Tell me a little bit about yourself and your passions?
I’m a harpist and former private equity investor turned entrepreneur from NYC. I’ve always been passionate about music and about connecting people through food. I’m also crazy about Bikram yoga and love road trips to beautiful places.
What is your company Bookalokal about what are your aspirations with it?
Bookalokal is a marketplace that connects people who love to cook, with people who love to eat. Hosts can list dinners, lunches, brunches, cooking classes, wine tastings, food tours and more. Guests can use Bookalokal when they’re traveling as a great way to connect with local people and get an authentic meal. Or, like 60% of our guests, you can use it to explore your own city and meet new people around you. My Vision is for Bookalokal to be the #1 global platform for unique food experiences around the world.
Can you discuss the circumstances that led to launch of Bookalokal Inc. and what problem you wanted to solve.
I was hosting my own supper clubs and wanted a way to reach new guests outside my network. I also wanted a tool to help manage all the logistics of hosting events and didn’t have a good tool. I also saw the success of other peer to peer platforms like airbnb and was inspired to create an “airbnb for food.” I also saw interest from travelers who wanted to meet local people.
Did you experience some challenges?
Of course! First big challenge was finding the right partner. Without a technical cofounder I could have never gotten Bookalokal to where it is today. The second big challenge has been building and training a team. Finding and retaining great talent is harder than it seems.
If you could solve a world problem what would it be?
Hunger.
Haha makes sense! What advice would you give the youth out there looking to blaze their own path?
I would tell them to not be afraid of failure. If you have an idea, and you’re excited about it, who cares if it doesn’t work? You won’t know unless you try.
Now at UYD, we are always looking to find out different ways people use their difference to make a difference. How do you use your difference to make a difference?
My personal difference is that I connect easily with people from all different cultures and with different backgrounds and beliefs. I’m also passionate about helping others do the same. A big part of my inspiration to create Bookalokal was to bring different types of people together to promote greater tolerance and understanding around the world.
Where can we find out more about you and what you’re up to?
Follow me on Twitter at @evelynecwhite – I tweet about entrepreneurship, leadership, health, food and anything that inspires me!
