Malika & Chantel are both 4th year students at Santa Clara University hoping to bring their dream to life. When we studied abroad, it was incredibly hard to get to know our travel destinations. Even through hours of research through personal blogs and popular websites like TripAdvisor and Expedia, we felt as if we left the place without truly experiencing the culture. Only when we chatted with the locals did we feel like we connected with the destination; but it took a lot to even find anyone to talk to. Instead of having to find a friend of a friend of a family member to get to know a place, we thought it would be easier to have one place to find the info… so why not put it all in an app!
Locals will be an app where users can find a home away from home. As a community based application, users can upload their local hidden favorites to help grow their small town businesses. In essence, it will expand experiences beyond tourism into finding the heart of any destination, even if it’s their own town. It’s simple; Locals will serve as a ‘social media’ for exploration, without the ‘influencer’ pressure. Users will discover secret spots and an insight into that place’s culture wherever they go! Locals’ goal is to inspire curiosity and authentic discovery for every community around the world.
As female entrepreneurs, specifically as colored individuals, we find that we are often the odd ones out in the group. However, we have found such a strong and supportive group within the community of female entrepreneurs, and wanted to lean on these individuals so we can help support one another through IFW. We are looking for support to jumpstart our dream; the resources will go directly to developing the app to bring business to local businesses around the world.
