to forget. I had to capture it and immediately take action. 

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So I did. Just 2 weeks later, I hired a development team, designed a full platform, and broke ground on what today is known as Theanna, the all-in-one startup platform for female founders. 

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I have learned a lot about building a company in the last 12 months. 

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And here are my biggest takeaways for any woman with an idea:

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1. You are more capable than you think. Often, it’s our own minds that stop us from what we’re truly capable of. Instead of focusing on the mountain, focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Each step compounds to progress. And you’ll find that just like anything in life, consistent effort reaps rewards. 
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2. You will be told "no" A LOT. And you have to be ok with it. Learn to accept feedback whether good, bad, or ugly. That feedback does not define who you are. But how you take it and turn it into something does. Be resilient, be strong, and be unapologetically you. 
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3. The world needs more out of the box thinkers. You may not be the most technically savvy person, and you may not have millions in the bank. But if you're locked in mentally and are solving problems, you can create something that changes lives. Don’t lose that creative mindset and freedom to learn. 
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4. Things will not go as planned, expect it. As a startup founder, you are basically a new boxer in a match with Mike Tyson. It's your job to keep your hands up, fight for what you believe in, and remain standing. You need to roll with the punches because I promise you, things will not go as you expect them to go. They never do. So release all expectations you have of building a company and you will enjoy the process a lot more.
   

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I feel like I have 100 more lessons that I can share another day. But these are the first 4 that came to mind.

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Now, after a full year, I cannot even believe how far we’ve come:

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1. Built to $150k ARR in 6 months with 200 customers
2. Launched a thriving community platform with AI solutions
3. Held 60+ events with experts, investors, and exited founders
4. Supported over 40 founders launch their MVPs
5. Accepted into Techstars and raised from 2 angel investors
6. Reached over 1.9 million views on TikTok alone

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The sky is the limit. I cannot express that enough. The sky is the fucking limit.  All you have to do is reach for it.

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What's next for Theanna

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Now that I've been going 100mph for a full year, I believe in the vision now more than ever.

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So instead of 100mph, I'm going to kick it up a notch.

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Listen, I want to build the world where every woman with an idea, regardless of the industry, has the opportunity to build a revenue-generating business.

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I don't care what your background is - if you're technical, if you have a college degree, if you have funding... I do not care.

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I want the world where EVERY woman has this opportunity.

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Here are just a few things I'll be focusing on in the next 12 months to accomplish that goal:

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1. Hired engineering in house so that we can build product faster
2. Bring in the creme de la creme of experts to educate and mentor founders
3. Partner with organizations that offer discounts and perks to founders
4. ICP expansion to VCs, enterprises, acceleratos, and schools that support women-led startups
5. Build a B2B component to allow organizations to track portfolios
6. Expand Theanna marketing outside of organic social

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I have so many ideas and not enough time but I have conviction that Theanna will become the household name for women-led businesses in the US.

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For everyone who has been a part of this journey, thank you. I couldn't do it without all of you and am so grateful for all of your support.

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Now, let's fucking rock and roll!

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💜 Nomiki

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