Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Anderson.
Hi Elizabeth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a small town in Alabama, the oldest child in a large, economically disadvantaged family. Although I made excellent grades in school and was at the top of my class, I was discouraged from going to college; I was told that due to my family background, it wasn’t a viable option for me. I knew that going to school would be my best chance to escape generational poverty and make a better life for myself, and eventually I was able to get a music scholarship to the University of Alabama. I was never a stranger to hard work, and I worked full-time while I was in school, including doing freelance web and graphic design for businesses. I’ve loved computers since the first time I was introduced to *Oregon Trail*, and I always knew I wanted to work in tech even though I didn’t have many options. Eventually a few years after graduating, I landed in a tech role and the rest is history! I eventually met my business’s co-founder, Kelli Lucas, at one of my tech jobs. We worked at a few different companies together before deciding to launch our own tech business, LunarLab.
Having worked in tech for a long time, Kelli and I saw numerous ways that businesses with software can falter and fail. Business sometimes build the wrong features, are unable to attract or retain users, don’t have clear validation, don’t achieve product-market fit or don’t have a path to monetization. Or they might be inadvertently creating products that are unethical or that aren’t as inclusive as they should be. A lot of the problems that we saw were preventable, and it was hard to see businesses or individuals spend money creating expensive software without a clear ROI. We wanted to be able to use our skills to help businesses who were creating mobile apps, web apps, or even IoT devices to be more successful… while also saving them time, money, and a whole lot of headaches. Helping others reach their fullest economic potential has always been a guiding light for us.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Things haven’t always been easy for me. I was given a tough hand of cards to play growing up, with many negative experiences: we were poor, we went hungry, we moved often and faced eviction, my parents divorced, my dad was in and out of prison, I was a childhood victim of domestic violence, and when my mom had a severe car accident when I was in high school, I became a caretaker for my younger siblings. These things were a struggle and they largely shaped my attitudes throughout my life. I remember how those experiences felt, and I never want anyone else to experience that. It has made me passionate about creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world wherever I am. It has also made me want to lift others up: when we climb the ladder, it’s important that we bring others with us.
Many, many times in my life I’ve been told, “You can’t do that.” You can’t go to college, you can’t get out of a bad situation, you can’t amount to anything in your life, you can’t get that job you want, you can’t launch a successful business. Every single time someone has told me that or closed a door to me, I’ve doubled down on making my own path in the world. When obstacles are put in my path, I’ve always been the type of person to go over, through, or around them. A lot of times, that means taking a rougher road than you otherwise would have, but at least you’re still going somewhere.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about LunarLab?
LunarLab is a UX Design and Product Strategy agency. We help anyone building software make products that are intuitive, user-friendly, inclusive, ethical and profitable. We help make development more efficient and less risky. And we make software beautiful, too, but that’s the easy part.
If you can name an industry, we’ve worked on software in that industry: startups, social media, healthcare, nonprofits, education, hospitality, sports, finance, and more. We use a people-first, collaborative approach to problem-solving to create the perfect solution. We do this through things like crafting intuitive flows for the software, creating beautiful interfaces, researching user needs to build the exact right thing, helping founders streamline their roadmap and business strategy, and managing risky projects.
We’re also a Public Benefit Corporation, which means that while we are a for-profit company, we are also focused on (and legally bound to) considering positive social impact in the work we do. At LunarLab, we believe we’re responsible for the products we create. We know that many tech products cause social, economic, and environmental harm. A lot of these products were simply never designed to be inclusive, human-centered, or ethical. Since the launch of our company, we’ve focused on designing apps with an eye toward social good and doing the right thing.
One of our biggest company goals is to help entrepreneurs from marginalized backgrounds to achieve economic success. We offer pro-bono mentoring, donate to organizations aimed at these goals, and do a lot of volunteering in this area. We also provide discounted services for nonprofit programs (like accelerators and incubators) that work to support entrepreneurs from these backgrounds. I know what it’s like to face hardships in life, and I know that the path to success can be a long, difficult road with no safety nets. Everyone should be able to achieve their dreams no matter who they are or where they come from, and we want to do our part to help others.
This is also what we’re most proud of. When people ask how our business has been successful, we don’t think in terms of financial gain or headcount. We think in terms of how many entrepreneurs we’ve helped. When our clients or mentees go on to achieve success, we consider that to be a win!
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I had a tough childhood experience, but some of my best memories were of reading books. I loved learning new things, and books were the best pathway available to me for learning more. I was always excited to go to the school or local library, and when we went to the thrift store, I always made a beeline to the book section. When I was a kid, I read everything I could get my hands on: from history books to fiction to science to cooking to how-to guides.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lunarlab.io/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunarlab.io/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lunarlab
- Other: http://lunarlab.dribbble.com/
Image Credits
Audrey Seymour
