- In honor of Senior Citizen Day, we celebrate Big & Mini, the digital bridge connecting generations and dissolving elderly isolation.
- Founded on the belief that every story matters, this platform cultivates vibrant cross-generational relationships through phone and video calls.
- Big & Mini ensures that the wisdom and experiences of seniors find a receptive audience, creating an enduring bond that defies time.
Can you believe how connected we are these days? With just a call or text, we can stay in touch with friends all over the world. But you know what's absurd? Some of the most incredible stories never get shared and end up being forgotten over time. It's kind of a bummer, but also makes you appreciate the ones that do get told even more!
Big & Mini is a project created by a group of people who wanted to bring together individuals of all ages in a world where social networking dominates. Their goal is to connect people and create new memories and friendships without any age barriers.
Armed with technology and a goal to unite the generations, Big & Mini believes that no one should ever be alone in a world with 8 billion stories.
Formation of Big & Mini
Founded in April 2020, the organization creates beautiful, mutually beneficial, generation-spanning relationships through phone and video calls to help people feel connected, even while they are apart.
In April, COVID-19 reshaped our world. It completely transformed the ways we spent time with others and learned. We felt helpless sitting at home, not being able to go out and physically volunteer, donate, or do anything to help remedy the situation.
The founders, Allen Zhou, Aditi Merchant, and Anthony Zhou had volunteered at nursing homes when they were younger. They developed a strong affection for the stories, advice, wisdom, and mentorship that seniors were always willing to share. They also knew that if they were feeling lonely and isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was likely much worse for them.
And that is how and why Big & Mini was created. The platform brings together young and old, facilitating learning and camaraderie and removing loneliness. What began as a response to the epidemic has evolved into a long-term means to make a difference - a link that spans generations and time.
The effect it played on people's life
Their journey began with HTML, CSS, Javascript, and a Google Form. In the starting months, a simple website with a Google form sign-up was created with the hope that they would be able to help a handful of people and bring about a bit of togetherness.
However, within a few days, they received a tonne of sign-ups and knew they had created something meaningful. As sign-ups continued rolling in, a more robust system was needed that allowed for the startup to grow and make as many matches as possible.
Thus, post-reevaluation, interest-based matching, individualized dashboards for every Big and Mini, and a weekly newsletter with updates from the team and positive messages and activities were incorporated.
The Google form system was replaced with an official signup and login system with Amazon Cognito and hooked up DynamoDB for the backend. Finally, the website was switched over to React to create faster loading times and a cleaner, easier website to use.
The motive behind this?
In this ever-changing world, Big & Mini's vision shines brighter than ever. They are very dedicated to helping senior living communities and connecting them. They work hard to improve their platform and make it easier to use. They want to fix any problems and make their platform even better in the future.
Big & Mini’s vision gives hope that the road ahead is promising; with thousands of users envisioned by the next few months, their journey is just beginning. As we evolve and expand, one truth remains: a simple conversation can change lives. With determination as their guide, they continue uniting generations, one Big & Mini match at a time.
Stay tuned as Newzchain transforms into a tapestry of dates, each woven with a startup's remarkable narrative. Let's redefine success beyond chance, one story at a time.
Subscribe now to not miss upcoming events and their coinciding startup stories.
You just read a story in the 30 For 30 series.
Edited by Shruti Thapa
