Krew Social Wins Tampa Bay Chamber’s 2026 Startup of the Year Award
Tampa-built retention platform helps organizations build social capital through real-life connection
TAMPA, Fla. — Krew Social has won the Tampa Bay Chamber’s 2026 Startup of the Year award. The Tampa-based company helps organizations build social capital through small groups of people doing what they love together in person.
Finalists went through a nine-month, four-stage process that included interviews and a CPA review of financials, and were judged on five criteria: ethical business practices, business goals and planning, operational management, innovation and response to adversity, and leadership and community contributions. More than 350 businesses were nominated.
Krew addresses a problem that workplace tools and occasional company events often leave unresolved: people can work in the same organization without ever forming real relationships. Its platform helps people build connections within their workplace or community, giving organizations a practical way to strengthen social capital, well-being and retention.
Rather than measuring success by how long people stay online, Krew focuses on helping them spend time together in real life. Its mobile app helps people discover and organize hangouts around shared interests, while its organizational dashboard helps leaders understand participation and connection within their communities.
Tampa General Hospital is both a customer and an investor through TGH Ventures. Krew worked with the hospital’s People and Talent and innovation teams to adapt the platform for its workforce, helping team members build social capital with the goal of improving retention and reducing burnout.
Krew Social helps organizations build social capital—the relationships, trust and support people can rely on. Through small, recurring in-person hangouts, it helps colleagues connect within teams and across departments.
Across its communities, Krew has generated more than 1,400 hangouts, 14,000 RSVPs and 10,000 connections made in real life. On the App Store, Krew holds a 4.9-star rating, placing it in the top 4% of apps. The company’s latest Net Promoter Score, a measure of users’ willingness to recommend it, is 69—18 points higher than iPhone (NICE Satmetrix, U.S. Consumer 2020). Krew also reports 10X the staff adoption of a leading wellness app.
“People need friends, not another feed,” said Mike Chahinian, founder and CEO of Krew Social. “We’re building something that helps people get together and keep showing up for each other. Winning this award in Tampa means a lot, because this community has helped us turn that idea into a business.”
Chahinian founded Krew after experiencing the difficulty of building adult connections following his Navy service and move to New York City. That experience shapes Krew’s vision: a world where everyone has their people. The company is building toward that vision from Tampa, with support from the city’s startup community.
About Krew Social
Krew Social is a Tampa-based technology company building a retention platform rooted in human connection. It helps organizations build social capital through small-group activities and real-life connections. Learn more at krewsocial.com.
