We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deka Dike a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Deka, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Omatochi was founded based on my own personal experience struggling to manage the care of an aging parent.. Years ago, my dad’s health began to rapidly decline, and without much warning or preparation, my mom became his primary caregiver. She was overwhelmed with the fear of knowing that her husband wasn’t in good health, and struggled to remember important details like medication names, dosages, and other relevant information. I was nearly 6,000 miles away in the US, raising my own two small children, and the weight of the situation was almost too much to bear. Imagine the stress of not knowing what was going on or how to help your parents who were on an entirely different continent! Omatochi would have provided a highly skilled caregiver for my dad, and provided much needed peace of mind to me and my mother. We developed a system to remediate all of the worry and stress that accompanies supporting and caring for a loved one. Omatochi would have helped with all of my father’s daily living activities, coordinate his medical appointments, track his medication intake, and provide real-time support and comfort for my mum and our entire family. It would have been a blessing for our whole family, and now we’ve built Omatochi to be that for other families.

As I began to bring the vision of Omatochi to life, I realized that so many other families were in the same shoes as mine. Millenial and Gen Xers grappling with the stress of raising children and caring for aging or ailing parents. The more research I did to validate Omatochi’s need in the market, the more I knew that, as a society, we were collectively, and woefully, unprepared for the inevitable – millions of Boomers aging and needing additional care and support. This experience led me to devote myself to helping families going through similar challenges and provide a solution that is now helping aging adults, those with serious illnesses and their families.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Upon arriving in the United States in November 2007, I had the goal of achieving the American dream, a pursuit many people around the world strive for. I had no family and only my dreams and hopes of making a success in this new, exciting, and unfamiliar world. I faced many struggles and had mixed feelings about my new home. Despite this, I was driven by a strong desire to succeed and rise above my challenges. I pushed these doubts aside, opened my mind, and embraced the new challenges head-on. My journey has been about overcoming obstacles and my experiences have prepared me to face any challenges that may come my way as I continue on this entrepreneurial path. Before founding Omatochi, my interactions with the tech or healthcare sectors were mainly as a patient or consumer. I believe that this is actually an asset because outsiders often bring unique perspectives that lead to significant innovation in an industry.

One of my proudest accomplishments is building my team. I believe that culture is important, and that doing the right thing for clients starts within the organization. Our values form the foundation of our culture and involve making everyone feel valued and heard. As a founder, I took several steps to maintain the organizational culture, such as defining and communicating the organization’s values and cultural norms, hiring people who aligned with the culture, fostering a positive work environment, encouraging employee engagement, celebrating successes, holding people accountable, and regularly reviewing and adapting the culture.
I am proud of the progression I have seen in every member of my team. I encourage them to be their authentic selves every day because we do our best work when we are genuine. This approach helps me get the best out of my team and translates into excellent care for our clients. I believe that we have the best team because every member is passionate about caring for families and is dedicated to growth and learning. I am also learning from them every day, and that is my proudest accomplishment.

Omatochi is a mission-driven organization that provides customized services focused on the needs of seniors and their families. We take a holistic approach to evaluating and treating their emotional, mental, and physical needs. In addition, we use our mobile technology and operational structure to streamline communication between the medical team, caregivers, and family members.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Venture capital funding for female founders is a persistent issue, with a significantly lower percentage of funding going to women compared to men. According to recent statistics, only 2.2% of venture capital funding went to female-founded startups in 2020. The situation is even more dire for female founders of color, with only 0.2% of venture capital funding going to startups founded by Black women, and fewer than 200 female founders of color have raised over a million dollars. Recognizing the challenges in the startup world, I decided to self-fund my startup, Omatochi, from the beginning. I wanted to prove that success is possible, even if my solution was not the popular or expected choice. I accomplished this while balancing a full-time job, raising two children, and caring for my aging mother, with the help of my dedicated advisors, mentors, and team members.

My experience shows that there are no insurmountable obstacles and I hope it will inspire other female founders of color to pursue their goals. Despite the lack of venture capital funding available to them, self-funding and seeking support from advisors, mentors, and team members can be a viable path to success.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

The past few years have been marked by significant changes and shifts in the market and across industries, making it clear that “business as usual” is no longer sufficient. One notable trend is that people are increasingly seeking jobs that align with their personal values, rather than solely focusing on the paycheck. The pandemic has further highlighted the importance of a solid, sustainable, and values-driven organizational culture. I have always believed that prioritizing the well-being of people in the organization is crucial for success. Happy employees are more productive, and when they feel valued and supported, they are more likely to give their best effort and bring their authentic selves to work each day. This is why I prioritize providing my team with the flexibility to balance work and life challenges, such as childcare and caregiving. By showing that I care about my employees, they are more likely to feel invested in the success of the organization and be more engaged in their work.

Contact Info:

• Website: Omatochi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omatochicare
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OmatochiCare
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deka-dike
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/OmatochiCare
• Other: https://linktr.ee/omatochicare

Image Credit:

Photos wearing pink top by Elisa Cicinelli