Even if there are numerous apps hogging up your phone storage, you might want to make room for one more. Coming relatively soon is an app called Flora Living focused on building a green community, sustainable living, and using green challenges to alter our lifestyle. As a start-up company, Flora Living has been heavily promoting its upcoming release; from conventions to direct replies on Twitter, the app’s team has been speaking up on their progress.
Speaking of “team,” the founders of Flora Living are not only activists, but are all involved with the arts in one way or another. Alaxic Smith is a Product Designer and iOS Engineer who has worked with Bishop Briggs and Rae Sremmurd. Reid Williams is a cinematographer, who filmed and colored the short film Alive. Kehlani Parrish is a Grammy-nominated singer who has been featured on the latest music out this spring (“Playinwitme” with KYLE, “Done for Me” with Charlie Puth).
The major partner backing the Flora Living start-up is Backstage Capital. The company seeks to place venture capital in the work of founders who identify as women, people of color, or LGBT+. Flora Living received an encouraging investment of $50,000 from Backstage. Arlan Hamilton, the founder of Backstage Capital, has been personally engaged with the progress of Flora Living’s app: Hamilton interviewed Kehlani during the singer’s AfroTech appearance. (Check out their AfroTech discussion here.)
The Flora Living app will focus on health and wellness. The community is set to be both virtual and physical. In this community, users can complete weekly challenges. Doing these challenges helps participants gain points, which can be exchanged for experiences and events, gift cards, virtual goods, and discounts. Challenges may include taking a fifteen-minute walk around your neighborhood, refraining from the use of plastic for a week, or similar activities promoting a more sustainable lifestyle. On the company’s official Twitter page, the team expressed big dreams to organize meetups for the Flora Living app community. The team is clear on its desire to educate their target audience (ages 16-25) on green living. The start-up’s AngelList page states: “Most people would take steps to living a greener life if they knew where to begin, so our aim is to bridge that gap and make the information easily accessible and relatable.”
From what we know, the app is now in the trial-run phase. The app’s website currently lists information on how to sign-up for the beta app. The beta app does have limited spots, but the Flora Living team has encouraged more people to sign-up. The beta app is currently available in an iOS version only. However, after a direct Q&A given by the official Flora Living app’s Twitter page, it was revealed the Android version is expected to release “shortly after” the official iOS version.
Compared to other green apps, Flora Living seems to be most interested in creating a true green community. People are stronger together, so the approach is understandable. If you would like to participate, sign up for beta or stay up to date with Flora Living’s social media.
Anna Lee
Olivia Spring
Anna Lee
Alana James