Entrepreneur Charlotte Louis spent a year growing her hair care business, eventually achieving financial success and supporting her family with the profits. But despite those accomplishments, she felt like she was missing one thing: happiness.
Louis wanted to learn how to love herself, she said, so she began studying mindfulness, spirituality and self-development. This ultimately led her to consider that others would benefit from the same journey.
“I was just really inspired to show other women that there is something on the other side of fear; there’s something on the other side of burnout,” Louis said.
In April 2022, Louis founded SenterME, a Raleigh-based emotional wellness resource dedicated to women professionals.
The startup initially offered coaching sessions and workshops, with Louis traveling to group homes, universities and other spaces to speak about emotional wellness and self love. In February of 2024, SenterME began evolving into a tech platform as Louis set about building an app for women professionals everywhere.
During this summer’s Gig EAST Summit in Wilson, N.C., SenterME won RIoT’s pitch competition for $1,000. At the same summit, SenterME also partnered with the American Underground and NC IDEA to launch an immersive workshop.
SenterME will next launch its beta version in August. The app will offer educational content (including podcast episodes, online courses and blog posts), as well as an opportunity for users to connect with other SenterME “sisters.” The target market consists of all women professionals across industries, with a particular focus on women in tech, healthcare, and education.
Across the U.S. and the world, women perform more than two-thirds of unpaid household and caregiving labor, often even while managing busy careers. Louis said these unpaid tasks are often deemed obligations rather than choices, and she sees women struggle to create space and time for themselves. SenterME is designed to be a space where women feel supported in prioritizing their personal well-being, Louis said.
That support will make a positive impact professionally as well as personally. According to a Gallup study, when employees are engaged and supported, productivity increases by 18% and profitability increases by 23%.
“There’s so much that can be enhanced and improved tremendously, just by supporting women and their emotional wellness,” Louis said.
SenterME utilizes a “freemium” model, whereby limited access to the platform is free, and individuals can upgrade to a $19.99/month premium subscription for unlimited access.
There will also be a group subscription model for companies that want to provide this product for their employees, with pricing dependent on the number of employees.
The startup also plans to partner with women-owned and minority-owned wellness outlets—such as therapy practices and yoga studios—to offer users discounts and further community involvement. Affiliate partners pay $99/month to advertise and offer their own deals.
QUICK BITS
Startup: SenterME
Founder: Charlotte Louis (CEO)
Founded: 2022
Location: Raleigh
Website: www.SenterME.com
Funding: bootstrapped
Earlier this year, SenterME became a semifinalist in the Black Ambition prize competition, which Louis said opened the door to investor opportunities. Louis said she is currently seeking angel investments, particularly from those who are aligned with SenterMe’s mission and values.
Louis has a team of volunteer designers and developers, and she said the team’s synergy is “amazing.” The startup’s team follows four pillars: respect, inclusion, boundless creativity and collaboration.
“We adhere to those pillars so that we can show up as our whole and authentic selves, create safe spaces for ourselves, so that they can reflect in the product that we’re building for the women that we’re serving,” Louis said.
