Kelise Williams arrived in Canada five years ago, and used her experience as an immigrant to create UpRow. The app is a one-stop shop for all kinds of services and resources that newcomers might need
The UpRow app is a one-stop settlement service, connecting newcomers with verified resources to help smooth out the process of coming to Canada. When Kelise Williams and her two small children arrived in Calgary from Trinidad and Tobago, she didn't expect their first night to go the way it did.of arriving with her family five years ago. "We basically spent our first night here in the lobby of a hotel.
When she volunteered with agencies in Alberta, like the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society and the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, she saw a bigger problem. The service started as a website, and UpRow officially launched on the Apple Store in March 2023. In 2024, Williams received $100,000 from the Edmonton Edge Fund.
They became friends and Jacob-Rambharose did some testing and quality control before UpRow officially launched. She then used it for housing support, financial help and to set up utilities in their newly-purchased home. "We're solving a bigger problem which is the loneliness that newcomers feel," said Williams. "We are creating a community around the concept of immigrants helping immigrants."The app is expanding to better address barriers like language. In the coming weeks they will launch a tool that will allow newcomers to access the app in their chosen language, in addition to their language tutoring program which offers French and English support.
She's eager to share the app with other innovators and ensure newcomers don't end up in a hotel lobby on their first night in a new place.
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