Plus-Size Accessibility App AllGo Seeks to Expand Team, Footprint by Jamie Cole
Anyone that knows me fully expects my first response after an invite to a new place to be, “what kind of seating do they have?”. Often, I sound like a broken record but the struggle and fear are real for those of us who are ample in size. The all-to-familiar anxiety that hits the instant you receive an invite to an unknown restaurant or venue may be remedied in the near future with the development of AllGo.
In April 2018, the plus-size community rallied around AllGo, a new startup aiming to solve a problem plus-size people face every day. AllGo is a review site where people of size can provide honest feedback about the accessibility and comfort of places they visit so others get insight before they visit. A few facts that users will have visibility to include whether the location has chairs with arms, moveable tables and best of all--lots of pictures of seating!”
More than 1,100 people provided the technology company with a combined $55,000 through Kickstarter to build an app where people can rate public spaces on how comfortable they are for people with large bodies.
Just three months later, AllGo sent an update to its backers to let them know that the app’s beta will be released on-schedule later this summer in Portland, Oregon. The company has not yet disclosed a specific release date.
The beta will be tested and refined in Portland before it is released to five other cities in early 2019.
AllGo founder Rebecca Alexander on the upcoming release: “I’m so excited. I just can’t stand it. So many people have helped AllGo come to fruition--our Kickstarter backers, our ambassadors, our “Alpha Team” who’s out in Portland right now seeding the platform with meaningful data--we’ve all worked really hard and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve built together.”
Speaking of that team, AllGo also shared its plans to expand. The company plans to raise funds from angel investors early this fall refine its product and to offer the product in new communities.
The company requested that any full-stack developers, growth marketers, or experienced startup professionals who might be interested in joining their team contact founder Rebecca Alexander at rebecca@canweallgo.com.
Rebecca also invited accredited angel investors who would like to learn more about their fundraising plans to contact her.
It appears that AllGo is well on its way and I, for one, could not be more excited. But Rebecca did have one piece of not-so-good news. She shared that the Michele Amar, who was a co-founder during the company’s Kickstarter campaign, has since resigned. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Michele prior to her resignation and wish her nothing but the best in her endeavors!
One of the most anticipated services that AllGo offers is the collaboration with other companies and brands to provide direction on how to make their environment size-friendly. The following message is noted on the AllGo website:
“Inclusive teams are productive teams. Size inclusivity is often overlooked in the conversation about diversity and inclusion, yet it affects 100 million Americans. The biases that exist for fat people are significant and data shows that it leads to pay gaps and lower rates of employment and promotion. Addressing these challenges starts by building a culture of inclusivity.
This is the kind of culture AllGo plans to foster as they grow their organization.”
One recent discovery I made was just how accommodating a trip to the ballpark could be for someone who is larger or disabled. For years I declined invitations to sporting events because the seats were never a great fit for me. After one trip to the ballpark, I learned that they have ample accessible seating that includes elevator access. Most importantly, the ticket agent and stadium staff never once made me feel ashamed or embarrassed for occupying the space.
We hear it over and over that the average size of Americans is larger now than before; therefore, we applaud and welcome the concept behind AllGo which will allow everyone to get out and enjoy life no matter their size.
Sign up for the Beta!
About the Founder
A lifelong Oregonian, Rebecca was born and raised in Southern Oregon, lived in Salem while attending college at Willamette University and moved to Portland in 2011. Her Lhasa Apso Lucy is her pride and joy. Learn more about Rebecca here OR find her on Twitter at @portlandrebecca or--more importantly--find Lucy on Instagram at @lhasalucy.
