College Social App Founder Ameen Raissi Is Fighting Loneliness One Campus at a Time
Most college students spend their first year trying to find where they belong.
For 20 year old Ameen Raissi, that challenge became a startup opportunity.
In this episode of the Rebellious Times Podcast, I sat down with Ameen, Co-Founder and COO of What2Do, a college social app designed to help students discover events, meet new people, and feel more connected on campus. At just 20 years old, Ameen is balancing life as a Johns Hopkins student, a startup founder, and a successful content creator while pursuing his long-term goal of becoming a physician.
What stood out immediately was the clarity of the problem What2Do is trying to solve. Despite growing up in the most digitally connected era in history, many young people report feeling increasingly isolated. As a result, Ameen and his co-founders created a platform that makes discovering real-world experiences as easy as scrolling through social media.
However, this isn’t simply another event app. Instead, What2Do aims to become a “moment network” where students can instantly discover what’s happening around them, see who is attending, and join with a single tap. From pickup basketball games to campus events and social gatherings, the goal is to reduce the friction that often prevents people from making new connections.
What impressed me most was Ameen’s willingness to build in public. Along the way, he and his team have embraced criticism, launched marketing campaigns, produced content daily, and learned rapidly from early users. Furthermore, their launch generated more than 600 downloads within days, representing roughly 10% of the Johns Hopkins undergraduate population.
Beneath the startup story sits a bigger theme. While many students feel uncertain about the future, Ameen represents a generation of young founders willing to create solutions rather than simply complain about problems. Whether What2Do ultimately expands across college campuses, Baltimore, or beyond, the mindset behind the business is already inspiring.
Episode Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Ameen Raisi and What2Do
- 03:00 Ameen’s Background and Journey as a Young Founder
- 06:14 The Launch of What2Do and Initial Success
- 08:52 Addressing Loneliness on College Campuses
- 12:12 Building a Team and Overcoming Challenges
- 18:11 Navigating Criticism and Building in Public
- 21:02 Balancing Studies and Entrepreneurship
- 23:58 Content Creation and Passion for the Steelers
- 28:03 Future Plans and Closing Thoughts
Ameen Raissi links:
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