Building Billie: Week 1
Hi, I’m TaLona — founder of Billie.
I’m a Big Law litigation attorney with about a decade of experience handling complex financial disputes, including cases involving fraud, credit reporting, and consumer financial issues. I also have a robust pro bono practice representing indigent clients in landlord-tenant disputes, discrimination claims, and other civil matters.
Across both sides of my practice –and even in my own life– I kept seeing the same problem again and again: People have no idea what’s in their background check. When I was preparing for character and fitness for bar admission, I had to track down the disposition of a transit ticket that had turned into a warrant a decade prior. It was incredibly difficult to figure out what was actually on my OWN record – and how to fix it. And I’m a lawyer. If it was that hard for me, I could only imagine what it’s like for everyone else.
And I saw the same thing with my clients. One of my pro bono clients struggled to find housing because of an old eviction dispute on his record . . . something he didn’t even realize was still showing up. That stuck with me because employers, landlords, and lenders are making decisions based on your public records every single day. But most people are completely in the dark about their own background report.
So, I’m building Billie.
Billie is a platform that helps you see what’s in your legal background — the same way Credit Karma lets you check your credit. For FREE. The goal is simple: transparency, control, and giving people a fair shot. And the name ‘Billie’ is personal. It’s named after my mom, who adopted me from foster care and raised dozens of foster children. She was incredibly organized and always kept meticulous records for our family. This is an extension of that — but for everyone.
I’m starting a weekly series called Building Billie to take you along on the journey in real time — the wins, the challenges, everything.
Where we are
We launched the landing page. And in just one week, we already have 81 people on the waitlist. No paid ads. No spam. Just organic interest. That tells me one thing — this problem is real, it’s widespread, and people are actively looking for a solution.
One thing that really stood out to me this week is just how pervasive this issue is. I’ve been deep in research — reading real stories from people dealing with background check errors, forgotten records, rescinded job offers, identity mix-ups, things showing up that shouldn’t be there…
It’s a mess.
So I’m going to start sharing those stories in a new series called The Billie Files— because people need to understand what’s happening out there with public records.
What’s Next
We’re pushing to 500 users on the waitlist!
And I’m going to keep building in public — sharing updates, insights, and bringing you into the process as this grows.
If you want to follow along — or be one of the first to try Billie — JOIN THE WAITLIST here.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok! @getbillieapp
Let’s build this.