Mauni: “This Wasn’t Just About Switching Comms Platforms. It Was A Commitment To Our Purpose”

We spoke to Paula Perkusic (Co-Founder & CEO) and David Collins (CSR & CSI Executive Director) at Mauni to understand why they chose to switch from Meta’s Workplace to Speakap - and why this shift was actually about more than just software.

About Mauni

• Industry: Healthcare & Nonprofit
• Locations: The Netherlands, UK, Ireland, South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Croatia, Italy, Australia
• Number of users: 180

Driven by a clear mission and vision

Mauni is dedicated to helping individuals reclaim their purpose and build fulfilling lives. Through compassionate mental health care and systemic addiction treatment, they empower both individuals and communities to heal, grow, and thrive.

Mauni’s vision for the future is clear: A world where mental health and addiction support is accessible, innovative, and truly transformative — creating lasting impact for generations to come.

The Challenge: as their organization expanded and Workplace’s shutdown loomed, the cracks started to show

I arrived during the Workplace period—and landed in total chaos. Paula Perkusic Co-Founder & CEO at Mauni

Mauni used Meta’s Workplace for over a decade. It was familiar and worked—until it didn’t. As their network expanded and Workplace’s shutdown loomed, the cracks started to show:

• Too many groups, too little structure – The platform became chaotic, and employees felt overwhelmed. “People created groups left and right—it got messy, fast. We needed something structured, not another free-for-all”, says David.
• Brand distrust slowed adoption – The Facebook name came with baggage, especially around privacy. David emphasizes this: “there was a real distrust—concerns around data privacy, assumptions that ‘Facebook knows all my info.’ It was a pain to explain.”
• Split chat functionality created friction – With Workplace, separate apps for chat and posts were needed, this made communication clunky. David even mentions that people often didn’t even use the chat as it created too much friction. “There was no clear messaging. Everything was scattered, and the communication had less impact” adds Paula.
• Data privacy concerns became blockers – Especially critical for a healthcare organization expanding in the EU. “Honestly, it wasn’t meeting our needs anymore. We couldn’t scale, and we definitely couldn’t expand into first-world markets with something that didn’t meet compliance standards” adds David.
• Engagement dropped – People felt confused and disengaged, making it harder to align teams. “People didn’t know where to start, so they stopped engaging”, says David.
• Looming Workplace shutdown posed serious risk – Without a reliable alternative, Mauni risked losing connection across countries, departments, and care environments.

Without a reliable alternative, Mauni risked losing connection across countries, departments, and treatment centers—undermining their expansion plans in the EU and their ability to deliver care.

Choosing a solution: more than just replacing a platform

When Mauni started looking for a new communication platform, they weren’t just searching for a tool. As a nonprofit, Mauni needed a platform that could support their mission of making mental health care more accessible, innovative, and resilient — not just today, but for the long term. It wasn’t just about features, it was about finding a partner who shared their vision.

As David Collins, CSR & CSI Executive Director at Mauni, put it:

As a public benefit organization, we're not a commercial operation. We're there to serve the public. We needed a platform that matched our mission — not just our budget.

Solution: Mauni chose Speakap as the backbone for their next chapter

For organizations like Mauni operating in healthcare and nonprofit environments, clear, secure communication is mission-critical.

From the first conversations, Mauni could feel that Speakap wasn’t just offering technology — they were offering shared values, mutual trust, and a genuine commitment to helping people thrive.

With their mission front and center, Mauni chose Speakap to build the foundation for their next chapter. 

As Paula Perkusic, Co-Founder & CEO at Mauni, explains:

Everyone we spoke to from Speakap, were really showing up for us. I could feel the passion. I could feel the commitment to the mission — not just selling something. And that made all the difference for us.

Why Speakap?

Speakap doesn’t just tick boxes for Mauni. It fits the way they work — and more importantly, the way they want to grow. Speakap offers a human-centered employee experience platform that can scale with their expanding ecosystem across continents.

Our goal is to build a virtual ecosystem of professionals to address mental health issues. We needed a platform that could scale with us — one that meets first-world standards for governance, compliance, and care. David Collins CSR & CSI Executive Director at Mauni

With mobile-first design, nonprofit-friendly pricing, and flexible customization, Speakap gave Mauni the structure and freedom they needed. But beyond that, it gave them a partner who believes in their purpose.

Together, Mauni and Speakap are proving that when purpose and technology align, the impact can be transformative — for organizations, for communities, and for every individual they serve.

Migration process from Workplace by Meta: thoughtful, phased, and led from within

With David Collins at the helm—a tech-savvy leader with hands-on experience—the rollout was strategic:

• Step 1: Build the structure and test it with a small group
• Step 2: Use short video tutorials for onboarding
• Step 3: Scale group by group, with leadership advocacy
• Step 4: Replace Workplace entirely and commit to the new platform

The team prioritized simplicity and adoption. 

Results: structure, clarity, and compliance

Communication became more centered and clearer. Posts, updates—whatever we shared—were easier to follow and had more impact. That led to better engagement, on both sides. Paula Perkusic Co-Founder & CEO at Mauni

When Mauni switched to Speakap, they didn’t just replace a tool—they solved real problems that had been holding them back:

• Structured navigation replaced chaos – Clear menus and group setup made it easy for people to find what they needed.
• Adoption came naturally – The intuitive interface and custom branding made it feel like “theirs” from day one.
• Messaging and chat in one place – No more switching between apps—real-time coordination just worked. Paula says: “it’s clean, centralized, and lets us coordinate patient care in real time—which is critical in healthcare”.
• GDPR-ready and healthcare-safe – Built-in privacy controls gave peace of mind for sensitive communication. Paula says that “the clarity around security and privacy certifications is a massive plus”, which she emphasizes is precisely what lets Mauni confidently handle case management communication on the platform.
• Engagement went up – Simpler UX and clearer communication drove real participation.
• A stable, scalable platform – Speakap gave Mauni a reliable foundation to connect their ecosystem and grow across the EU.

This was bigger than tech. This was about purpose, people, and a better future

For Mauni, choosing Speakap wasn’t just about finding a new platform. It was about finding a partner who shares their mission: creating a world where communication drives connection, healing, and real impact.

• Both Mauni and Speakap believe that technology should serve people — not the other way around.
• Both are built on the belief that stronger communities start with better communication. 
• Both are driven by a vision of making purpose-driven work accessible, inclusive, and transformative.

By choosing Speakap, Mauni didn’t just solve an operational challenge — they strengthened the foundation for their future. A future where every message builds trust, every connection fuels resilience, and every community — no matter where it starts — can thrive.

Because when missions align, technology becomes more than a tool. It becomes a catalyst for change. And for Mauni and Speakap, that’s exactly the future we’re building — together.

Thinking about Speakap for your organization?

If Speakap can help Mauni build a global mental health ecosystem — connecting people, protecting communities, and scaling their mission — imagine what it could do for your organization.

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