Our Story & Ecosystem
At AKALAKA, we believe in providing the best support and resources to those who need and give the greatest care. We connect care partners with an empowered network of peers to enjoy life at home and in the community with more caring family and friends.
A Design-Driven Care Revolution
AKALAKA didn't begin in a corporate boardroom; it was sparked by the lived realities of family caregiving. Founded by Dr. Victoria Chibuogu Nneji, a design scientist and the first person to earn a Ph.D. in Robotics from Duke University, AKALAKA was born out of a profound realization: health systems have rarely accounted for the human experience of care partners. These caring family members and friends serve as an invisible infrastructure, carrying a heavy load of daily care. Drawing from 25+ years of lived caregiving responsibilities within her own family, Dr. Nneji applied her background in complex systems engineering to build a better path through what she calls the 'wilderness of disability services'.
For too long, our value has been underestimated. Historically, caregivers and individuals with disabilities have been excluded from fully participating in our society and economy, left alone on our journeys and lost in the wilderness. We decided to stop waiting. We are becoming the ones we’ve been waiting on.
The word 'akalaka' comes from the Igbo language of Dr. Nneji's birthplace in Nigeria, translating literally to 'handprint' and figuratively to 'destiny'. Today, our multidisciplinary team aims to nurture the seeds of wisdom held by individuals and families living with disabilities. We know we can handle life, and we choose to do life together.
Our Values & Who We Are
Lived Experience is Expertise
We grow through what we go through. The complex skills learned while navigating caregiving are specialized assets that deserve true economic value and respect.
The Dual Focus of Care
We recognize the value of both people involved in caring relationships. We care for our own spirit and health just as deeply as we care for our families and communities.
We Handle Life Together
We believe that caregiving shouldn't mean compromising economic or social mobility. With AKALAKA, no one walks the care journey alone.
Our Structural Innovation: B Corp Innovation + 501(c)(3) Stewardship
To mend a broken system, we built a better model. AKALAKA operates as a Certified B Corporation, seamlessly paired with a local 501(c)(3) non-profit fiscal sponsor to maximize our societal impact, protect public trust, and ensure strategic operational flexibility.
Certified B Corporation®
As a Certified B Corp, we are legally committed to driving measurable, systemic impact across our economy and society. We are independently verified by B Lab to meet the highest global standards of social performance, operational transparency, and equitable growth. This sustainable structure fuels our capacity to innovate proprietary training models, design scalable technology tools, and guarantee rigorous public accountability.
501(c)(3) Community Programs
To protect the most vulnerable and reach families missing traditional insurance, our local fiscal sponsor handles our philanthropic capital. 100% of underwritten tax-deductible donations go directly toward deploying community health programs, funding care for uninsured families, and bridging services for neighbors left stranded on state waiver waiting lists.
Underwrite for Community Impact
BarNone™ Workforce Model
Connecting Remote Strategy with Community Spaces
BarNone™ is AKALAKA’s signature workforce program connecting our remote team with local, in-person communities. We host inclusive, spirit-free (non-alcoholic), farm-to-table pop-up events that celebrate 'food as medicine.' Through BarNone, medical professionals can confidently refer patients to non-clinical, community-based gatherings to improve whole-person health. It unites local leaders, our trainees, and volunteer allies to turn historically undervalued labor into a dignified career path that builds neighborly connection and lasting socioeconomic mobility.
Sponsor a BarNone Fellow
Our Multidisciplinary Team & Advisory Board
Our strategic direction and daily operations are guided by a powerhouse team spanning government policy, clinical research, digital equity, and lived-experience advocacy.
Our Core Operations Team
Digital Accessibility Analyst & Staff Writer
Based in NC, this team member brings powerful lived experience alongside elite technical credentials, holding both IAAP CPACC and DHS Trusted Tester certifications. With a background in auditing W3C compliance using screen readers, they ensure our proprietary curriculum and B2B2G platform provide a radically inclusive, barrier-free experience that meets strict MCO compliance.
Community Manager
A fully bilingual (English/Spanish) Ivy League graduate who returned home to North Carolina. They bring deep lived experience as a sibling caregiver and former Direct Support Professional. Having built a 165,000+ follower platform advocating for the disability community, they lead our bilingual outreach and guide families through complex Medicaid systems.
Operations & Technology Coordinator
A recent Master of Divinity graduate with a strong track record of independent project management, multi-stakeholder coordination, and logistical execution. They ensure our internal operations, digital documentation, and team communications run flawlessly under pressure.
Strategic Advisory Board
Policy & Scaling
Guided by a former Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, a university-affiliated startup accelerator leader, and a Medicaid policy specialist focusing on regulatory navigation and national scaling.
Clinical & Revenue
Advised by a major health system executive and a leading university research doctor specializing in Medicaid revenue models and care research.
Accessibility & AI
Supported by a digital access trailblazer and a prominent university AI/systems professor to ensure safe, barrier-free technology deployment.
Impact & B-Corp Standards
Mentored by a former Senior Vice President of a global retail brand and a sustainability economy expert to uphold the highest B-Corp standards.
Bilingual Peer Support & Design
Directed by a lived-experience expert and founder of a statewide Hispanic family network, ensuring our peer mentorship models and frontline navigation are culturally responsive and practically designed.
Key Milestones & Validation
Our B2G model and commitment to building a sustainable infrastructure of care have been validated by highly competitive national and regional institutions.
NC IDEA Foundation MICRO Grant Awardee & SEED Finalist
Selected to validate our B2G technology and operational model.
Certified B Corporation
Successfully achieved rigorous certification standards from B Lab for social performance, accountability, and operational transparency.
Duke University Health System Building Healthy Communities Grant Multi-Year Awardee
Awarded consecutive funding by health system leaders to advance health and well-being through community-based initiatives focused on housing, healthy food, and critical healthcare access.
One North Carolina Small Business Program Multi-Year Awardee
Earned state-backed Incentive Funds awarded to highly innovative NC-based businesses pursuing federal Phase I SBIR/STTR awards.
Money Follows the Person (MFP) 'Weaving Connections' Partner
Subcontracted by the Piedmont Triad Regional Development Corporation (PTRDC) to lead community management and establish networks of natural supports (including 'Coffee and Convos' advisory groups) for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their care partners.
Social Architects Nonprofit Bootcamp Graduate
Completed an AI-enhanced capacity-building accelerator supported by the Mecklenburg County Department of Public Health, culminating in a comprehensive operational blueprint, master grant proposal, and long-term sustainability plan.
Health Equity Innovation Challenge Winner
Backed by the Flywheel Foundation and Eli Lilly and Company Foundation to launch rural county pilots in Advocate-Atrium Health hospital system areas.
NIH Start-Up Challenge Finalist
Recognized by the National Institute on Aging for innovation in caregiving technology.
Tiger Global Impact Ventures Accelerate(HER) Awardee
Selected by a highly competitive global fund of the prominent investment firm Tiger Global's philanthropic arm, supporting women-led, impact-driven startups.
High-Impact Pathways for Our Ecosystem
We build clear, measurable impact pathways for the vital pillars of our network. In our foundational pilot, we surpassed operational targets by 450%, reducing caregiver isolation by 29% and equipping families with evidence-based support.
"I definitely think I would have been a lot more confident and validating if I had had this training years ago. It would have helped me support even more individuals with access to services." — AKALAKA Certified Peer Facilitator (CPF) Trainee
Our Peer Workforce (CPFs)
Dignity, Mobility, & Expertise.We treat your lived experience as a specialized profession. You are no longer just 'helping out.' You possess valuable expertise. By training people with disabilities and caring family members to become Certified Peer Facilitators, we convert undervalued labor into a dignified livelihood with W-2 employment and portable benefits. As one CPF stated: 'It is important to prioritize lived experience as a career pathway to support upward mobility.'
Tailored Care Managers & Health Clinics
Timeliness, Clarity, & Collaboration.We act as a seamless, NC Tracks-enrolled extension of your team to erase administrative drag. Trust us to rapidly receive your authorized Medicaid Waiver referrals for Family Navigation and Consultative Care. We engage high-disparity families in rural counties as well as English language learners en español, deploy interactive training models, and handle warm resource hand-offs, ensuring your members experience care that is timely, efficient, and deeply trusted.
Community Underwriters & Funders
Confidence, Sustainability, & C.A.R.E.Every dollar drives a verified, data-backed Social Return on Investment (SROI). Your capital fills critical funding gaps, supporting programs that protect marginalized families from severe burnout and financial crisis. We collaborate with philanthropic foundations and Medicaid MCOs to build a sustainable infrastructure of care that directly addresses health disparities. We care, with C.A.R.E.: Consistency, Affordability, Respectfulness, and Equity.
Care Partners (Families & Friends)
Thoughtfulness, Delightfulness, & Connection.You are no longer wandering through the maze alone. We thoughtfully match you with peers who genuinely understand your struggle, connect you to available compensation channels, and assist with complex processes like Medicaid ISP Appeals so you can expand your weekly support hours with confidence. We handle life together.
Ecosystem Supporters & Partners
AKALAKA is proudly backed by a robust network of community organizations, institutional funders, and academic partners.
"I really enjoyed being a part of this cohort and going through this training process. It was very meaningful and I look forward to seeing the impact we can make supporting NC." — AKALAKA Certified Peer Facilitator (CPF) Trainee
Healthcare & Policy
NC DHHS Divisions (Aging, Mental Health, Disabilities), Mecklenburg County Department of Public Health, i2i Center for Integrative Health, Atrium Health Equity Challenge, Trillium Health Resources, Building Healthy Communities Initiatives
Federal & Global
NIH Start-Up Challenge, Tiger Global Accelerate(HER), B Lab Global
NC Ecosystem & VC
NC IDEA MICRO, SA912 Capacity Building Program, Piedmont Triad Regional Development Corporation (PTRDC), Money Follows the Person (MFP), First Flight VC, Flywheel Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company Foundation
Academic & Culture
Duke University, UNC, Columbia University, The Heirloom Network, Provident1898, Mutual Life, Flywheel Communities
Family Networks
Grupo Poder y Esperanza (A trusted statewide community connecting 800+ Hispanic families with our platform)