About What's Local
Helping people discover and create meaningful local experiences.
Our Story
What's Local began with a simple observation: there are incredible artists, makers, musicians, practitioners, small businesses, workshops, and community spaces all around us. But discovering them is still surprisingly hard.
We've all been there. Scrolling endlessly trying to find the perfect gift, a unique class to try, or a local event worth attending. So much of local discovery happens through scattered Instagram posts, WhatsApp groups, newsletters, word of mouth, or simply being in the right place at the right time. Meanwhile, talented makers, passionate hosts, and creative entrepreneurs are just blocks away, looking for meaningful ways to reach the very neighbors who would love what they offer.
What's Local exists to connect those pieces.
We're building a platform where discovery feels personal, verification means something, and supporting local isn't just a hashtag. It's how we experience, learn, and connect.
What Makes Us Different
Local Discovery, With Intention
We look beyond the obvious listings to surface artists, makers, practitioners, workshops, performances, and gatherings worth knowing about.
More Than a Listing
We help creators and hosts think about the experience itself, including the audience, space, format, and how people will engage.
Authentic Stories
Every artist and founder has a story. The late nights, the first sale or workshop, the reason they started. We don't just list experiences; we tell the stories behind them.
Our Mission
To make local life more creative, connected, and discoverable by helping people find meaningful experiences nearby and helping the people who create them reach the right communities and spaces.
Our Values
Human Discovery
We believe in curation, not automation. Every brand is reviewed. Every experience is vetted. Quality always beats quantity.
Local First, Always
We celebrate the makers, creators, and entrepreneurs who invest in our communities, not just those who sell to them.
Community Over Competition
Rising tides lift all boats. We're here to help local businesses succeed together, not compete against each other.
Transparency & Trust
Clear expectations, thoughtful partnerships, and honest communication with hosts, creators, spaces, and locals.
Meet the Founder
Hi, I'm Jeena!
After 2 decades of building platforms, partnerships, and new businesses in technology, I kept coming back to a much more human problem: there are extraordinary people, ideas, and experiences all around us, but finding and connecting them is still unnecessarily hard. I'm a Bay Area local who loves discovering the artist teaching out of a neighborhood studio, learning more from the founder creating something thoughtful, singing along with the musician looking for the right room to play, or observing local spaces that could become a gathering place for their community.
What's Local grew from that curiosity and from a belief that local life becomes richer when the right people, spaces, and communities find one another. Want to chat? Have a suggestion? I'm building What's Local to make those connections easier, more intentional, and more meaningful. Know an amazing local business? Reach out—I'd love to hear from you.
Jeena James
Local: Sunnyvale, CA
Join the Movement - Ask 'What's Local?'
Let's celebrate local excellence.