UT Austin Students Created Big & Mini to Bridge the Gap between Generations
HIGHLIGHTS
- Allen Zhou, 19, has learned a valuable lesson during the pandemic: People of all age groups can feel lonely — especially teens and seniors.
- With Aditi Merchant, a schoolmate at the University of Texas at Austin, and his younger brother Anthony, Allen created Big & Mini, a nonprofit organization that pairs the “Bigs” (seniors) with the “Minis” (young adults).
- Since April, more than 1,100 pairs of Big & Mini around the globe have been matched. When participants sign up, they can set up a profile based on their interests, receive training on how to use the service and are then introduced to a partner.
- Big & Mini uses Jitsi, a free, open-source multiplatform communication platform, encrypted using DTLS-SRTP all the way from the sender to the receiver.
- The idea is gaining traction, and notice. Their story made it to the Today show last week.
- Read more of their stories on DallsNews
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
- More than 60% of Americans report feeling lonely.
- In the COVID-19 pandemic, people become more isolated and especially seniors.
Allen Zhou, Aditi Merchant and Anthony Zhou, founders of Big & Mini.(Handout photo)
“We are just getting started and hope to help many more people.”
Allen Zhou
Allen Zhou, Aditi Merchant and Anthony Zhou launched Big & Mini, aiming to bridge generations to create meaningful connections.
Big & Mini wants to be a community working together to spread wisdom, end social isolation, and make the world a little better— one generation-bridging connection at a time.
Join Big & Mini
