Last week, a startup called VINA launched a beta app for testing called Hey! Vina. Essentially, the app was developed as a Tinder-style program for women to meet other women in their local area with common interests and expand their social circle. The creators, friends Olivia June Poole and Jen Aprahamian, say they designed the app as a way for them to meet new girlfriends while they worked and travelled. Additionally, the women cited the tech industry as being male-dominated, making it difficult for them to meet girlfriends at work, and also noted their social circles began shrinking as their friends got married and had children.
In an interview for techcrunch.com, Poole says the app grew from a networking group that she formed for women in San Francisco. The meetings grew to over 100 women in attendance.
When you begin using the app, you are asked to fill out a short personality quiz to help guide your matches, much like Tinder. Then, you receive weekly Buzzfeed-style quizzes to help target your specific personality type and find your best matches.
Many have criticized the app as a sort of social crutch. Our generation is already criticized for its dependence on technology and subsequent difficulty with social interaction. However, Poole says the app is useful for women who frequently travel or move and are looking to start their own friend circles in their areas.
Currently, the app is now available in public beta form on the iTunes app store, but is only live in San Francisco and New York City. Personally, I think it can’t hurt to get a leg up on meeting friends, especially fresh out of college and in the real world where social interaction isn’t encouraged or easy. It could also help those who are a little more on the anxious side by connecting them with other individuals who are also actively seeking opportunities to socialize.
To find out more information and download the app, check out the apple store.
