Founders who sold startups now bet on offline gatherings

A small but growing number of founders are betting that offline connection is a business worth building, according to TechCrunch. These are not first-time entrepreneurs; they include people like Brynn Putnam and Tristan Walker, who have already founded companies that attracted acquisitions.

Putnam, a trained ballerina who ran a small chain of boutique studios, created the connected-fitness company Mirror. Walker similarly built a company that got bought. Now both are part of a movement that sees bringing people together in person as a distinct industry.

The idea is still niche, but the founders involved bring track records that lend credibility. Rather than seeing digital tools as the end goal, they are treating real-world gatherings as the product itself.