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Pioneers & Protagonists

10 questions for Barbara Pantuso, founder of Hey, Neighbor!

The easiest way to explain Hey, Neighbor! aims to …
a network for trusted neighbor connections and collaboration. It’s like a local Facebook meets a safer Craigslist for your neighborhood.

The idea came from…
an “a ha!” moment after I sold my couch on Craigslist. After hassling with scammers and no-shows, a woman from across town bought the couch. As we carried it out, a neighbor said she would have bought it if only she had known. I realized that with all our technology and social connectivity, there’s still no easy way to connect with neighbors. And beyond selling stuff, there are so many reasons why it’s good to know your neighbors!

When I told my friends about the idea for Hey, Neighbor!, they said…
you have to do this!

I believe it’s the right moment for Hey, Neighbor! to take off because…
now more than ever, people yearn for a sense of belonging and a familiarity of place. Yet many people still don’t know their neighbors. A knock on the door can feel intimidating and inconvenient. That’s where technology can provide a virtual knock on the door. Meeting neighbors online can break down the isolating notion that “good fences make good neighbors.”

The biggest challenge to overcome is …
eliminating the “empty dance floor” problem. We don’t want people to say “Hey, Neighbor!” and hear an echo. So we’re working to fill up the dance floor, so to speak, before opening a neighborhood.

Favorite Hey, Neighbor! success story so far…
we love the opportunities for serendipity that Hey, Neighbor! provides—the small stories, the unlikely connections, and the unexpected bonds that can form. For example, a woman asked for a MicroFavor™ to share a ride while her car was in the shop. A neighbor offered help and they realized they were going to the exact same building. A new carpool was formed!

The idea behind Hey, Neighbor! hadn’t been done before because…
the timing wasn’t right yet. Cultural shifts toward local economies and collaborative consumption, and emerging real-time, social network, and location-based technologies provide opportunities for neighbors to connect in new ways. For example, our MicroFavor™ exchange facilitates the “right here and right now” kind of help that neighbors can provide─ like moving a couch, borrowing a ladder, or picking up the mail.

A failure I’ve learned from…
I’ve helped build two successful companies and had some missteps along the way. Setting aside a bruised ego, being humble to the experience, and constantly learning and adapting are keys to success.

Another example of Collaborative Consumption I admire is …
Skillshare.com - I love the idea that we all have something to teach and that we can all learn from each other. Skillshare creates a whole new educational marketplace that is easy and accessible.

Archive of Pioneers & Protagonists Interviews

  10 Questions for Benita Matofska, founder of The People Who Share

  10 questions for Marta Nowinska, founder of Swapsity

  10 questions for Ryan Rzepecki, founder of SocialBicycles

  10 questions for Jamie Wong, founder of Vayable

  10 questions for Theo Kitchener, founder of The ShareHood

  10 questions for Kelly Scales, founder of Bid & Borrow

  10 questions for Campbell McKellar, Founder of Loosecubes

  10 questions for Marcio Nigro, founder of Caronetas

  10 questions for Jess Ratcliffe, founder of GaBoom

  10 questions for Philipp Rogge, founder of frents

  10 questions for Tim Hyer, founder of Rentcycle

  10 questions for Barbara Pantuso, founder of Hey, Neighbor!

  Ella T. Gorgla, Founder of I-ELLA

  Cathy Tao, co-founder of Tourboarding

  Mike Karnjanaprakorn, cofounder of Skillshare

  Juha Koponen, Founder of Netcycler

  Michelle Shearer, Founder of MamaBake

  Leah Busque, Founder and CEO of TaskRabbit

  Ron J. Williams, founder of SnapGoods

  Stephen Rapoport, founder of Crashpadder

  Anthony Eskinazi, founder of ParkatmyHouse

  Drummond Gilbert, founder of goCarShare

  David Mahfouda, Founder of Weeels

  Andreas Randow, Founder of StudioShare.org

  Emma Jamvold, Founder of SwapItBaby

  Dave Llorens, CEO of One Block Off The Grid

  Orli Cotel, co-founder of Swap for Good

  Owen Rees-Hayward, Co-founder of Thingloop

  Juliette Anich, Co-founder of The Clothing Exchange

  Keara Schwartz, Founder of Share Some Sugar

  Hans Schoenburg, co-founder of GiftFlow

  Meriel Lenfestey, Co-founder of Ecomodo

  Steve Sammartino, Founder of rentoid.com

  Micki Krimmel, Founder of NeighborGoods

  Shelby Clark, Founder of RelayRides

  James Reinhart, Founder of thredUp

For a complete archive of Pioneers & Protagonists Interviews click HERE.