Who We Are
Our Mission
Our Place is an infrastructure that enables people to cultivate a sense of belonging in where they live. Our Place exists to help people discover local life, build meaningful connections, and cultivate a sense of belonging in their community.
Mission
To create a society where everyone feels included.
Vision
A world where every person is connected to their local community.
Values
People over profit.
No exploitation.
We won't do things without purpose.
Our Challenges Today
The problems we set out to solve.
Lack of Onboarding
Employees and students have built-in onboarding systems, but residents are largely on their own.
Our Response
One stop discovery platform for comprehensive topics like events, food, volunteer opportunities, free resources, and local experiences.
Discovery Takes Time and Luck
Finding great places and people often happens by chance and can take years.
Our Response
Spend less time searching and more time building relationships and creating memories.
Limited Visibility
Companies with the bigger marketing budgets win your attention on many platforms.
Our Response
Our fixed-price model gives everyone an equal opportunity to be discovered.
Algorithm-Driven Experiences
Algorithms decide much of what we see online, limiting unexpected discoveries.
Our Response
No engagement-driven algorithms. No pay-to-win advertising. Explore your community on your terms.
Can't Read the Vibe
Trying a new group or event can feel intimidating.
Our Response
Filter by culture and language to find communities where you feel comfortable and welcomed.
Our Story
Bailey Romatoski
Co-Founder
Yuuki Sasao-Ruef
Co-Founder
Our Place began with a simple, shared experience.
Both of us, Bailey and Yuuki, have always felt like black sheep, carrying a subtle yet constant feeling of not quite fitting in. We grew up in different countries and environments, but what we felt was remarkably similar.
Is there something wrong with me? Am I not cool enough to join their circle? Why am I like this?
Over time, we realized there is nothing wrong with us, and (at least we think) we're pretty cool. We simply hadn't met the people who truly got us or found places where we could just be ourselves.
Just as a house needs multiple pillars to stand strong, our lives become richer when we have multiple touchpoints with others. The challenge is that it took us decades to discover those people and places, the ones we now call home.
So we decided to build a tool for it.
Our Place helps people discover local life, connect with others, and cultivate a sense of belonging sooner. We believe no one should have to wait years, or rely on luck, to feel at home where they live.
Because belonging shouldn't happen by accident.
Bailey Romatoski
Wisconsin-raised, Portland-rooted developer and systems thinker. Bailey spent a decade inside Nike and Daimler building data and operations systems before turning her focus to projects with more direct human impact. She co-founded Joyely and helped develop ERBT, a science-backed emotional framework used by clinicians and teams. She also created LIFT, a mental health employee resource group at Daimler that still supports over 14,000 employees worldwide.
Yuuki Sasao-Ruef, CPA
Community facilitator with global business background. Born in a poverty town in Japan, trained in NY, polished in Tokyo, and loving Portland. Pre-ordained Buddhism nun. PwC, Deloitte, and Thunderbird School of Global Management alumni. Always functioning as a bridge between different cultures, hierarchy, sectors, organizations, and more as a CPA, organizational development consultant, grassroot diplomat, and facilitator.
Our Team
Sheryl Lynn
Original "Our Place" Owner
Martin Wright
Lead Developer
Jeremy Gray
Maps Lead
Kimberlynn Baggs
Social Media Manager
Founding Partners
The first places building with us in Portland.
