From Georgia to California to Turkey to Miami: the co-founder of Plus 1 on why some of life's best memories start with getting out there and doing something.
Life is better when you're actually out there living it. When you look back at the best moments of your life, they're usually experiences you shared with someone.
— Angie Romasanta, Co-Founder & CXO of Plus 1
Angie Romasanta grew up in a military family, moving from Georgia to California to Turkey. That constant "start-over" shaped how she thinks about friendship, community, and why real, in-person connection matters more than ever. Today she's the Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer of Plus 1, Miami's plans-first social app.
Growing up in a military family meant Angie Romasanta rarely stayed in one place for too long. From Georgia and California to Turkey, she learned early what it meant to start over, adapt to unfamiliar surroundings, experience different cultures, and meet people she otherwise never would have crossed paths with.
Today, those experiences influence how she thinks about friendship, community, and the importance of meeting people in real life. We sat down with Angie, co-founder of Plus 1, to talk about growing up around the world, her life today, how she uses Plus 1, and why she believes some of life's best memories begin with simply getting out there and doing something.
In the beginning, it was challenging. I'd get comfortable somewhere, make great friends, love my school, and then suddenly we'd move and I'd have to start all over again.
Eventually, I got used to it and actually started embracing it. Every move became a chance to experience somewhere new, meet different people, reinvent myself and discover a different way of life.
I lived in Warner Robins, Georgia; Merced, Riverside, and Loma Linda, California; and Izmir, Turkey.
Turkey definitely had the biggest impact on me. It was my first time living outside the United States, and I was suddenly thrown into a completely different culture and way of life.
It opened my eyes to how big and fascinating the world really is. There were so many things I'd never experienced before, and it made me curious about other places, cultures, and people, this is probably why I love traveling so much today.
I think it taught me how to adapt. Every move meant a new school, new surroundings, and a completely new group of people.
I definitely felt awkward sometimes, although my friends tell me they never thought I was. But when you're constantly starting over, you learn how to put yourself out there. You can't always wait for someone else to make the first move.
It taught me to appreciate and embrace different cultures and to genuinely want to understand people's stories.
Everyone has a story, and a lot of them are really interesting. I've always felt like every new person you meet can open a door to something different. You might discover a new place, try something you've never done before, learn something, or just see life from another perspective.
Definitely Turkey. Suddenly, I was living somewhere where people spoke a different language and everyday life felt completely different.
I had to learn some of the language and adapt. It was uncomfortable at first, but it ended up becoming one of the experiences that shaped me the most.
Absolutely. It taught me that we usually have a lot more in common with each other than we think.
It's easy to focus on differences when you don't know someone. Once you actually spend time together, talk, laugh, and learn about each other's lives, you start discovering all these similarities.
I think if more people had the opportunity to really get to know people outside their normal circles, they'd realize how connected we actually are.
I'm naturally pretty outgoing, but I think moving around definitely helped. I was constantly being put into situations where I had to meet new people and build new friendships.
I love being social, but my social battery definitely has a limit. I can start the night like a firecracker, and a few hours later I'm looking for the perfect opportunity to make an Irish exit.
Kindness, positive energy, and someone who's fun.
When I meet someone who's genuinely kind, upbeat, and has good energy, I'm immediately drawn to them. I want more people like that in my life.
Probably how much I enjoy my downtime. People see me going to events, traveling, networking, and meeting people, but I'm also perfectly happy spending time at home.
I'll paint, cook, read, research something I'm interested in, or inevitably start thinking about new ways to grow Plus 1. I like having that balance.
If I'm in Miami, I love checking out new spots, meeting people, networking, and finding something fun to do.
But it doesn't always have to be a big social day. Sometimes I'll stay home, paint, cook, read, or spend way too much time researching ideas for Plus 1. It really depends on what I'm in the mood for that day.
Sushi, hiking, or traveling somewhere exotic. Combine all three and you won't even have to ask twice.
I thought it was a genius idea because it felt like something people had been craving: real, genuine interaction.
I'd been on dating apps for years. At first they were fun, and I met a lot of interesting people. But eventually, they started feeling like a job. Swipe, match, message, repeat. It started feeling empty and superficial.
Plus 1 immediately felt different because the focus wasn't just on someone's profile. It was about actually doing something together.
On dating apps, we're usually making that initial decision almost entirely based on what someone looks like. That's a pretty superficial way to decide whether someone might be worth knowing.
That's one of the things I like most about Plus 1. You're connecting around a plan, something you both actually want to do. Instead of just thinking, "Do I like this person's pictures?" you're thinking, "Wait, I want to do that too." That's a much more natural starting point.
I'm definitely not someone who loves making plans weeks in advance because my future self might wake up that day and decide she doesn't want to go.
I love using Plus 1 for spontaneous, last-minute plans. If I suddenly feel like getting sushi, going on the water, or trying something new, I can post it and see who else wants to go. That's probably my favorite way to use it.
Anything involving the water: jet skis, water cars, drinks on a floating tiki. I'm also always down for a spa day or sushi. Especially sushi.
One that really stands out was meeting a girl named Amber. We went for drinks on a floating tiki, and it ended up being such a fun day.
She had amazing, positive energy, and the whole thing turned into an adventure. We probably never would have met otherwise, and that's what I love about Plus 1. Sometimes you just need a reason to cross paths with someone.
Check out the Ideas section. That's exactly what it's there for, and usually you'll find something that makes you think, "Oh, that sounds fun."
And you don't even have to post your own plan. Browse what other people are doing. If something catches your attention, request to join. Don't overthink it. Just start with something you'd genuinely enjoy doing.
Definitely. We live in a world where we've gotten incredibly comfortable texting, emailing, commenting, and sending memes back and forth. And I love all of those things too.
But we're still human. We crave real, in-person connection. There's something completely different about sitting across from someone, laughing together, making eye contact, having a conversation, and actually experiencing something together.
Technology can help us find each other, but it shouldn't replace actually being together.
A huge part of human connection. Body language, eye contact, someone's energy, the way they react to something, the little expressions you don't even consciously notice. There are so many things we pick up when we're physically around another person that just don't translate through a screen.
You can message someone for weeks and sometimes learn more about them during one hour together in person.
I think it's both. We're constantly connected online, but being connected isn't necessarily the same thing as feeling connected. You can have hundreds of people interacting with you online and still feel like you don't have anyone to call when you want to grab dinner on a random Tuesday.
I also think approaching someone new has started to feel harder than it should. That's another reason I like connecting through a plan. You don't have to awkwardly walk up to a stranger and say, "Hey, do you want to be friends?" You already have a reason to meet.
You already have something in common before you even meet.
There's also less pressure. You're not sitting across from someone trying to figure out whether you're a match based on a profile. You're doing something you both wanted to do anyway. The activity gives you something to talk about, something to experience together, and a natural way to get to know each other.
And even if that person doesn't become your best friend, a business connection, or someone you date, you still got out of the house and did something you wanted to do. To me, that's a win.
I hope Plus 1 makes meeting someone new feel normal and easy again.
I want people to be able to wake up anywhere in the world and think, "I'd love to do this today, but I don't have anyone to go with," and not let that stop them.
Your friends are busy? You're new to a city? You're traveling alone? You want to try something none of your friends are interested in? Post it.
Instead of waiting for the right person or the right invitation, you can create the plan yourself and find someone who wants to experience it with you.
If Plus 1 can help more people get off their phones, get out into the world, and create real memories with people they otherwise might never have met, that's exactly what I hope it becomes.
Life is better when you're actually out there living it.
When you look back at the best moments of your life, they're usually experiences you shared with someone. A trip you took. A dinner where you couldn't stop laughing. An adventure that didn't go according to plan. A random day that somehow turned into a memory you'll never forget.
Don't get me wrong, staying home and sleeping in feels amazing sometimes. But years from now, you're probably not going to look back and say, "Wow, remember that incredible Saturday I spent lying in bed?"
Get out there. Meet someone. Do something. Make a connection. Create a story worth remembering.
Download Plus 1 free on iOS or Android. Post your first plan or browse what your city is up to this weekend.
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