By: UFIRST Production

In an era where technology has transformed every facet of daily life, from transportation to healthcare, one life-altering experience has remained painfully analog and emotionally draining: divorce. Anna Naidis, an experienced product manager and tech innovator, is trying to change that. At its core, Aparti, a San Francisco based startup, is about making divorce more human—through thoughtful design and empathetic AI that bring clarity, dignity, and peace to a painful process.

From Product Leader to Tech Founder

Anna Naidis is well-versed in the tech world. Over the past 15+ years, she has built a reputation as a skilled product leader, working with companies like EasyPost and Thomson Reuters. She also participated in the Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) program with Antler, a global startup incubator and early-stage VC. Her background blends strategic thinking, empathy for users, and a determination to simplify complex processes. These qualities have helped pave the way for her transition into entrepreneurship with Aparti.

Anna’s move from product executive to founder was both a professional advancement and a deeply personal one. Her own experience with divorce, combined with witnessing the challenges faced by friends and family, led her to explore how technology could make the entire process less distressing.

The Problem: Divorce is Broken

The traditional divorce process is often slow, expensive, and adversarial. Legal fees can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars, timelines can stretch for months or even years, and the emotional toll is often significant, especially when children are involved. In the U.S. alone, over 600,000 divorces take place annually, with many couples lacking sufficient access to legal assistance or resources that could streamline the process.

While industries like fintech and health tech have flourished, legal tech, particularly in family law, has been relatively slow to develop. Aparti is actively collaborating with family law firms and mediators to simplify workflows through AI-driven automation and client-friendly tools. The team is currently onboarding design partners across multiple states to co-develop features that enhance efficiency and improve the overall client experience.

Enter Aparti: Tech with Heart and AI

Aparti is not just another legal tech tool. It’s a thoughtfully designed, AI-powered platform aimed specifically at couples experiencing separation or when divorce may be the most suitable option. Aparti offers couples support to navigate this challenging process with the goal of reducing emotional strain, enhancing clarity, and providing a potential path toward closure—through thoughtful AI automation.

The platform offers users a structured process for navigating their separation, which includes:

• Automated document generation: Legal paperwork can be overwhelming. Aparti helps couples generate legally sound divorce documents with ease.
• Step-by-step separation roadmap: The app breaks the divorce process into manageable stages, reducing confusion and anxiety.
• Built-in negotiation tools: Aparti helps couples reach mutual agreements on property division, custody, and financial arrangements with clear prompts and decision trees.
• Emotional support resources: Aparti acknowledges the emotional toll of divorce and integrates mental wellness content and access to community support.
  

Why Now?

Anna’s timing is likely strategically aligned with current trends. The post-pandemic world has seen a surge in online legal services, with many courts now accepting e-filed documents and virtual hearings becoming more common. At the same time, users are more open than ever to resolving personal matters through digital platforms, as seen in the rising sectors of teletherapy and online mediation.

Moreover, the social stigma around divorce is gradually diminishing, replaced by a growing understanding that separation doesn’t have to be an adversarial battle. With the correct tools, it can be a collaborative transition—one that fosters respect rather than conflict.

The Vision Ahead

While Aparti is still in its early stages, the vision remains bold. Anna plans to expand the platform beyond the U.S. and adapt it to international legal systems. Upcoming product development will include features such as integrated division of assets, lawyer consultations, therapy sessions, mediation scheduling, and financial planning tools specifically designed for separated couples.

Anna also views Aparti as a broader initiative—a call to rethink how society handles one of life’s most challenging transitions. “We’ve digitized so much of modern life, but we’ve left behind some of the most emotionally loaded experiences,” she shared in a recent interview. “I want to change that. Divorce doesn’t have to break you. With the right tools, it can even empower you.”

A Founder Who Leads with Empathy

What sets Anna apart is not only her technical expertise but also her genuine human-centered approach to problem-solving. Her Instagram posts show her passion for mentoring, product leadership, and building inclusive technology. She speaks openly about the challenges of founding a startup, the realities of divorce, and the importance of community. Her desire to build products for diverse customers was influenced by her childhood experiences, where she observed a lack of empathy and a lack of openness around taboo topics.

In a tech world often focused on growth and profit, Anna Naidis serves as a reminder that innovation can—and should—originate from a place of compassion.

Published by Joseph T.