ENTREPRENUER Award Robby Yates

Thanks to the invention of a local entrepreneur, long gone are the days of keeping track of physical business cards. The Follow App created by Robert Yates is designed to make networking easy, intuitive and fun.

Described as a “virtual Rolodex,” the Follow App allows smartphone users to harness the power of technology to connect with other professionals through an app that shares contact information digitally.

The inspiration for the app was sparked by a networking event for the Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce. Yates found himself wondering if he may have missed an opportunity to connect in the midst of such a large crowd.

“With this app, you can spend time at a networking event focused on having a conversation with the person next to you rather than worrying what connections you could be making,” Yates says.

The Follow App offers a modern and aesthetically pleasing user experience technology lovers can appreciate, but its simplicity highlights its true potential. Regardless of where you are, the app provides a list of individuals in your vicinity, introducing you to the rest of the room while allowing you to strategically decide whom to approach.

“Whether you’re a sales rep who is always talking to new connections, a business owner looking to network or just an introvert that might not be comfortable working a room or talking to people you don’t know, we want to help promote your brand or business,” Yates says.

Users can explore connections by name, industry and even frequency of contact. The app is actively used by members of several local networking groups, including area chambers of commerce and 901 Networking.

“The app provides a chance to grow your business and sales pipeline by preventing existing members from missing out on someone new walking into a room,” Yates says. “At the same time, new members have the ability to connect with a room full of potential new business partners.”

While a free version that houses up to 250 contacts is available, a premium version which costs $4.99 per month offers unlimited contacts, an ad-free experience and a referral feature. A portion of the proceeds are given back to two local nonprofits: Saving Lost Kids and STS Enterprise Corporation.

Updates available soon include the ability to create multiple profiles for those with both a full-time job and a side hustle, the ability to pinpoint when and where you met a contact, referral incentives and ways to support local businesses directly from the app.

By Sarah Vaughan

Written by Erinn Figg