About
Maka Connect
Where It Started
"A few years ago, I was out at a bar hoping to meet someone new.
I found myself surrounded by people, but in a room full of strangers, I had no idea how to approach them or what to say.
As I left for home feeling more lonely than when I arrived, I started thinking about how much easier it would be if I could see a profile for the people right there in that bar.
That simple idea became the seed that Maka Connect grew from."
- Michael Freed
Founder and CEO
What We Believe
We believe meeting people has become harder than it should be.
For most of human history, people built relationships gradually. You saw the same people repeatedly through your community, workplace, neighborhood, friends, and family. Conversations happened naturally over time.
Today, many of us find ourselves surrounded by people but disconnected from them. We often get one chance to make an impression and may never cross paths with that person again.
That's a lot of pressure to put on a single interaction.
We believe better environments create better connections.
What We Learned
We launched the first version of Maka Connect in 2023 and spent the next two years hosting events, gathering feedback, and listening to the people who attended them.
We heard about the awkwardness of approaching someone new.
We heard about the frustration of repetitive small talk.
We heard about the uncertainty of knowing when to move on or take the next step.
We heard about a number of ways we could improve our events and our technology.
Many of the features in Maka Connect today exist because real guests told us where they were getting stuck.
The version you're seeing now is the result of those lessons.
More than Dating
Maka Connect is designed for singles, but we've never believed that every meaningful connection has to be romantic.
Some guests leave with a date.
Some leave with new friends.
Some leave with a larger social circle than they had when they arrived.
While our events are designed to help singles meet potential partners, we believe meaningful social connections have value beyond dating.
Sometimes the most important person you meet at an event isn't your next partner — it's the friend who introduces you to them later.
Rooted in Tampa Bay
Maka Connect is based in Tampa Bay, and Tampa is where we're relaunching this next chapter of the company.
We're still growing. We're still learning. And we're still improving the experience with every event we host.
Veteran Owned. Built in Tampa Bay.
Looking Ahead
We're not trying to replace human connection with technology.
We're trying to use technology to make human connection a little easier.
The events are the point.
The people are the point.
Everything else is just there to help.