PALO ALTO – Luna, a well-being app for teenage girls, and Untapped Solutions, a platform for formerly incarcerated workers, are redefining startup marketing with unconventional go-to-market strategies. Founders Jas Schembri-Stothart and Andre Peart shared their insights on the latest episode of TechCrunch’s podcast, Build Mode, highlighting how targeting niche audiences requires creativity, persistence, and hands-on engagement.
Luna: Engaging Teen Girls Beyond Social Media
Luna co-founder Jas Schembri-Stothart explained that reaching teen girls was challenging because the founders themselves were no longer in that demographic. To gather authentic feedback, Luna’s team toured U.K. schools, engaging students directly. These interactions not only provided insights for product development but also recruited a network of student brand ambassadors.
The ambassadors helped promote the app and created content for social media. Luna also activated marketing at events where teen audiences naturally congregate, including Taylor Swift concerts. These efforts allowed Luna to bypass traditional social ads while connecting meaningfully with their target market.
“We basically got grilled by students, but that feedback became the foundation for our go-to-market strategy,” Schembri-Stothart said.
Untapped Solutions: Accessing Formerly Incarcerated Workers
Untapped Solutions founder Andre Peart faced a different challenge: making the platform accessible to individuals in correctional settings. The platform acts as a “LinkedIn for the formerly incarcerated,” helping users find employment after release.
Peart focused on speaking engagements, partnerships with reentry organizations, and launching the National Reentry Coalition. These efforts ensured the platform was integrated into tablet systems used in prisons, allowing employees to access Untapped immediately upon release.
“We’re in almost every prison system. If you’re on a tablet, you already have Untapped,” Peart said.
Guerrilla Tactics and Lessons for Startups
Both Luna and Untapped Solutions demonstrate that innovative, nontraditional marketing can succeed in highly specific markets. From school tours and live events to institutional partnerships, startup founders can achieve meaningful engagement without relying solely on digital advertising.
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