Stanford MBA Ana Gonzalez Galindo leads Friendly Together, a movement helping New Yorkers build real friendships through shared experiences.
A Founder On A Mission To Rebuild Friendship
Ana Gonzalez Galindo did not set out to build a social platform in the traditional sense. She set out to solve a feeling she knew personally. Arriving in New York City, she experienced what many people quietly carry but rarely say out loud. You can be surrounded by millions of people and still feel alone.
Even with a strong background and a Stanford MBA, building a social life from scratch proved unexpectedly difficult. The usual structures that once made friendship easy were no longer there. There was no classroom, no built in circle, no natural repetition of seeing the same people each day. What remained was effort, and often, hesitation.
That experience became the starting point for Friendly Together. What began as a personal question slowly turned into a broader mission. Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult, and what would it take to change that?
Today, as Founder and CEO of Friendly Together, Ana is building a social movement rooted in a simple but powerful belief. Friendship should not feel out of reach. It should feel natural again.
Break The Bubble
There is a moment many people recognize but rarely talk about. You consider reaching out, joining something new, or saying yes to an invitation, and then you stop. You tell yourself it is not the right time. You assume everyone else already has their circle.
This is the bubble.
Ana Gonzalez Galindo describes it as the invisible barrier that modern life creates. It is not a lack of desire for connection. It is the quiet friction that prevents people from acting on it. Busy schedules, digital habits, and the fear of awkwardness all reinforce that distance.
Friendly Together exists to break that pattern. It creates spaces where the intention to connect is shared, not hidden. Where showing up alone is normal. Where wanting more friends is not something to explain.
“Loneliness survives in silence. When people feel safe enough to show up as themselves, everything changes.”
The shift is subtle but powerful. When people step into an environment where connection is expected, the pressure disappears. Conversations begin more easily. People stay longer. And friendships start to form without force.
Friends That Last. Skills That Stay.
At the heart of Friendly Together is a philosophy that feels both practical and human.
Friends that last. Skills that stay.
The idea is not to create another social event. It is to create experiences where connection happens as a byproduct of doing something meaningful together.
Each gathering is intentionally small and structured. Not rigid, but thoughtful. There is always a shared activity that gives people a reason to engage without the pressure of constant conversation. Over time, this changes how people interact.
You arrive for a cooking class and end up sharing a meal with someone you just met. You attend a creative workshop and leave with both a new skill and a new contact in your phone. The experience feels natural because it is grounded in doing, not performing.
This is where Friendly Together stands apart. It removes the expectation that connection has to be immediate or perfect. Instead, it allows it to build organically, one shared moment at a time.
Craft Culture And Community
As the platform grows across New York City, Friendly Together has expanded its experiences through partnerships that reflect both creativity and cultural depth.
These are not events designed for scale alone. They are designed for atmosphere.
In beauty sessions led by respected makeup artists, participants engage in a process that builds confidence while opening space for conversation. The focus is not just on technique, but on how people connect through shared learning.
Music appreciation evenings at Baretto at Fasano offer a different rhythm. Set within a refined cultural space, these gatherings invite thoughtful listening and discussion. The setting itself encourages presence, turning a night out into something more intentional.
Chef led cooking experiences bring people together around the idea of hosting. Participants learn how to prepare dishes while also exploring what it means to gather others around a table. The act of cooking becomes a gateway to connection.
At the highest level, collaborations with venues such as Caviar Kaspia reflect the range of the platform. From intimate workshops to elevated cultural settings, the goal remains consistent. Create spaces where people feel comfortable enough to connect.
Across every experience, the same idea holds true. Friends that last. Skills that stay.
Five Simple Ways To Rebuild Connection
Friendly Together is built on structured experiences, but the philosophy extends beyond any single event. For those looking to rebuild their own sense of connection, Ana often points to small, practical shifts.
First, choose environments with shared activity. It is easier to connect when there is something to do together.
Second, show up consistently. Familiarity builds comfort, and comfort creates space for conversation.
Third, lower the expectation of instant chemistry. Not every interaction needs to become a friendship to be valuable.
Fourth, be open about wanting connection. The more it is normalized, the easier it becomes for others to respond.
Fifth, follow up. A simple message or second meeting is often what turns a moment into something lasting.
These are not dramatic changes. They are small adjustments that, over time, reshape how connection forms.
A Social Movement Taking Shape
Friendly Together is gaining momentum as more people recognize the need for real world connection. Events continue to bring together individuals, couples, and families who are looking for something more meaningful than passive interaction.
Ana’s academic background at Stanford, where she explored how belonging forms within communities, informs the structure behind each experience. The result is a platform that feels intuitive while being carefully designed.
In 2025, Friendly Together received the Evergreen Award for Best Social App for Making Friends in NYC. The recognition reflects a broader shift toward platforms that prioritize human connection over digital engagement.
Yet the deeper impact is seen in the smaller moments. Conversations that continue after an event. Friendships that extend beyond a single meeting. People who begin to feel part of something again.
Where Friendship Begins Again
Ana Gonzalez Galindo believes that cities do not have to feel isolated. With the right environments, they can become places where connection happens every day.
Friendly Together is an invitation to step out of the bubble and into something more intentional. Not louder, not bigger, but more real.
New Yorkers interested in exploring upcoming experiences and community gatherings can learn more through friendlytogetherapp.com or follow the community on Instagram.
Sometimes, all it takes is one evening, one shared experience, or one conversation to change how a city feels.
