Swipe Right for Business Meetings? Bumble to Launch Bumble Bizz in Philly

Here's when the dating app's networking mode goes live.

Image courtesy of Bumble.

If you’re incessantly swiping for love on a dating app, why not also swipe to boost your career? The popular dating app Bumble might just give LinkedIn a run for its money with Bumble Bizz, the startup’s new networking app. Users can swipe through profiles on the app to make professional connections. It officially launches in Philadelphia next week.

Bumble has been dubbed the “feminist dating app” because when two heterosexual users match, women must initiate the in-app conversation. Bumble has said the approach puts women first. 

And like on Bumble, women on Bumble Bizz must initiate contact. The app, which can be accessed through Bumble itself, launched earlier this month and allows users to upload a digital resume, a skills section and samples of their work. Users will see people in their geographic location who are open to networking, mentoring, or making other professional connections. And as with most other dating apps, users can swipe left or right depending on whether they’re interested in connecting.

At the time of Bumble Bizz’s launch, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe told Vogue that she noticed people were already using Bumble to network with profile bios like, “Married. Two kids. Just moved to New York from Chicago for my husband’s job. Looking to meet people in fintech.” Wolfe offered a host of other reasons for launching the app like fighting ageism in work — Bumble Bizz doesn’t display ages. She says Bumble Bizz can tackle sexism in networking, too. By allowing women to start the conversation, it’s less likely they’ll receive a cheesy pickup line back. Wolfe is a Tinder cofounder, but she ended up leaving and suing the company in 2014 for sexual harassment. She launched Bumble that year. And why shouldn’t networking be as easy as swiping right? Wolfe said.

Bumble Bizz will launch in Philadelphia on Thursday, October 26. The company is hosting an event at the The Deck at the Moshulu from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. that evening. The event will feature a panel discussion on networking. The three speakers are Vanessa Smith, chief of staff at the Office of the CEO of SAP, Caroline Wright, supervisor of brand collaborations and promotions at Lilly Pulitzer and Alexa Kormos, corporate hospitality and events manager with the Philadelphia 76ers.

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