Laura Ameyo Tosin Martins and her journey through entrepreneurship
From here, from there. Sometimes it’s messy to mix so many stories, so many important parts of one’s self.
Let’s take Laura’s story for example— one of connection, transformation, and purpose. Born to an Italian mother and a Nigerian father, her life was a blend of African and Italian cultures, formed and shaped by the stories and traditions passed down by her family. Growing up, she remained open to these narratives, yet it wasn’t until years later that she found a way to transform all of her experiences into something truly impactful.
Last year, Laura joined Conecta Migrants and Refugees Italy, an incubation program developed by Bridge for Billions and a community of Italian Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs). The program aimed to support a group of Italian early-stage entrepreneurs with a migrant background. While taking the program’s eight modules, she met entrepreneurs from diverse multicultural backgrounds, also reconnecting with her Nigerian roots.
But that’s not the story we want to tell you today.
The story starts long before this program, when Laura worked as a nurse in a hospital in Rome. Among those halls, laid the innocence, the joy and the hope of expectant mothers, many of whom were foreigners, with some not speaking a word of Italian.
Gaps in the Italian healthcare system
Laura noticed how difficult it was for women from different countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and various African nations to communicate effectively with the Italian healthcare system, which was not always equipped with translators or cultural mediators.
These mothers-to-be often relied on family or friends to bridge the gap, making their maternal care journey more challenging.
Years later, Laura made a leap of faith and changed careers. She left the hospital setting and became a successful software developer (what a change!). Leveraging her knowledge in programming and analysis to build software in the healthcare sector, the aeronautical sector, she dreams of becoming a small entrepreneur herself.
Once she mastered programming, Laura decided to bring her memory back to those hospital rooms and those soon-to-be mothers and she decided to lay the foundation for a mobile app aimed at helping those women from all cultures and nationalities.
Welcome, FELLOWS!
That’s how FELLOWS – Women Who Care came to life. It plans to be a mobile app that tells the story of motherhood through the eyes and traditions of different cultures. This creates value, encourages dialogue, and builds connection among women.
It also offers telemonitoring and self-help features (based on the model of obstetric counseling) to enhance the physical and emotional well-being of mothers who wish to care for themselves in a holistic way.
The launch of such a project requires analysis and support, in addition to all the programming and content work. During her time in the incubation program and with this idea in mind, Laura worked together with her assigned mentor, Mauro Lupi and was able to structure the process.
“My mentor Mauro was pure light. With his strong energy and positivity, he helped me stay on track and really focus on offering value from a multicultural perspective” she says
The most difficult part of the program?
“The financing module. It’s probably the toughest part of planning expenses and forecasting costs.”
Thanks to Bridge for Billions, her mentor, and the Incubator Manager Federica from Project Ahead, things went pretty smoothly.
FELLOWS is now planning to become a community where the voices and well-being of women and mothers fromall cultures are heard and valued. It will have a free plan where users can read various articles and clinic materials that truly add value for expectant mothers. She also plans to add extra digital features inspired by methods used by women in different cultures (for example: did you know that Masai women in Africa use a peculiar bracelet to track their cycle?).
To make this profitable, Laura is now planning further features, such as a daily diary to track emotions and symptoms, or coupons/collars with partners that can truly enhance the experience of this special moment in women’s lives, no matter their culture.
While Laura is actively looking for funding and joining different projects, we admire her determination and wish her the best.
Her final advice for other entrepreneurs?
“Dream big. Think about every possible scenario—that’s something everyone does at the beginning. But it’s very important not to lose sight of the reality of things: start small, and begin making an impact with the little you have. That’s the best way to immediately confront your own ideas and grow in a healthy, grounded, and inspiring way.”
