Munich Startup: What career path have you had so far?
Rosaria Di Donna: I started gaining professional experience at the age of 16 in my parents’ family business. My degree in business administration took me to the University of Mannheim, Università Bocconi, and Copenhagen Business School, where I focused particularly on strategic management and controlling. I successfully completed my studies in 2012 and was among the top 10 percent of my cohort. During this time, I had the opportunity to gain valuable international experience in cities such as Milan, Paris, Madrid, Copenhagen, and Singapore.
My professional journey took me to renowned companies such as Bosch, Porsche, and Microsoft, where I held various leadership positions. My focus was on consulting, sales, market entry strategies, as well as partner and product management.
In 2024, together with my co-founders Mousa Abdelmaksoud (CTO) and Ariane Vogel (CPO), the idea for Familymind AI was born. A year later, in 2025, we finally founded the company.
Rosaria Di Donna: “For me, founding is a mission”
Munich Startup: What motivated you to start a company?
Rosaria Di Donna: As a mother, I have personally experienced how challenging it can be to balance family and career. At the same time, through conversations with friends and family members, I have repeatedly sensed that mental load – the invisible burden of organizing everyday life – predominantly affects women.
Founding at 39, and while expecting our second child, may sound bold to some. For me, it simply feels right. Familymind AI was born from a desire not only to relieve families but also to bring equality into everyday life. For me, founding is not just a professional decision – it is a mission with social impact.
We use cutting-edge artificial intelligence to relieve families in their daily lives. AI is often described as a technological revolution, but it must also be made accessible in a family context. Parents in particular – and especially mothers – benefit enormously from this transformation. AI can help make invisible mental load visible, intelligently distribute tasks, and reduce stress.
With Familymind AI, we offer a solution that not only organizes but also shares responsibility. Parents should have a fair chance to balance their professional and family goals. My goal is not only to make life easier for individual families but also to change society’s perception of families and care work in the long term.
A strong support system
Munich Startup: What would you have liked to know before your first founding?
Rosaria Di Donna: That a strong support system is everything. I am incredibly grateful for the support of my family, my partner, my friends, and my network – without them it would not be possible. However, I would have wished to know earlier that not everything has to be perfect to get started, that you are never “ready enough,” that I can trust myself and my abilities to take this path. The best ideas often emerge right in the middle of life.
Munich Startup: How has your company been funded so far?
Rosaria Di Donna: Familymind AI is financed and supported through public funding programs such as the Exist startup grant from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Research and Climate, Social Impact Republic, and the UnternehmerTUM network. These programs give us access to a great network and mentors. In parallel, we are working to become profitable and independent early on, as well as to win strategic investors who support our mission not only financially but especially in the long term substantively.
Munich Startup: When and where do you get your best ideas?
Rosaria Di Donna: Definitely while moving in nature – whether on a walk, cycling, or while watching my child at the playground. Children have an incredibly inspiring view of the world, and they often bring me new ideas. And these ideas are usually much simpler and less complex, and therefore incredibly powerful.
Munich Startup: What are your 3 favorite work tools?
Rosaria Di Donna: Miro – for clear visualizations and team collaboration. Teams – for quick, effective communication and knowledge sharing. Headset and noise-canceling features – no matter where I am or who I’m speaking to online, I’m professional and can fully concentrate on the conversation.
Munich Startup: Your top tip on “pitching”?
Rosaria Di Donna: Authenticity is the key. People invest not (only) in ideas, but in the people behind them. Tell your story – honestly, emotionally, and with passion.
“Now is the moment to show that innovation thrives on diversity”
Munich Startup: Does it seem like a good time to found a company right now? Why?
Rosaria Di Donna: Yes, absolutely. The challenges families face – whether mental burden, time management, or equality – are more current than ever. It is the perfect time to make a real difference with a social innovation like Familymind AI. Especially for women in tech, now is the moment to be bold and show that innovation thrives on diversity.
Munich Startup: What technology or industry would you focus on with your next founding?
Rosaria Di Donna: Definitely a combination of technology and social impact again. AI has the potential not only to create efficiency but also to bring about real societal change. I would continue to focus on issues that improve our society.
Munich Startup: What could be improved at the Munich startup location in your view?
Rosaria Di Donna: Munich offers great networks and funding opportunities, but we need more visibility for female founders. Childcare options in coworking spaces would also be a game-changer for parents. It should be normal for mothers to be on stage – pregnant, with small children, or without. We need more such images on social networks. Role models are the key to giving founders courage.
Karma hits hard
Munich Startup: Which founder would you like to meet in person? And what would you ask them?
Rosaria Di Donna: I would like to meet Zuckerberg, Musk, Bezos & Co. and ask them the following: “Why are you only shaping the future for half of the world’s population? Don’t you believe that a diverse, inclusive, and above all unbiased tech landscape benefits everyone?” Then I would give them three words to take with them: “Karma hits hard.”
I am convinced that nothing and no one can stop women or minorities in tech. We are taking our place – not because it is given to us, but because we are creating it and society urgently needs it.
