During the pandemic, Deniece Griffin taught live exercise classes via an online portal.
As marketing manager of Robinson’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Institute (ENI), Deniece Griffin is surrounded by aspiring movers and shakers as well as established founders every day. Griffin’s drive to develop a product of her own was partially a result of the constant exposure to innovation—though her unyielding energy and artistic flair are obviously innate.
When the pandemic hit, Griffin had established herself as a group fitness instructor at her local YMCA. Since convening face-to-face was no longer an option, Griffin leveraged her Facebook following; called Grown & Fit, the online community allows women aged 40 and above to share their fitness goals and accomplishments. When Griffin gauged Grown & Fit members’ interest in paying a monthly fee to access live exercise classes conducted over Zoom, they responded with enthusiasm. At its height, the portal comprised 40 patrons who participated in weekly cardio, strength training, Pilates, and yoga classes led by Griffin and two other instructors.
Eventually, normal life resumed, and gym rats returned to pumping iron in person. After about two and a half years, Griffin shifted her focus to helping clients in another way. In January 2024, Griffin began developing Interval, an app that helps users stay on top of the more than two dozen symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause.
“Women already track everything about their lives on their phones, like their periods and fertility,” Griffin said. “Through Interval, users can see trends in their symptoms over time, engage in informed discussions with their doctors, and better manage their health.”
Griffin is developing the prototype of an app that allows users can track their menopause symptoms, have informed discussions with their doctors, and ultimately better manage their healthcare.
Griffin has amassed approximately 200 users to test Interval this spring—and reaching the beta phase required a lot of behind-the-scenes effort. Last April, Griffin joined the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs’ (RICE) BIG IDEAS program, an initiative that guides participants through the journey of launching a sustainable business from ideation, to execution, to scale.
“I go to the facility to work and network as often as I can,” she said. “I’ve even learned about investment opportunities.”
Griffin won the Audience's Choice Award and $2,000 at the “No Pressure” Pitch Competition.
Raising capital is a critical piece of the entrepreneurial journey. So far, Griffin has mostly funded Interval herself. However, last summer, she landed the Audience’s Choice Award and $2,000 at the “No Pressure” Pitch Competition sponsored by ACT House, Black Ambition, and RICE. The money enabled Griffin to pay a professional coder.
Griffin aims to one day sync Interval with MyChart, an online portal enabling users to access their medical records in one place. She also hopes Interval will empower women in rural and underserved communities.
“A lot of women don’t receive quality care,” Griffin said. “We need a companion to carry us through this transition of life.”