Thuy Phan& Nhat Anh/Nguoi Viet
WESTMINSTER, Calif. ― Brenda Pham and Maique Vo are roommates. But they also are accidental matchmakers who could become the next tech moguls. Just before Valentine’s Day, the two UCLA students launched a matchmaking service called Bruin Connections, and the idea proved so popular that they are working on turning their idea into an app.
Brenda Pham (left) and Maique Vo (right) are working on a dating app to helpconnect students together at UCLA. (Photo: Thuy Phan/Nguoi Viet)
“Maique and I matched up a friend with someone, and we really enjoyed the practice,” said Pham, a 21-year-old finance major. “So when we saw someone posting something similar on Facebook asking for a Valentine’s Day date, we thought it was the perfect opportunity.”
“For fun I made a Google form survey, and said, ‘Sign up if you want me to match you on Valentine’s Day!’ and within 10 minutes, 20 people signed up,” said Vo, 22, who is studying to be a doctor.When that number ballooned to 600, they closed the forum and got started. With the help of friends, the two read through hundreds of profiles and matched as many couples as they could.
Vo and Pham plan to turn Bruin Connections into a dating app for college students. (Photo: Courtesy Bruin Connections)
Not everyone was matched, but some of those who were reported back that they had a fun time on their dates.Louise Tamandong, a first-year physics student, posted in the Bruin Connections Facebook page about the success of her match, writing: “Started out as a ‘hey let’s just try this thing lol’ and ended on top of Mount Hollywood. GG Bruin Connections.”
The post was accompanied by a photo of her on a date with fellow student Johnny Deng, who also signed up to be matched through Pham and Vo’s site. Although the two did not embark on a romantic relationship, Tamandong said it was “fun and she was able to meet someone new to spend time with.”
Of the 600 requests they got, 60 percent were from men and 40 percent were from women. The roommates enlisted friends who helped them cull through the questionnaire and spent weeks figuring out who might click together. In the end, a little under 300 matches were made. They have put the matchmaking on hold as they navigate the next steps of turning their idea into an app.
“I think one of the reasons we wanted to do this is when we saw the response for the question, ‘What is your ideal date?’, we thought they were so cute,” Pham said. “We have the means and the time to do it, so why not do it to help people? When there’s one match, it feels really amazing and all the work is worth it.”
For the two friends, who grew up in Little Saigon together and have known each other since middle school, the Bruin Connections app is something they want to work on for now, even though their ultimate goals involve something else. Vo, who is a fourth-year molecular cellular biology major, said her ultimate plans include medical school and becoming a doctor while Pham, a fourth-year economics major, plans to become an investment banker and work in business.
At the moment, they are working on how to make their service into an app and have spoken to a UCLA alumnus who is interested in investing in the venture. If it all works out, the app will be free for users. Eventually, they hope to bring it to other campuses as well.
“We’re still really young, so said we want to try something really cool for a couple of years and if it works out, it’s fine,” Vo said. “We know for sure what we want to do in life, but there’s no reason to not try something new. I want to be able to look back when I’m in medical school and a doctor, and she wants to look back when she’s successful in her business field and say, ‘Wow, we made an app.’ So no regrets.”
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