"We created Zoodango.com to fill a gap in the market -- a need to address the professionals who believe in the power of networking and want a more realistic and personable tool for managing it," explained James Sun, Zoodango's CEO and Founder.
The Zoodango site (http://www.zoodango.com ) enables users to create free online profiles for networking purposes. Zoodango promotes the human element of networking by encouraging people to include both professional and lifestyle information. Once profiled, users can utilize the new online networking features such as ZooVite, an online request for a face-to-face meeting at an event or public venue listed on Zoodango.com. The initial Zoodango-endorsed public venue will be the approximately 9,000 Starbucks coffee-houses nationwide. Users can choose their favorite or most frequently visited Starbucks locations on their profile, and other Zoodango users can request face-to-face meetings at these specific locations; thereby increasing their chances of landing a meeting.
ZooLink, the online linking feature within Zoodango.com, allows online connections between users. Both parties must agree to link and define the context of their relationship in order to create a ZooLink. "This standard for linking means networks built on Zoodango.com retain clarity and contextual meaning and therefore result in higher quality networks and relationships," said Sun.
Individuals, organizations, associations, or other groups wanting to promote their own personal or public events can post them on the Zoodango.com website and manage their RSVP list. Event attendance can be improved beyond what is available in newspaper event postings due to the viral nature of the Zoodango platform. Individual users can also post common-interest events and host them at their favorite Starbucks location, allowing users to more readily see who is attending in the same geographic area with similar interests, RSVP for the event, and network face-to-face. This event posting feature will be free for the next 90 days, after which a nominal charge will be added to ensure the quality and validity of events.
WSA, Washington State's largest and oldest state-wide technology association, has chosen to feature its future events on Zoodango.com . Ken Myer, WSA's CEO said, "The Zoodango site caters to tech savvy and entrepreneurial professionals that are much like the members of WSA. By promoting our events on the Zoodango platform, we expect to increase attendance and increase the potential for networking for our members."
Sun explains that the market opportunity for Zoodango is already validated, "During our preview, over 1,500 professionals created profiles on Zoodango and have begun using the site to make professional connections and increase business. Professionals like these are primed to take further advantage of networking opportunities through the Zoodango networking features."
Zoodango is experiencing additional nationwide exposure through James Sun's appearance as one of the 18 contestants on this season's NBC program "The Apprentice." "We are excited to see that so many of my fellow Apprentice candidates have already created their own profiles on Zoodango," said Sun. "They are all professionals that are keenly aware of the potential of strategic networking."
