We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Reiko Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Reiko, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

My business began as a dream. A local reporter interviewed me about the success of my company in the dream. When I awoke, I wrote down the details of the dream in a notebook and forgot about it. Days later, I attempted to purchase tickets for a local symphony concert. The tickets were only sold in pairs. I didn’t want to take a girlfriend, but I also didn’t want the pressures of a romantic date. I wanted to attend with someone who would enjoy the concert and not feel dragged along. I was looking for someone to go who was genuinely interested in the event. I also found it absurd that I would possibly have to buy two tickets, only to use one. Eventually, I gave up on attending the concert and thought there should be a solution for people like me seeking a person for events. That led me to create Buddy Pass, an app for people seeking others for events and activities. It’s a simple solution to a common problem. We all have things we want to do; but don’t always have someone to go with. Even though we live in a time where most people have over 600 social media connections in the virtual world, we are less connected than ever in the real world. We’ve all been there: You want to go to a concert but don’t have anyone to go with. Or maybe you want to see an art exhibit or try out a new restaurant—but you don’t know anybody who wants to do the same thing as you.
Buddy Pass is here to help solve that problem by connecting you with people looking for the same event or activity as you. This app is for people who are new in town, too busy to find a friend to attend, or just plain shy. It’s the perfect tool to help you get out and have fun with other people!
We are so excited about the applications that Buddy Pass has to offer. While we are currently defined as a dating app, Buddy Pass is much more than that. We will become the ultimate social planning tool for everyone. If there is any occurrence where people will gather, Buddy Pass will be there to guide our users to a successful turnout. We will make them happen for all of the parties, campaign launches, product demos, and, yes… dates. We will be handy for introverts, extroverts, and ambiverts in between. With the launch of Buddy Pass, there will be no reason to go alone unless you choose to do so.

Reiko, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Every past job, volunteer position, and experience has led me to this moment. I have spent my career in multiple areas and levels of the retail and hospitality industries, honing my skill set. Each position building on the last to allow me to excel. Over that time, I have been most proud of my management style and customer service standards. I have always considered the service I provided from the customer’s viewpoint. I must deliver the service that I would want to receive. With Buddy Pass, I see myself as the user, so I want to build a service I would use. The experience that we provide the user is my ultimate performance indicator. I want Buddy Pass to be a service people will love and insist on using. I follow the adage that you may forget what a person says but never forget how they made you feel.
That level of empathy is what will lead our service. I have led by example in the past and will build a company that values our users the same. My goal is to solve the problem for our users and make them feel better than they did before using our app. I am looking forward to building a service that is the best in class for our users. We will be so unique that there will be a NEW class that starts with Buddy Pass.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The most important boulder I had to remove from my path is that the tech industry is only open to tech people. I am considered a non-tech founder. That’s just a label. It does NOT mean that I am incapable. In fact, it’s the opposite. Being a non-tech founder is my superpower. I’m not limited by stereotypical expectations that people have of tech founders. I don’t eat and breathe coding. I’m a visionary with a real solution to a real-world problem. However, I didn’t arrive at that belief overnight. I was quite intimidated by the people in the room of startup events. I began to study everything I could get my hands on surrounding the startup path. I developed my pitch and business until I felt confident enough to apply for an accelerator. I pitched to digitalundivided’s START Atlanta cohort and landed a spot. There, I built my business model canvas and continued to develop. Among the cohort’s talented women, I realized that my “why” and solution would propel my business forward.
Fast forward through another accelerator, and many pitches later, I realized I AM A TECH FOUNDER (who doesn’t code)! As with anything I have ever set out to accomplish, I learn everything I can. If I don’t know something, I find people who do. You don’t have to know everything yourself. Build the most outstanding team of superheroes to help you.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I am not the typical anything. However, society sometimes labels people to limit or deter progress. There are so many boxes that I can check on a form, but those boxes don’t define me as a person. I refuse to buy into anyone’s preconceived notions about my capability based on stereotypes. I am a 50-year-old, Black, divorced, middle-class woman from Atlanta with two children (one is in college, and the other is about to be) who has dared to start a tech company. I am a woman constantly reminded by the media of statistics of why she is chasing windmills and will never be a unicorn. But they don’t know ME.
I have a brain (it’s pretty big), two hands, two legs, two feet, a soul, and a heart big enough to overcome anything. I am only limited by what I think of myself, and it is my resilience and determination that chart my path through this universe. Your beliefs about your abilities are the only boxes that matter and don’t let anyone ever tell you different

Contact Info:

• Website: https://buddypassgo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mybuddypass
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mybuddypass
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mybuddypass
• Other: Email: [email protected] BuddyPass Waitlist: buddypassgo.com