Linxy is partnering with Charlotte small businesses to make them “hot spots” in the app for networking events and meet-ups.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new social networking app is being piloted in the Queen City.
Linxy was created by Charlotte entrepreneurs to help small businesses and local professionals build connections and community in real life.
The goal of the collaborative effort is to seek solutions for the disconnect many people feel after the pandemic.
In a world of remote work and social media, many professionals are struggling to network in person. The Giddy Goat hopes to change that by being one of Linxy’s hot spots.
The popular Plaza Midwood café opened during the pandemic and at first, it was hard to create the community that general manager Enzo Pazos envisioned.
“They wanted us to have the stickers on the floor and to keep everyone separated but the whole idea of The Giddy Goat was the opposite,” Pazos explained.
Now, The Giddy Goat brings people together, but Pazos said it can be hard for new people to meet in a post-pandemic virtual world.
“You might have people wearing headphones, having Facetime calls or whatever and meetings, so sometimes it’s hard to make the first approach,” Pazos added.
Pazos hopes becoming a hot spot in the Linxy app will help people trade their wireless connection for human connection.
Founder Joel Puthoff explained that the app links professionals with similar interests when they’re at the same hot spot, helping them link up in real life.
“You go live at the location and you can make seamless connections in real-time,” Puthoff said.
Puthoff said the users’ profiles help them cut through small talk and get into engaging conversations based on what they have in common.
Linxy users can connect and message through the app first before talking in person. The app uses geolocation technology to show where hot spots are and what events are happening.
Ten local places are fostering the growing Linxy community, including Camp North End, Optimist Hall, and Wooden Robot. The goal is to bring small businesses more money while becoming a staple meet-up spot.
The app will be piloted in Charlotte for the next several months with the goal of expanding to nearby markets like Raleigh and Atlanta.
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