Our Story

We believe the best
connections happen
in person

En Meets was built for people tired of swiping and craving real, face-to-face community. Starting in Honolulu — more cities coming.

The origin

Born from a frustration
we all share

In 2023, our founder was sitting alone at a coffee shop in Kaka'ako surrounded by people also sitting alone, all staring at their phones, all swiping through faces they'd never actually meet.

The irony was impossible to ignore. We live in an era of unprecedented connectivity, and yet genuine human connection has never felt harder to find. Dating apps promised to bring people together but ended up making us all feel more isolated — measured, filtered, ghosted.

Go-kon — the Japanese tradition of small group social mixers — offered a different model. Groups of friends introduce other groups of friends in a relaxed setting. No pressure. No judgment. Just people in a room, sharing food, conversation, and laughter.

En Meets is that idea — starting in Honolulu, and growing from there.

📱
4%
Average dating app match rate
of matches ever meet in person
🤝
100%
En Meets event
of attendees meet face-to-face
💬
3+ hrs
Real conversations
average time at each event

"Our mission is to make it easier to meet people in real life than on your phone."

We organize the logistics, curate the groups, and create the setting. You just show up.

The experience

How En Meets works

01

You create a verified profile

Sign up with your name, birthday, and gender. Your phone number gets verified so the community stays real — no bots, no catfishing. You choose your event type preference and who you're hoping to meet.

Your last name is never shown to other attendees. Your birthday is private. Only your first name (or nickname) and age are visible.
02

You browse and join a weekly event

We publish a fresh slate of events every week — coffee meetups, sit-down dinners, trivia nights, and outdoor walks. Each event has a capped group size (usually 6–12 people) so it never feels like a crowd.

Free events use a small refundable deposit to hold your spot. Paid events cover venue, food, or activities. Cancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund.

03

We curate the group

For Classic GoKon events, we balance equal numbers of men and women and organize seating rotations so everyone gets face time with everyone else. For Open Social, we curate by vibe and event type.

You'll receive a reminder 24 hours before with the final details — exact location, what to expect, and any ground rules for the format.

04

You show up and meet people

That's it. A En Meets host is at every event to keep things flowing and handle any logistics. Your only job is to be yourself and enjoy the evening.

After the event, you can optionally signal interest in someone — we'll facilitate an introduction only if the feeling is mutual.

What we stand for

Our values

🔒

Safety first

Phone verification, community guidelines, and a host at every event. We take safety seriously because real connection requires it.

🫶

Radical inclusion

Open Social events welcome everyone — all genders, orientations, ages 18+. No one is an outsider at En Meets.

🌿

Low pressure

Small groups, structured formats, and a skilled host mean you don't have to "work the room." Just show up and be yourself.

🏝

Local roots

We started in Honolulu because we live here. Every city we expand to will be run by people who actually know it.

Intentional design

Every venue, seating arrangement, and activity is chosen deliberately. The setting does half the work of connection.

🔁

Repeat community

Many of our members come back week after week. En Meets isn't a one-time event — it's a social home base.

The team

People behind En Meets

JK
Jordan K.
Founder & Host

Former product designer who moved to Honolulu and was tired of apps. Started En Meets with 8 friends in 2023.

ML
Maya L.
Community Lead

Social psychologist and Honolulu native. Designs event formats and trains our hosts on facilitation.

RP
Ryan P.
Events & Venues

Former hospitality professional with deep Oahu restaurant connections. Curates all venue partnerships.

SK
Sara K.
Member Experience

Handles onboarding, safety, and making sure every member feels welcome from day one.

Come meet your people.

Your first event is just a profile away.