STRIVR app continues to focus on social connectivity

People need help everyday. From small things like getting a ride, to needing a random school supply you left at home. This is where STRIVR steps in.

STRIVR is an app created by Zach Gray, ’16, a marketing major and entrepreneurship minor, who launched the app his junior year at Lehigh but is currently taking a break from college. The app was created to help people with some of these every day favors.

It works by letting users post what favor they need and other users agree to help them. Gray calls it “social media with a purpose.”

Gray said STRIVR is undergoing various changes and improvements to provide the best social experience for all students. Some of the new features will include the ability to like other people’s responses. Users can also see the responses of others to general questions and recommendations. Questions range from the best study spots on campus to the best restaurants in neighboring areas.

Gray said the company is trying to continue to make STRIVR more social and working on giving the best users rewards within the app.

Gray’s main focus is launching STRIVR successfully on as many college campuses as possible. Gray also plans to explore the growth of STRIVR in other areas such as non-profit organizations, in town communities, and high schools. Post graduation, Gray hopes to continue his career with STRIVR.

“I am so passionate about STRIVR and hope this will be a long-term career for me that provides a lot of jobs for others, and impacts a lot of lives,” Gray said.

He hopes that STRIVR will be on every college campus in the country and also connect to other markets in the future.

Gray explained that the launch at Lehigh taught the STRIVR team much about how the app works best and what it is most used for by students.

“It’s really rewarding to take what we’ve learned and have it work so well in so many places,” Gray said.

The company has introduced the STRIVR car as a promotional initiative. It’s on campuses where the app is present, and is used at events.

“It’s a ton of fun and people love it,” Gray said. “Sometimes we’ll use the car and help people that post on STRIVR, and it’s always funny to see people’s reactions when they get picked up in the STRIVR car after posting on STRIVR.”

Gray said STRIVR fills a real need for students. He explained how all people need random everyday help and the app is an efficient and effective way to reach a large audience of people that might be willing to help. He added that about 90 percent of requests that are made on STRIVR get completed.

“STRIVR is more than just an app,” Patrick Donnelly, ’17, said. “It’s a movement that brings students throughout campus closer.”

The excitement of the app encourages people to pass on the word and tell their friends about STRIVR. Gray believes that the “get help, give help” experience can be a very rewarding and exciting one.

“STRIVR has become so popular because it is so easy and makes daily life easier,” Erin Ricker, ’16, said. “Not only does it feel good when someone helps you, but it feels good to help others too. This has brought Lehigh students together by making it easy to help not only your close friends, but anyone in need of help around you.”

STRIVR is being launched at 19 universities. Gray said that once the app launches at a school, STRIVR’s popularity grows pretty quickly. About 2,300 students are presently signed up at Lehigh.

“STRIVR gets you interacting in each other’s lives, as opposed to just looking at other people’s lives, and it’s definitely changed the way a lot of people interact at Lehigh,” Gray said.