React Native Developer

🚀 Volunteer: React Native Developer

Emotional Support AI App —— ROOTEDROOTED is a mental health tech product built for meaningful, real-time emotional support. At the heart of ROOTED is RuMa(Running Mammals) – our custom-built conversational AI powered by DeepSeek, designed to understand, reflect, and respond to human emotions with empathy and insight.

Our web version is live, and now we’re building the mobile app (React Native, iOS-first). We’re looking for a mission-driven React Native Developer to join us as a volunteer and co-create a tool that genuinely helps people feel seen and supported.

Learn more about us at: https://www.runningmammals.uk/

🧠 About the Project

ROOTED is a cross-platform emotional support app designed to accompany users through everyday emotional challenges. At its heart is RuMa — our conversational AI that blends cutting-edge language models, emotional data visualisation, and real-time chat technology to provide subtle, culturally sensitive mental health support.

ROOTED combines AI-powered conversations, emotion insights, and community interaction to help users feel seen, understood, and grounded. Built by a cross-disciplinary team of technologists, designers, and psychologists, ROOTED is more than just an app — it’s a companion.

Our web version is live — now it’s time to bring this experience to mobile.

💼 Your Role

As a volunteer React Native Developer, you'll:

• Architect and build the mobile app from scratch, focusing first on iOS
• Develop a real-time chat UI integrated with WebSocket
• Implement RESTful API integration (auth, emotion data, chat history)
• Build shared state management aligned with our Zustand + TypeScript web system
• Collaborate with design and AI teams to deliver emotionally aware UI/UX
• Optimise performance and ensure cross-platform compatibility

🛠️ Tech Stack

• React Native (TypeScript)
• Zustand / Redux Toolkit / MobX
• Socket.io-client, REST APIs (Axios)
• iOS (APNs, native modules), Android compatibility
• Backend: Node.js + Express + Prisma + MySQL + Redis

🙌 Bonus Points If You:

• Have 3+ years of React Native experience
• Have built chat apps or mental health tools
• Are familiar with push notifications, CodePush, or mobile performance tuning
• Love solving tough problems and working with early-stage teams

💡 Special Note: An Honest Word About Startups

We’re a small but ambitious early-stage team. Joining us means:

✅ You’ll gain:

• Fast-track growth and full ownership of your work
• A real say in product and tech direction
• Flexible work hours and a remote-friendly culture
• The chance to build something that genuinely helps people

⚠️ You’ll also need to be okay with:

• Sharing in the entrepreneurial risk
• Wearing multiple hats and working with limited resources
• A sometimes intense pace — we’re building something meaningful, fast

If you're someone with vision, technical passion, and a founder mindset, RuMa is a rare opportunity to shape a socially impactful tech product from the ground up.

👣 We’re looking for people who care about both code and compassion.

Interested? Message us directly or email zhenni@runningmammals.uk. Let’s talk.