Erica Chidi brings sex education to your fingertips

Erica Chidi has long had a desire to help women and other people feel more comfortable of their bodies. Growing up, “I was always the girl that people asked questions about their health” – founding father of women’s health app LOOM, explains ESSENCE. “I have always felt a great connection to women and helping them with their bodies,” continues the Nigerian-American entrepreneur.

After LOOM was a physical space in Los Angeles from 2017 to 2019 and offered classes on topics akin to sex and periods, the organization has now switched to the LOOM app. Now all your growing health questions are at your fingertips with weekly podcast episodes, day by day health news digests and more. “We really set out to digitize the experiences we had in the physical space,” he says. “The app makes it accessible to everyone with evidence-based, factual and trusted information and real stories from women around the world about reproductive and sexual health.”

The journey to get here was quite a feat for Chidi. Shortly after LOOM was launched in 2017, Katerina Schneider – founding father of the complement brand Ritual – inspired Chidi to keep going. “She told me that she thought I was helping people with really important things,” Chidi says. “She helped me get to know the investor for the first time.” From there, Chidi managed to raise $3 million in 2020 – becoming the thirty fourth Black woman to ever raise over $1 million – which went towards constructing the platform she has today.

Before LOOM, Chidi thought she wanted to turn out to be an art curator after earning a BA in Art History in South Africa. After graduating within the early 2000s, she moved into fashion and interned at places like Alberta Ferretti and PR firm BPCM. After coping with acrimony within the industry and her own mental health struggles, Chidi was inspired to return to South Africa to rethink her goals. “My dad thought it would be great if I considered a career in midwifery because it would be a mix of things I cared about,” she recalled.

After that conversation, Chidi decided to train as a doula with a midwife while also doing reproductive justice work in a San Francisco prison. In recent years, Chidi has written books akin to Meanwhile, you may as well find her on Goop Podcast and vulnerably sharing their very own health struggles with fibroids online. “I think it’s important to remind people that they are not alone,” she says. “I also wanted more women to know about it and feel more comfortable talking about it, because I think a big and unfortunate part of the disease is not being able to talk about it.”

And with years of serving and educating your community, a solid self-care practice becomes more vital. For Chidi, this includes regular exercise, meditation, and day by day walks. In-depth skincare – specializing in the fight against discoloration LED Light Therapy by Dr. Dennis Gross and Biologiqie Recherche products – are also vital. “For me, self-care is non-negotiable, especially as a neurodiverse and interdisciplinary person,” she explains. “I think the only way I can function properly is by taking care of myself. I have made taking care of myself a hobby.”

Next up for Chidi and LOOM? There can be several in-person events that may happen down the pike. “There will be a much greater focus on ensuring women get the care they need and less on gathering in social spaces,” she says. “But we will still make time for some fun moments IRL.” Regardless, Chidi is just excited to proceed empowering women to deal with themselves. “This has always been the motivation for my work,” he says. “It’s helping people.”