Building better together
Our vision
A world where the journey of building what you believe in is shared, not solitary.
Our mission
To bring curious, values‑driven people together for honest one‑to‑one conversations. We connect members who can help each other solve real problems, see new perspectives and build the trusted relationships that make meaningful work possible.
Making networking human again
We know the value of connection. We’re told our network is our greatest asset, yet for many of us the reality of professional networking is exhausting, awkward and often feels completely fake.
Big rooms, loud voices and endless feeds reward performance over honesty. If you don’t fit the usual mould or come from a less traditional background, it can feel even harder to find people who really understand what you’re building.
A space for real conversation
tara is a community built for genuine human connection. It’s a place to get a fresh perspective on a problem you’re stuck on, share the highs and lows of building something new, or simply hear someone else’s story and realise you’re not doing this alone.
Instead of working the room, you meet one person at a time, with enough context to dive into common interests, lived experience and real challenges. Quiet, thoughtful conversations count more here than polished small talk or collecting business cards.
Intentional connection, guided by trust
We take as much awkwardness and guesswork out of networking as we can. Clear profiles, simple prompts and one 45‑minute conversation at a time help you arrive prepared and keep things grounded in what matters to you.
Everyone signs in with Google and is reviewed before connecting, and this is not a place for hard selling or hustle. tara is for people who care about building useful things and supporting each other, and we’ll keep shaping the process with members so it stays safe, inclusive and genuinely helpful as we grow.
Hello! My name is Gabi 👋
I’ve long had a passion for helping people connect and grow in their careers. Over the years I’ve led DEI work in gender balance, social mobility and neurodiversity, and set up reverse mentoring and talent‑rotation programmes. tara is the thread that pulls all of that together - a community space to help people connect, grow and develop in their professional lives, whatever that looks like.
I also know first‑hand how hard it can feel. As a woman from a disadvantaged background, and someone who was late‑diagnosed with ADHD and autism, I’ve spent a lot of time feeling out of step with the professional worlds I’ve worked in. Building tara as a solo founder has only underlined how lonely it can be to build something on your own, even when you care deeply about it.
Time after time people tell me how much they struggle with networking. Whether that’s walking into a big room full of strangers or trying to cut through all the noise on LinkedIn. tara is for everyone who wants to get away from algorithms, elevator pitches and AI‑generated posturing, and back to the magic of genuine conversations - connecting around shared values, lived experience and a desire to make the world a little bit better, one small step at a time.
My vision is for tara to become a community‑led platform, built for our members, by our members. If you’ve made it this far, thank you, and I hope you’ll join us on this adventure.
Why the name tara?
For millennia, people have looked to the stars for direction, comfort and possibility. tara borrows from that idea: a small light that helps you find your way when the path ahead feels uncertain. Each conversation adds another point of light, turning individual stories into a shared map for everyone who’s building something of their own.
A guiding star
The name “tara” means star. It represents a guiding light - the person, idea or conversation that can illuminate your next step when things feel unclear.
A constellation of ideas
Every member is a point of light, and every conversation creates a new connection, forming a living constellation of shared experience and ideas.
A journey of discovery
Inspired by celestial navigation, tara helps you explore new professional landscapes, discover unexpected possibilities and chart a path that feels like your own.
How we want tara to feel
tara’s values are about how it feels to be here, not just words on a page. They guide who we welcome in, how we design conversations and what we protect, so that people building largely on their own can find support that feels safe, honest and genuinely helpful.
trust
Trust means knowing the person you’re meeting is real, present and here for the right reasons. It’s our commitment to a safe, respectful community where bad behaviour isn’t ignored or brushed aside.
authenticity
Authenticity means leaving the elevator pitch behind. This is a space for genuine conversation, not a job interview. It’s about the honest connection that happens when you can show up as your real, unpolished self.
reciprocity
Reciprocity means conversations aren’t one‑sided. You give and receive support, ideas and experience, whether you’re just starting out or have years behind you. We believe useful insight can come from anyone in the room.
agency
Agency means having control over your time, energy and story. You choose what you share, what you work on and how often you connect, with each 45‑minute conversation there to help you move forward on your own terms.
Join tara. Follow tara. Share tara.
Stay in the loop with new stories, ideas and community moments, and pass tara on to people who’d value more honest conversations.
A roadmap shaped with our members
We have big ideas for tara, but we don’t want to build it in a vacuum. Each phase is about listening to members, testing what works and only moving forward when the foundations feel solid.
Over the next few months, we’re focused on early access: sign‑up, profiles and understanding what our members are working on. This is where we learn what kinds of conversations people want, what feels supportive and what gets in the way. Those insights will shape how introductions work in the next phase.
In the following months, we’ll begin introducing members for 45‑minute video conversations, supported by simple prompts and clear context. We’ll pay close attention to what feels like a “good connection”, what doesn’t, and how often people actually want to meet, using that feedback to adjust the process.
Looking further ahead, we’d love to help existing communities strengthen their internal connections rather than replace them. That could mean small member‑led groups, partnerships with larger networks where people struggle to find their people, and, over time, supporting more regions and occasional in‑person meet‑ups. We’ll only move into this phase once we’re confident the core one‑to‑one experience is working well.
Our members are all builders
tara is for people who are building something in their working lives - whether that’s a business, a career move or the confidence to share what they know. Each group brings different needs, but they’re united by a desire for real conversation and support, not sales pitches.
Independent builder
People starting or growing something of their own: founders, small business owners and side‑project builders who want connection without losing focus.
Often running a product or service business largely alone and looking for honest peer conversations rather than opportunities to pitch.
Balancing a day job with a side project and seeking practical ideas from others living the same reality, not abstract theory.
Wanting to meet other builders who can sense‑check ideas and explore potential collaboration over time.
Career builder
Professionals shaping their next chapter: managers and specialists who want candid conversations about work, leadership and change outside their usual circles.
Managing teams and looking to compare notes with peers without the constraints or politics of their own organisation.
Exploring sector or role changes and wanting straightforward insight from people who have already made similar moves.
Looking for space to talk about confidence, boundaries and burnout in their careers without every interaction becoming a sales conversation.
Confidence builder
Experienced people who enjoy helping others grow: leaders, consultants and mentors who want their time to be used well and their experience to matter.
Receiving many generic requests on LinkedIn and preferring fewer, better introductions with clear context and purpose.
Wanting to share hard‑won experience with people who are thoughtful, prepared and genuinely interested in learning.
Aiming to stay sharp, give back and have stimulating conversations, without being drawn into an unsustainable volume of meetings.
What our research told us
Before building anything, time was spent listening to people who struggle with traditional networking: awkward events, surface‑level conversations and noisy online feeds that rarely lead to real support. The research consistently highlighted a desire for smaller, well‑matched conversations with context, where people can talk honestly about their work, decisions and doubts without feeling like they are performing or being sold to.
Join us in shaping a new era of professional connection
tara is in early access, working closely with a small group of people to understand what really helps them connect in a way that feels purposeful, inclusive and low‑noise. By joining now, you’ll help shape how the product and community evolve through your feedback and real conversations.