All photos and images provided by Radha Patel
Radha Patel is based out of Dallas, TX and has been married for 12 years with 2 kids and a dog. She founded a personalized matchmaking company for South Asian singles in the US solely on the idea that she wanted to keep parents out of the process but quickly realized they are often the driving force behind timing & choice.
With smaller family and cultural networks in their new country, families are having to turn to online matrimonial sites to find potential matches, oftentimes masquerading as their children which leads to a frustrating user experience. The Auntie Network is a dating app that empowers parents to find the perfect partner for their kids by openly & proactively working with their children in the search for a spouse.
Learn a little bit more about Radha and her work in her own words!
Considering that you’re at the helm of The Auntie Network, how many days/hours of the week are you working on one of these endeavors? What keeps you motivated?
The life of a founder is pretty varied but that is part of the appeal! There are days when I spend the majority of my time working through pitch decks and branding while other days are spent attending networking events to help me in the search to find a technical co-founder. Having the passion and motivation to keep doing what you do is the key.
For me, I am motivated by the fact that our app will be making a real difference in the lives of families who are embarking on such a stressful journey as helping their adult children find suitable life partners.
What is your background in? Could you tell us about how you see each of these disciplines/fields emerging in your work?
After having worked in the hospitality industry for the majority of my career I started my first business in 2018 which specialized in matchmaking for South Asian singles. Having worked with half of my target market, I quickly realized there was a component that was missing in my approach and that's when we created our sister brand, The Auntie Network.
My background in corporate helped me bring discipline and structure into running a small business because I was familiar with the business side of a company that needed to be established in order to be successful. Being a South Asian Matchmaker, I was actually talking with my target demographic on a daily basis and understand their needs.
What partners and in what industries do you work with to make The Auntie Network happen?
Partnering with other brands that represent my values is of utmost importance to me. I look for South Asian owned and women lead companies as much as possible so when I started down the path of turning my idea into a physical product I knew that everybody I chose to work with needed to have a certain type of background. I was able to hire a developer who is a fellow South Asian first generation immigrant and understands the nuances of what we were trying to build with the application. My second partner was with a media agency to help us in marketing and go-to-market strategies. I knew I wanted somebody with a South Asian background, again to communicate the subtle differences of our family dating app compared to the more mainstream ones and how our culture views the concepts of dating and marriage.
Was there an “aha” or “eureka” moment in coming up with your business concept? If not, was there a natural opportunity that gradually presented itself to you?
There wasn't an aha moment per se but because I was already working in the space of South Asian matrimony, I was constantly hearing the problem singles were facing when using some of the established, larger matrimonial platforms that their parents preferred. For me, creating the Auntie network was about bridging those two experiences into a common goal of finding the right person to fit not only the single person's life, but from the family, community, & cultural perspective as well.
What’s your favorite thing about your workspace/where you work from?
My favorite aspect about working from home is that I have a dedicated office space that I know is mine. I'm able to compartmentalize business from family yet still be close enough to handle everything I need to get done for both. Not having a commute gives me so much more extra time back in my day which I can spend in more productive ways or even indulge in a little self care.
Family and heritage seem central to your business’ purpose; could you speak a little bit about that and how it has influenced your business decisions?
Family is integral to South Asian culture and that means ensuring progeny to carry on these traditions which many South Asians believe comes from finding a suitable match with a good family. Being South Asian and growing up as a first generation American, these concepts were ingrained in me from childhood and I've seen how the various iterations of being single, divorced, widowed, have an effect on family and community dynamics. Taking my own marriage as an example, I knew that I wanted to be with someone who understood me fully, and the only way that would work was if they had a similar background, cultural and religious, and experiences as I had growing up. Having a family of my own and raising them with the same cultural and religious values as I had was the most influential aspect in my selection of a partner.
Name a person, past or present, whom you admire or look up to. Why?
I completely admire and respect Payal Kadakia, founder of ClassPass and SA Dance Company. She has a very similar upbringing to me, being the child of South Asian immigrants and growing up in a world where you just didn't seem to fit in but knowing there was something special about you that you wanted to share with the world. She overcame cultural challenges around pursuing art and Entrepreneurship rather than the safe journey of a professional career, while maintaining her identity. She's an amazing business woman, friend, wife, and now mother. I strive to be as successful and as inspiring as her to other South Asian women one day!
