Meet Rajia Abdelaziz, Co-Founder and CEO of InvisaWear Technologies LLC
There’s nothing #AtTheTable loves more than the female founders who make up our community! That’s why we’ve decided to do weekly interviews with the wonderful women who have attended our dinners in Boston, NYC, SF, or Miami — so that YOU can be just as amazed by them as we are.
First up: Rajia Abdelaziz, Co-Founder and CEO of invisaWear.
Describe your business/product. What is its main goal?
Rajia: InvisaWear creates smart jewelry and accessories that allow users to instantly alert friends, family, and police during an emergency.
Sadly, statistics show that nearly 1 in every 5 women is attacked at some point in her lifetime. Many of these emergencies happen near friends/family, but there isn’t enough time to contact loved ones or police.
At invisaWear, we aim to positively empower users in feeling safe, secure, and connected. We envision a world that’s safer for everyone and we are hoping to provide users with a hassle-free solution that allows them to stay connected with their loved ones. If we can even save one life, then all our hard work will have been worthwhile.
Why did you decide to become a founder? What inspired you to start your business?
Rajia: I originally started working on invisaWear while I was in college. I was frustrated that women worry about their safety multiple times every single day.
My friends and I would always feel really uncomfortable walking to our cars after late classes, so I wanted to purchase a safety device to allow me to stay connected with friends, family, and police.
However, everything was a big ugly panic button. My grandma who is 80 years old won’t even wear a panic button, so I didn’t understand why these companies were marketing ugly panic buttons for women of all ages. This inspired me to create a stylish safety device that could seamlessly fit into the user’s everyday life.
What are the greatest challenges of founding your own business?
Rajia: After graduating college with a dual degree in electrical engineering and computer science, it was really tough to decline multiple prestigious job opportunities that come with stable salaries. Starting your own business is such a huge risk and there are so many things that could go wrong.
Friends and family were shocked that I was declining all these great offers and people were constantly trying to tell me the million things that could go wrong. However I tried to focus on what could go right. What if I was able to start this company and one day it saved someone’s life?
How have your experiences as a founder shaped you?
Rajia: I honestly have been blown away by the amount of support we’ve received from so many other entrepreneurs. It’s really inspired me to always help others and to stay humble regardless of how successful we become.
Some of our investors are super successful millionaires who are dedicating their time to give back to the community and to help create positive change.
Growing up, what were your goals in life? Did you ever imagine you’d create something like what you created?
Rajia: Growing up, I always wanted to run a tech company! My dad was an engineer and I remember telling my doctor at eightyears old that when I grow up I wanted to be a CEO of an engineering company. It’s so funny because he asked what C.E.O stood for and I proudly said Chief Executive Officer. Most people don’t know what those three letters stand for at the age of eight.
I never in a million years would’ve imagined that at 24 years old, I’d be a CEO of a tech company! I always thought it was just something I dreamed of when I was a kid and if that it happened I’d be at least 50.
What’s next for your business?
Rajia: I’m so excited for the future of invisaWear. Right now, we’ve been accepting pre-orders on our website. However, we start shipping products in just a few weeks (end of July/early August).
After that, we’ll be focused on increasing sales and putting more efforts into marketing.
What advice would you give to the next generation of women and girls looking to make an impact?
Rajia: Always believe in yourself! People will always tell you about what could go wrong, you need to focus on what could go right. If you think you can make a change in the world, believe in yourself, and don’t give up.
If you fail, don’t be discouraged, some of the most successful people failed four or five times before they became successful.
Isn’t she inspiring?
We sure think so! If Rajia’s product sounds as fascinating to you as it does to us, use the discount code ATTHETABLE to get 10% off. Now that’s a good deal!
Special thanks to Rajia Abdelaziz for sharing her amazing story. We can’t wait for next week!
