By Elissa Carey
“Mayo started with a simple mission, really. I wanted to find more ways to encourage face-to-face interactions. My end goal was to create something that fosters friendliness and real-life connections in this increasingly digital age.”
In today’s blog, I set a different more formal tone, as I introduce the founder of Mayo. The founder of Mayo, Allen Chan, explained how he came up with the idea behind Mayo. Mayo is currently a relatively new start-up company that helps remove the current social stigmas of reaching out for help to someone nearby, through the app. “Everyone is already on their digital devices when they’re out and about, so it made sense to have the connection start there,” says Chan.
Chan has a computer/software background, from leading a team in UX Design (user-experience--aesthetics and functionality of a website), to working with Amazon and Microsoft. He is originally from Taiwan, but his family immigrated to Canada when he was eight years old. He explains, “My time in Taiwan, my business trips to Japan, and the coming of the iPhone really cemented the mission of Mayo in my mind.”
The mission to create Mayo started brewing about ten years ago, and the creation of the app began three years ago. The name ‘Mayo’ phonetically sounds the same as ‘mei yo’ which in Mandarin means ‘don’t have’ and the purpose of the app is to allow people to reach out for help when they ‘don’t have’ what they need.
Before technology, people interacted and made brief, yet fulfilling, connections with people every day. These interactions still happen, but the frequency has decreased with the growth of social media apps (even before COVID-19). Chan wanted to focus on the “right here, right now” aspect of face-to-face interactions. “The app is supposed to cultivate random encounters, and create those brief, meaningful connections,” he says. Mayo is a distinctive, new app that encourages spontaneity and instantaneous moments of human connection.
Download the Mayo app and give it a try! Remember, Mayo connects you to other Mayo users, so spread the word and contribute with #littlehelps.
Please note, even with Mayo, it is important to practice social distancing while guidelines still recommend it. Mayo can be used to reach out to help a neighbor or friend but be sure to follow local regulations and laws to stay healthy and safe.