This blog post was co-authored by Ana Maria Ramirez, co-founder of Euki, and Caitlin Gerdts, Vice President for Research at Ibis Reproductive Health and Board Chair of Euki.
Today, Euki celebrates its first anniversary as an independent 501(c)(3) organization. What began as a small research project at Ibis Reproductive Health in 2017, has transformed into something we never could have fully envisioned: a thriving nonprofit that’s redefining what it means to build technology with, and for, communities facing the greatest risks to their reproductive autonomy.
A Different Vision of Tech
In an era when “free” apps come with the hidden cost of surrendering our most personal data, the Euki app stands as proof that another path is possible. Our privacy-focused period tracker challenges the fundamental assumption that drives Big Tech: that useful, accessible technology requires users to pay with their personal information.
For us at Euki, our values are not theoretical, they are grounded in the realities of our users’ lives. When period data can be subpoenaed in abortion prosecutions, when browsing histories become evidence in court cases, when simply searching for reproductive health information can put someone at risk, privacy isn’t a luxury–it is a right, and the standard we must all demand.
Technology as Resistance
Under an administration that has declared war on reproductive rights, gender-affirming care, and the communities Euki app users are part of, our work has taken on an urgency for people and communities across the US. Every day, we see new attacks on abortion access, on access to gender-affirming care, and on the rights of transgender and gender-expansive individuals to exist authentically. But we all must remember that for many people–including Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, immigrant communities, poor communities, LGBTQ+ folks, and others who are disproportionately surveilled by the state and have been forced to navigate systemic barriers to reproductive care since this country’s founding, this is not new. It is because of this that the lived experiences of our users must drive the design and process of the products we build.
In our current context, the Euki app isn’t just an app — it’s an act of resistance. We’re creating digital sanctuary spaces where people can track their cycles and access medically accurate information about abortion, contraception, sexuality, and sexual health — all while maintaining complete control over their personal data.
From Idea to Impact
Now Euki’s Co-Executive Director, Ana Maria Ramirez started working on the Euki app in 2017 when researchers at Ibis Reproductive Health identified the urgent need for an inclusive, secure app that centered communities whose experience was not included in existing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) tracking options. The Euki app was developed to fill that urgent gap as an affirming, comprehensive, and most importantly, private SRH tracking product. Ana’s vision for Euki as an independent non-profit extends far beyond technology. She understands that the long fight for reproductive justice as envisioned by black women and leaders more than 40 years ago requires working across our movements to ensure our collective liberation, and in doing so, challenging the power structures that commodify our most personal data. Euki is proof that we can build sophisticated, user-friendly reproductive health technology together with the people who use it and give them the power to decide what the app can do for them. And we can do all of that without exploiting peoples’ personal data–data that belongs to them and that only they need to know about.
The Personal Stakes
“Deciding to launch Euki as its own organization was a bit terrifying. I never imagined starting something myself, nor did I really have a desire to”. -Ana Maria Ramirez
Despite any apprehension or fear of the unknown, Ana had a clear vision of Euki as far more than just an app. It was the process of shifting power while designing technology with the people and communities it is meant to serve (often overlooked by Big Tech) that was the real mission of Euki from its beginnings. Ana also had a vision of Euki’s User Advisory Team program as both a paradigm shift to pave the way for much-needed change in the larger tech ecosystem and a way to build capacity for a future workforce among people often underrepresented in tech. Finally, Ana’s partnership with long-time friend and Euki Co-Founder, Melinh Rozen, was the perfect match to bring this vision to reality. One year into this work, the vision and mission have never felt more critical as the voices of people that Euki prioritizes are being silenced and isolated, and the tech industry has become increasingly compliant with a political agenda that jeopardizes the safety of communities that Euki serves.
Building the Future We Need
As we mark this anniversary, we are not just celebrating the journey we have traveled over the last year — we are recommitting to the fight ahead. The attacks on reproductive autonomy, on public health, on free speech, and science itself, are becoming more insidious by the day. The surveillance of our digital lives grows more invasive, and the criminalization of reproductive outcomes that are deemed unacceptable by the state, especially among already over-policed and over-surveilled communities, will only continue to intensify.
This past year has shown us both the critical need for our work, and the possibility of what we can achieve when we refuse to compromise on our values. As Euki enters its second year, we are committed to expanding our reach, deepening our impact, and strengthening our relationships with our users and their communities, especially in states where people face some of the greatest attacks on information and access.
We see every person who downloads the Euki app, every individual who finds the information they need through privacy of the app’s platform, every individual who finds abortion care and support, as a symbol of resistance against systems designed to surveil and control.
Our collective fight for liberation and bodily autonomy is far from over. But at Euki, we are working each day to ensure that no one has to fight that fight without the tools, information, and privacy they deserve.