For Jack Saltel, the founder of GradMeet, inspiration struck in the midst of a major life transition—graduating from Indiana University and watching friends move across the country to start their careers. "Simple questions like, ‘Who am I going to play basketball with?’ and ‘How am I going to meet a new group of friends?’ led to bigger worries of loneliness and frustration,” Jack reflects. Like many new grads, he quickly realized how hard it can be to build a social network from scratch in an unfamiliar city.
“It hit me then: this is a challenge nearly everyone faces at some point—moving to a new city by yourself sucks! Especially during the transition from college to a professional career,” Jack shares. Although there were plenty of apps for dating and social networking, there wasn’t anything specifically designed to help new graduates connect with others in the same boat. Jack’s solution? GradMeet—an app to help new grads make friends in their new city through curated group experiences, transforming every new city into a welcoming community.
Milestones and Challenges on the Startup Journey
After graduating from IU, Jack jumped headfirst into building GradMeet full-time. As a non-technical founder, one of his first major challenges was figuring out how to bring the app to life. "I knew I had to validate the concept before diving into app development, so I decided to test the idea in a big way in Chicago,” he recalls.
In June, Jack organized a "Launch Party" at the Hubbard Inn in downtown Chicago, combining a $2,000 Meta ad campaign with word-of-mouth marketing. The result? An event that brought together 122 recent graduates to simulate the GradMeet experience. “Each attendee completed a 15-question personality quiz and received two free drink tickets,” Jack explains. The event was a resounding success, with attendees excited about meeting other grads and the concept of GradMeet.
Since then, one of Jack’s biggest milestones has been bringing on Alexander LaPointe as CTO and Lead Developer. “Over the past two months, he has spearheaded the development of our iOS application,” Jack says. With the app nearly ready for submission to Apple and a pilot launch in Chicago on the horizon, GradMeet is poised for its next phase.
The Mill’s Role in GradMeet’s Growth
The Mill has been integral to Jack’s entrepreneurial journey. GradMeet was born out of the Spine Sweat Experience, an intensive entrepreneurship course at IU’s Kelley School of Business, where Jack first learned about The Mill and its Startup Summer Accelerator program.
"Getting accepted to Startup Summer was a major turning point,” Jack says. It gave him the push to go all-in on GradMeet after graduation. “Whether the idea failed in three weeks or took off, I was determined to learn, grow, and give it everything I had,” Jack explains. The Mill’s workshops, mentor sessions, and networking events became invaluable resources. "They taught me that just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean you can’t—you just need to find the right person who does.”
More than anything, Jack values the community at The Mill. "The Mill showed me the power of community, shared insights, and collaboration," he says. It was through this sense of community that Jack found the confidence to take that leap of faith into the startup world.
Advice for Fellow Entrepreneurs
When asked what advice he’d give to other founders, Jack encourages embracing the unknown. "The path ahead is going to be a long, bumpy road, and new problems will continue to evolve. Don’t fear the unknown—lean into it. Embrace what you don’t know, and get curious about it,” he advises.
He also emphasizes the importance of being open to failure and iteration. "Find how you can fail fast and fail cheaply. Meaning, you must find ways to test your idea that require little capital but lots of time,” Jack shares. Flexibility and openness to change are key, along with allowing your vision to grow with each lesson learned.
Finally, Jack’s most critical piece of advice is to “soak up information like a sponge.” He urges entrepreneurs to seize every conversation, piece of feedback, and customer interaction as a chance to learn. “Always be curious, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from your peers, mentors, and industry experts,” he says.
Want to learn more about Jack or GradMeet? Reach out via email or social media!
@gradmeet on Instagram & LinkedIn
