Meet Bryan Kosarek | Founder & CEO of the Unitē app and social community

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bryan Kosarek and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bryan, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As a kid, I was always starting little businesses. I always felt a calling to contribute and help people, especially senior citizens and youth. But I think I ignored and/or suppressed my natural curiosities and talents for most of my developmental years — whether that was because the technology didn’t exist or the teachers guiding me didn’t have the skills to cultivate those talents. Whatever the case, I always felt a calling and suppressed it most of my life to follow a more traditional career path.

In 2016 I signed up for the Landmark Forum, which is designed to help us face what was holding us back and create a future from a place of authenticity. At 32 I had to face what, I felt, that calling was and attempt to build a business in alignment with my values and strengths as a person. I ignored my natural skills at 16, 21, and now at 32 I wanted to bring them into alignment.

I knew my core values and passions were with community, experiences, and growth (mental and spiritual.) Along with a love for technology, I spent the next six years building my skill set and the last two this wellness platform. My goal was to build a business that would allow me to work with the individuals and experts that would challenge our mental and emotional growth, build a community around that, and create new experiences. The Unitē app and social community were born (theuniteapp.com). If there was a thought process, it was to build a business I truly believed in and I believe that is the work I’m doing now.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I believe in community. When I decided to build a mental health and wellness brand, I knew connecting people and building community had to be at the core of our business. It is a human desire to want to belong and we’ve kind of lost a sense of community. I truly believe this has led to the epidemic of loneliness our world is currently experiencing.

Every time I sought out support or therapy when my mental health was being challenged, it was always the experiences in a group setting that made me feel seen and heard. Of course, the idea of being vulnerable in front of others was scary, but once people started opening up you realize we’re all going through the same experience. It normalized what I was going through, taught me what the human experience was really about, and allowed me to feel my emotions again.

Persistence, faith, and courage were required to build Unitē. Knowing and trusting that every time I got clear on what I needed to take another step forward it would show up. This experience has taught me to trust the universe. It truly does have your back. If you have a dream, there are only two steps to get started. Get clear on what you need in the moment and take action to move it forward. You only need to know the next step, not the next twenty. The rest will unfold as you take one step forward.

What I’m most excited about, personally, is my vision and dream are now out there. People are starting to see what we’re doing with Unitē and turning community into a form of self-care. I can’t do this alone and I look forward to meeting and working with anyone that has a passion and desire to support or impact mental health. To get Unitē to the next level, this will be a community effort. So to anyone who reads this, and feels called to support the mission, find me on Instagram and feel free to send a hello!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
10:00 am — Breakfast at The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker or Dialogue Cafe in West Hollywood

12:00 pm — Hike up to the Hollywood Sign from 3200 Canyon Dr, Los Angeles, CA

3:30 pm — Relax or get a massage

7:00 pm — Sunset at Griffith Observatory & check out museum (Uber up)

9:00 pm — Dinner at Superba Cafe in Hollywood

10:30 pm — Drinks at the lounge in Edition Hotel in West Hollywood

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My Family: Linda & Richard Kosarek, Alisa & Frank Messana, Kelli & Marc Kosarek-Artigas for believing in and supporting my vision.

StartOut.org, an LGBTQ+ startup and entrepreneur organization that offers resources and mentorship

The LGBTQ+ community for their resilience and inspiring me every day to keep going

Russell Pritchett & Nicholas Berry, my good friends, for emotionally and professionally supporting me

Rob Colburn for his advice and support

Simbisois, Inowu Development, and Cl1cky for their technical support

Website: https://theuniteapp.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryankosarek/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankosarek/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/theuniteapp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theuniteappofficial

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjK8AKHxqnW15ZJbXVq6cSg

Other: https://sparks.theuniteapp.com/sparks