Crystal Gornto is on a mission to help women feel better about themselves, by using technology to unite rather than alienate. A former executive who, on the outside, seemed to be living the dream, Gornto was nonetheless discontent, preoccupied with the "negative soundtrack" in her head and anxious to reconnect with her inner self. She wanted to create a new tech-savvy way for other women to be able to empower one another, so she quit her job, liquidated her 401k, and launched HeartStories, an app designed to connect close female friends digitally. It lets you link up with ten of your girlfriends and share secrets, hopes, fears, and vulnerabilities in a discreet, yet supportive context, even if you're too busy to do so in person. (In fact, let's face it: There's probably certain things you'd only confess through in a digital space.)
"Replace the noise...with truth and love," HeartStories' website suggests, an attitude we can fully get behind. We're curious to see how the app will offer levels of intimacy that women couldn't otherwise find already, but we're definitely intrigued. The app is currently raising money through Moola Hoop (a female-focused crowdfunding site) to support its cause, which, as Gornto puts it, is to "...create a conscious awareness about the self-limiting stories women often rehearse. We believe there is a better way to think and live." Amen to that.
Photo: via HeartStories