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Philadelphia Business Journal (Philadelphia, PA) | 10/17/2017 9:31:43 PM GMT

Dating app Bumble to launch women-centric networking app in Philadelphia

Kenneth Hilario
Looking for a new career or in need of a mentor? Swipe right. Dating app company Bumble will launch its standalone networking app in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania ranks low in a study of best and worst states for women, and one expert said the new app could boost the rankings, starting from within Philadelphia.

Austin, Texas-based Bumble is known for its dating app that has women make the first move when they match with a potential suitor. With the women-centered focus at the forefront, the company earlier this month launched a professional networking product called Bumble Bizz. Similar to Bumble, only women initiate contact in Bumble Bizz.

Bumble Bizz will launch in Philadelphia on Oct. 26 at The Deck at the Moshulu, from 6-9 p.m. See below for more information.

Philadelphia was selected because "it has a strong presence of women professionals in the area and is rapidly growing with young professionals who are eager to network," Natalie Scott, Bumble marketing coordinator told the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The app uses geo-targeting and enables users to swipe through people around them looking to network, connect and mentor.

A user's profile will include a digital resume and a skills section; users can also include samples of their work in addition to profile cards.

The launch of Bumble Bizz is coming at an opportune time - with growing awareness of women's issues in the workplace, and ongoing problems with compensation inequality and health benefits coverages now receiving renewed attention, according to Stephen Andriole, professor of business, accountancy and information systems in the Villanova School of Business.

Pennsylvania ranks low in the United States in terms of women's economic and social well-being, according to a study by WalletHub.

Bumble Bizz can boost the rankings by "connecting more women to an otherwise healthy economic climate within and beyond Philadelphia," Andriole said.

Bumble was founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, a former executive of dating app Tinder, and Bumble Bizz launched in Oct. 2 this year in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

Executives "always wanted to expand beyond dating," head of brand Alexandra Williamson el-Effendi, told the Austin Business Journal.

She said Bumble Bizz avoids a major complaint heard from women using other networking sites or apps: unwanted messages when networking.

"Those make women uncomfortable, particularly because of all the gray lines that exist, where the women are not necessarily understanding the other person's intentions," el-Effendi told the Austin Business Journal.

Bumble Bizz doesn't necessarily compete with sites or apps like LinkedIn.

Rather, it offers "another entry point and process into the professional networking world," Andriole said, "and one that's more comfortable than the relatively 'all business' look and feel of LinkedIn."

Relationships "lie at the heart of hiring," Andriole said. Millennials have already blurred the personal world with the professional, relationship-building world.

"There are also some solid networking opportunities between groups, like the National Association of Professional Women, who could extend Bizz's reach and increase its business credentials," Andriole said. "Philadelphia has some work to do here, and Bumble Bizz can help."

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The launch atop the Moshulu on Oct. 26 will have a panel discussion with three female speakers:

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