Hey Auntie! This is a new platform that helps black women support the community

Hey Aunties! A new social media platform has emerged to assist Black women cultivate community while combating loneliness.

Nicole Kenney envisioned Hey Auntie! as a multi-generational resource for Black women to support one another. Networking Platform promotes kinship amongst its members, especially given the growth of the black community’s digital presence.

“(Hey Aunt!) refers to a caring relationship that can be biological, but is more often what we call a ‘fictitious bond,’ an emotionally significant bond not based on blood or legal ties,” Kenney explained. “Every child is your child.”

Kenney created Hey Auntie! as a “For Us, By Us” approach to constructing real connections online. After experiencing her own mental health struggles, she saw a need for all black women to seek out and lean on one another.

In 2021, Kenney was accepted into a six-month incubator/accelerator to create Hey Auntie! for the Well City Challenge. The program, a community partnership between Independence Blue Cross and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, supports initiatives focused on health and wellness. Kenney’s idea won first place, which included $50,000 to implement.

Hey Auntie!’s 700 members stay connected through biweekly newsletters, peer-to-peer discussions, and frequent Q&A sessions. The platform also offers a matching service that connects seasoned professionals with women just starting out of their careers.

Kenney wants Hey Auntie! to change into a for-profit company, even though it currently offers free subscriptions after an application is approved. While Kenney hopes to expand membership, her principal concern is creating a protected space.

“Explosive growth is not part of our ethos: the safety of our community is our top priority,” Kenney said. “As a company that builds relationships, we must protect our digital community from the messages of judgment, perfectionism, and cyberbullying that are so often directed at women—especially Black women.”

Kenney may also explore B2B sales alongside paid subscriptions sooner or later. As her next enterprise, taking up the University of Pennsylvania’s PennHealthX SDoH Accelerator, Hey Auntie! goals to prove its value in improving health and wellness across age groups.

“Our goal is to show how multigenerational connection and collaboration are a dynamic force for good,” Kenney said. “And why the innovators closest to the challenges should be the ones closest to designing the solutions.”

Hey Aunt! hosts members from around the world, lots of that are based in Philadelphia, offering a community of support that celebrates the experiences of all Black women.