A Chat with Tamryn Stowell, Founder at SoCo

SoCo is a new breed of app that incentivises positive behaviour change. It sets simple, everyday challenges that unlock feel-good rewards and encourages a more socially conscious way of living. By harnessing the power of brands that want to make a difference, SoCo incentivises people to make positive decisions that benefit themselves, the environment and society. And in doing so, we’re creating new connections between brands and customers.
 
 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 
SoCo is my own melting pot of ideas. I have worked in 3 different areas during my career – marketing and business development in the UK and Sri Lanka, grassroots charities in Malawi and Uganda, and then sustainability back in London again. SoCo has grown out of the meeting point of these 3 worlds – finding a mutual place where people, the planet, and business can all work together and benefit from positive behaviour change.

I came up with the first version of SoCo in 2017 and then it went through various iterations until I finally had a concept that I was happy with, and at the very end of 2018 and quit my job to pursue it.
 

How has the company evolved during the pandemic?

 
It created a big delay in the launch schedule due to people staying at home more and potential partners, such as gyms and non-essential retailers, being closed. However, it may have been a silver lining – I think I had more time to refine the app prior to launch than most entrepreneurs would expect to. Which has meant that although there are some minor updates to make, so far (fingers crossed) everything seems to have started off great!

Another evolution that has happened is more across society than the company itself – health and the understanding of a global planet has really been pushed into the lime light and seems to have accelerated general consciousness around sustainability. I’ve found that when I talk to people about SoCo now there is a much deeper understanding of the issues we all face and a desire for something like SoCo which helps people feel empowered.
 

What can we hope to see from SoCo in the future?

 
Ahh well, am I allowed to say global domination?!

At the moment I just want to keep building connections and finding great companies to partner with, but the eventual dream would be to take SoCo global. It would be amazing to start to show everyone the incredibly positive impact they can have on the world, introducing them to great brands with a conscience, and to be part of a global change for a healthier world.