Getting To Know Allia Mohamed
Next month, on December 7th, we’re holding our annual “Women’s Demo Night” where we highlight some incredible female founders and entrepreneurs, their companies and tech! One of the founders we are highlighting is Allia Mohamed. Allia is the co-founder and CEO of openigloo, a website and app that connects renters with highly-rated landlords. Based in Brooklyn, Allia is on a mission to bring transparency to rental markets and support tenants throughout their housing journey. She brings a decade of experience working in finance, venture capital, and consulting. She also holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University.
We cannot wait for you to hear from her at our Women’s Founders Night and hope you enjoy getting to know about her and openigloo!
NYTA: Tell us about a typical day
AM: My day starts by checking my phone — since I have colleagues in different timezones, I immediately want to catch up on notes from them. My commute is just a 20 minute walk, so I use that time to listen to a podcast and grab myself a coffee. My day is usually a mix of sales, marketing, and product. Because of the work we do at openigloo, I’ll spend time talking to renters, owners, and other real-estate stakeholders to gain insights on how to further shape our product and messaging. I’ll talk to users, respond to customer support requests, and use our product (a lot!).
NYTA: What’s the best part about your job?
AM: The best part of my job is receiving feedback from our users (good or bad). It’s a great feeling when someone takes time out of their day to share their thoughts on what you’ve built. The positive feedback is great encouragement for our team that we’re on the right track, and any negative feedback gives us the opportunity to improve and build the best product we can for those who need it.
NYTA: What’s one of your favorite failures (a lesson you learned the hard way but ended up being super valuable)?
AM: Failure is definitely an emotion I’ve had to get comfortable with. During my previous roles working in finance and banking, making mistakes wasn’t really something that was celebrated. A lesson I’ve learned is that “failing” is a prerequisite to building something great. I’ve launched an imperfect product, made a wrong hire, and heard passes from investors and these failures are all important building blocks to building a great company.
NYTA: What was the first piece of technology that had an impact on your life?
AM: This is a tough one. My earliest memories of “technology” were probably my Gameboy, CD burner, and Tamagachi. These were the cool gadgets of my childhood that I absolutely loved and I’m sure they had some subconscious impact on how I engage with technology now. I used to burn CDs and print labels that I designed on my family’s desktop. Then I’d sell them at school and It was a good business, until mp3 players got popular. I never successfully pivoted!
NYTA: What was the first concert you ever went to?
AM: Simple Plan! I am still a huge fan. I actually had tickets to see them in NYC summer 2020. It was cancelled obviously, so I’m eagerly waiting for them to announce the rescheduled dates.
NYTA: Favorite movie?
AM: Mulan. The original animated version, not the live-action one! I’ve seen it countless times. I’m a big fan of the music!
About openigloo
Openigloo is the most powerful application for renters in NYC — a website and app that connects renters with highly-rated landlords. Through the platform, users can search for an address, read & anonymously share rental experiences, and access real-time city data on your buildings and landlords (such as open violations, bedbug complaints, litigation history, and more). You can follow openigloo on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, or download the app from the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
About New York Tech Alliance
The mission of the NY Tech Alliance is to represent, inspire, support, and help lead the New York technology community and ecosystem to create a better future for all. Founded in 2016 with the merger of NY Tech Meetup and the New York Technology Council, the organization has over 60,000 individual and institutional members, reflecting the full spectrum of the greater New York area tech community and making it the largest tech organization in the region. Led by Executive Director Andy Saldaña with Acting Chair Thatcher Bell, the NY Tech Alliance continues the work of its predecessor organizations, hosts a monthly Meetup as well as educational and social events, and continues to focus programming and advocacy efforts on issues important to the technology sector and New York.
