Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in app development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sienna Nazarian, Founder of CityPoll, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
CityPoll is an app that empowers users to have a voice in their communities right from their phones. Our feed and interactive map allow users to learn about, vote and comment on proposed policies and real estate developments within a certain mile radius of their residential communities (the mile radius limitation ensures that only those being affected by the proposed policy or development at hand will be able to have a say on it). The results are presented to City Councils and Real Estate developers, thereby amplifying the voices of residents unable to attend City Council meetings and enabling both Real Estate Developers and City Councils to make decisions with the needs of constituents in mind.
CityPoll has three user types: residents, real estate developers, and local governments. The range of residents spans across a variety of concerned local citizens, some of which might be small business owners, long-time residents, LA transplants, or anyone looking to have a voice in what's happening in their area. CityPoll's early adopters stem from Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the app aims to obtain a national and global user base.
Tell us about yourself
All of my endeavors stem from a place of curiosity and a motivation to make a positive impact on the world. In eighth grade, I was captivated by a speaker series at my school. The speakers discussed the effects of gentrification, specifically how people of color in gentrified neighborhoods often feel culturally, physically, and socially isolated in their communities.
Motivated to continue learning about the issue, I began working with HOPE SF, an organization that strives to create racial and economic equity through urban development. I simultaneously created an independent study, 'Social Equity in Civic Society,' to explore the true impact of neighborhood gentrification, investigating how City Council meetings impact communities. By connecting with local stakeholders, I learned that these meetings are often the only opportunity that community members have to voice their opinions. Furthermore, I discovered that poorer residents often could not attend these meetings due to financial or family constraints. My research demonstrated to me that these community members needed a practical solution that would empower them to make their voices heard.
I saw the injustice of this disenfranchisement of my fellow Californians and created the CityPoll app to address it.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as an entrepreneur is presenting CityPoll to policy leaders and groups that have been aiming to create social equity, such as HOPE SF, The San Francisco Mayor's office, and the Mayor of Beverly Hills, Lili Bosse.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that come with being a young entrepreneur is having to work three times as hard to establish my credibility because of my age.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start asking questions, and never stop asking them.
- Embrace the "Nos." When you hear a no, it means that what you're trying to do hasn't been done before. If you're not hearing no, it means that what you're trying to accomplish is so easy to accomplish that anyone else can come in and copy you.
- You always have to be your number one advocate.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.citypoll.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sienna-nazarian/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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