Kendra Okereke founded a dating app for people who want to wait to have sex

Love, Ruth is your one-stop shop to find, maintain and get help through all aspects of a relationship. Right now, we are a dating app for people who want to wait to have sex. When we expand we’ll have events where people can meet off the app like Love, Ruth hikes, Love, Ruth at the museum, Love, Ruth painting classes. We’ll help people with gift ideas, date ideas, and people can search for proposal coordinators, wedding planners, couples therapist and marriage counselors that are specifically catered to their needs. We’re about fostering relationships from beginning to end.

What motivated you to become an entrepreneur? Is having your own business something you always wanted to have?

I never knew it was being an entrepreneur as a child when I always had ideas to create my own businesses. I just never liked the idea of working for someone or not creating something that I can put my own personal stamp on. My father is an entrepreneur. He’s a Nigerian immigrant who came to America with absolutely nothing. He built his own janitorial company from the ground up, so I was used to seeing hard work growing up. I’ve always wanted to have my own business because I like the idea of creating and owning something that helps people. That’s how I’d like to leave my mark.

How did you come up with your business idea? What inspired you?

I started Love, Ruth because I grew frustrated with the lack of dating in my life. I would often meet men and tell them the things I’m passionate about while showing my glowing personality. It was disheartening when after all of this, I was still put into a stereotypical box because of the fact that I want to wait. I don’t want others to feel alone or ostracized. Everyone deserves to love and feel that crazy kind of love that sets their hearts ablaze, no matter what. I wanted to create a space where people don’t have to be judged based off their sexual experiences or feel the pressures to have sex right away, they can move forward and genuinely get to know someone.

What are your short/long term goals?

My short term goal is to have another successful Love, Ruth Date Night. It’s a singles event I put on for people who identify with the demographic. Long term is to build a love empire and use it to heal the world. Love transcends through any religion, gender, ethnicity or age and we need to spread more of it.

What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?

I’ve had to sacrifice privacy. I know in order for Love, Ruth to be successful, I need to be transparent and vulnerability is a friendly neighbor to transparency. I decided to tell the world that I’m still a virgin who wants to wait, something I’ve never told anyone outside of my friend group. Wanting to wait is a conversation we need to evoke in society and I needed to let my guard down in order to start it.

What is your greatest fear? How do you manage it?

My greatest fear is being alone. I live a beautiful and fulfilling life and it’s more than I could ever ask for, but it won’t hold meaning if I don’t have someone to share these experiences with. The thought of helping others find their forever person helps manage it though.  I’ll always feel the love between two people that I help find each other no matter what.

What is one thing you find to be true that most people would disagree with?

I’ve always believed in the notion of “what you feed, grows”. What you tell yourself will manifest itself. If you tell yourself something is going to be hard and truly believe it, it’s going to be hard. It’s the mind that we must be cognizant of in order to change. Heart and faith will always equal success.