welcome remote deputy and founder Max Banjo to the birthright project collective
birthright labs: a 501c3 building in public

big support for small enterprises.

Remote Deputy is a support team powered by human empathy, amplified by artificial intelligence.

We design solutions from the ground up that make it easier for SMEs in Africa and the Americas to start, run, and realize their dreams.

live call · bella styles
maia · support desk
callerHi, are you open today?
maiaYes. We're open until 7pm today.
callerAnd do you deliver to Ikeja?
maiaWe do — delivery is ₦2,500, usually same day if you order before 2pm.
our why
observation 01.

the future is digital. but not for everyone.

over 100 million SMEs in africa, under 10% digital access. unlimited potential, limited access.

1st hypothesis.

another 1% changes a lot.

what could enabling digital enterprise access for +1% of Africa’s SMEs change?

learn more →
the desk team

meet the trio.

choose a desk to preview the workflow.

page desk

when you're ready to be seen online, laila builds your page.

AAJO Healthcare pageKingdom Kids Project pageVeralux Capital pageFani Mora pageRespira page
support desk

when the lines are busy, maia helps you respond.

maia runs the front desk for bella styles — a women's fashion shop in lekki, lagos — answering routine whatsapp and phone questions in your customers' own languages, and handing off to you when a person should step in.

on whatsapp · chat

see a remote deputy conversation

one customer, three languages — pidgin, yorùbá and english — in a single chat.

m
maia
bella styles · assistant
whatsapp
and
on the phone · voice

maia can take routine calls too

live call · bella styles
maia · transcribing live
01 · whatsapp

answers routine questions

maia replies to common whatsapp questions — hours, prices, delivery — in the language a customer writes in.

02 · phone

keeps the front desk moving

she can respond to routine calls and hand off the rest, so fewer questions sit unanswered.

03 · handoff

hands off to a person

anything uncertain, sensitive, or complex is passed to you with the whole thread — so no one repeats themselves.

how it works

you set it up by chatting, too.

the setup · about five minutes

train it with nothing more than your past conversations

m
maia
setting up bella styles
setup
01 · conversational

press the microphone and say what you want to design.

share a few past chats, or simply tell maia your hours, prices and preferences — all in plain language.

02 · handoffs

decide when she brings you in

choose when and how maia hands a conversation over to you — a call to your phone, a whatsapp, or an email.

03 · continuous learning

she keeps getting sharper

the more you and maia talk about your enterprise, the better she serves your customers.

you can train the desk with your enterprise hours · prices · delivery rules · past whatsapp chats · product & service list · handoff preferences · preferred tone and languages.

you stay in control — review, correct, and update the desk as your enterprise changes.

what we're testing
  • will SMEs trust an ai desk that speaks in local language and hands off clearly?
  • can a chat-based setup make enterprise support easier for owners with limited time?
  • does a simple page built from conversation help more customers browse, book, inquire, or come back?
  • which desk do owners need first — support, page, or operator?
  • what should ai answer, and what should always go to a person?
designed for local language

english. nigerian pidgin. yorùbá. igbo. hausa. swahili. zulu. amharic. twi. wolof. lingala. spanish. portuguese. haitian creole. jamaican patois. french. and the everyday mix between them.

remote deputy meets people in the language they reach for first — and in the natural blend of languages a single conversation can hold.

language examples shown are demo content and should be verified with native speakers before launch.

best first pilots
shopssalonsrestaurantscreatorsfashion sellersschoolschurchesnonprofitscommunity programsservice providerscoachescounselors
future · needs guardrails
clinicspharmacieslaw firmsuniversitieslocal government

regulated sectors need explicit disclaimers and human review before any day-one use.

how it stays safe

what the desk handles — and what it hands off.

routine questions

hours, prices, services, products, availability, location, delivery, booking, and basic follow-up.

owner-controlled answers

owners review, correct, and update what the desk says. the desk should reflect the rules, tone, and limits you set.

human handoff

sensitive, uncertain, complex, medical, legal, financial, or urgent issues go to a person.

pilot status

this is a first-hypothesis pilot. demos are illustrative; final workflows depend on partner needs, channels, and safeguards.

join the pilot

tell us where a desk like this belongs.

we're opening a small, bounded pilot. share a little about your enterprise — it shapes what we build next. you can apply for yourself, refer an enterprise, or explore partnership.

current testing locations: west africa · ongoing
east africa · begins september 15, 2026

add a few more details (optional)

only your email is required.

contact us
first hypothesis

SMEs do not need more software to manage. they need useful support where the work already happens — helping them answer, show up, and make the next move in the language their customers already use.