It all began in 2012 when I was in Tel Aviv. I found myself outside of the museum of Modern Art thinking that this was a wonderful place to fall in love in. The warm breeze and the scents and petals falling from the blossoming trees outside made this the perfect setting for love.
The initial idea of Gayze was that it would be so easy if one could open a map and find both people and sights nearby and perhaps with the same interests and dreams like oneself.
“I took that idea with me along with the memories of the Jacaranda trees in bloom and shared it with people I knew. To my surprise I never met a positive response. The cynical conversations turned in to silence and slowly the scents of the trees were forgotten. ”
In 2015 I was invited to a dinner party. Around the table conversations of apps came up and we jokingly talked about my forgotten idea. Including myself. I had stopped believing in it long ago. When enough people tell you something, it somehow becomes real.
The girl who sat next to me turned to me and said. “If you don’t believe in yourself no one else will. I think it’s a great idea. Never stop dreaming.”
Weeks later she contacted me and said she wanted to invest in the project, but with one condition. That we do something good for the world. At the end of that month she moved to Singapore and so our late nights with calls, endless drawings and passionate travels began. So here we are. Once again feeling the petals and sun on my skin. This time clearer than ever and perhaps next time I am in Tel Aviv, love will be there waiting.
/ STELIOS VASILANTONAKIS, CO-FOUNDER
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