Forbes Chicago’s 30 Under 30 recipient Anna Charlotte Lavers is on a mission to end adult loneliness

Anna Charlotte Lavers moved to Chicago in April 2022 without knowing a single soul in the Windy City. The then 24-year-old found herself in a situation not uncommon for other women her age and decided to share her experience in a TikTok. 

Lavers filmed herself embarking on her first solo quest in her new city, picking up a nightstand for her first “big girl apartment.” The TikTok went viral, garnering over 600,000 views, with other users sharing personal anecdotes of feeling overwhelmed and lonely in a new city. 

This gave Lavers an idea that would lead to her establishing Say Yes Chi, a Facebook group for women seeking friendship and fun.

“So many people were commenting and messaging me letting me know they were also new to the city and didn’t know anyone. I had more friend dates than I knew what to do with”, Lavers told Chicago Star.

 “I realized quickly I would never be able to meet all of the people who reached out and instead wanted to create a safe place for them to also meet each other. I created Say Yes Chi for all the Chicago women who were interested in finding genuine friendships and saying ‘yes’ to new things.” 

Since starting Say Yes Chi, the group has blossomed into a community of more than 6,000 members. The fast growth of the group caught the attention of Matt Williams, founder of the burgeoning friend-making app Approachable. Williams invited Lavers to co-host an event with his developing company.

“I was all in once I learned how similar our goals were with both of these groups”, Lavers reflects, “We held our first sold-out event together for over 50 women to connect in October 2022 and our partnership together began.” 

Following the event's success, Williams invited Lavers to join the Approachable team, first as a contributor, and eventually as a co-founder of the app. According to Lavers, Approachable’s mission is simple: to end adult loneliness. 

“In an age where we are the most connected we have ever been on paper, it’s confusing how our generation can still feel so alone and disconnected. That is where Approachable comes in, to use technology to bridge the gap that technology originally created”, Lavers added.

According to Lavers, Approachable cultivates real-time hangouts and meet-ups posted by real people throughout the city. Approachable users can create a profile detailing their interests and mark themselves as “approachable”, or ready to make friends. The app offers a casual, platonic alternative to traditional dating apps.

Approachable is not limited to those who are friendless or new to a city, says Lavers. “Let’s say your favorite band is performing in your city, and you are dying to go, but all of your friends and mutual friends have no interest in attending or are all too busy. Now, there is a simple way to find others who share this common interest, and you have the option to meet up with them if you want to.”

Through her work with Say Yes Chi and Approachable, and with a little help from TikTok, Lavers ended up on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Local radar. Lavers got in touch with a follower on TikTok who connected her with a local reporter covering up-and-coming tech entrepreneurs around Chicago. 

Lavers found herself on the Forbes’ Chicago 30 Under 30 list by surprise, laughingly recalling that she missed the email notifying her of the award. “I was scrolling through the announced list and was surprised! My face popped up on the screen at work! I was filled with so many emotions: honor, disbelief, pride, shock, you name it.”

Since the recognition, Lavers has had the opportunity to meet with other "listers" at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit in Cleveland Ohio, which coincided with her 25th birthday. The Approachable co-founder says the Forbes acknowledgement has helped her establish “personal credibility.”

For Lavers, the nod from Forbes has motivated her to live up to the prestigious recognition by continuing her work uniting people around Chicago.

“I feel like so many people suffer from imposter syndrome and I am by no means immune”, Lavers concludes. “Being named to this list in many ways validates the work I am doing to improve what community means for people in the real world and virtually.”