Playon Partners with Notre Dame's IDEA Center to Get Communities More Active

SOUTH BEND, Ind., Aug. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Notre Dame University has announced its newest startup venture partner: Playon. The forthcoming platform aims to get communities more active by increasing opportunity and decreasing friction in our active lives.

Playon will launch its product early this fall in select communities. Available on all major platforms, Playon gives users the ability to manage their active lifestyle with one simple tool. Users create profiles, fill out their interests, and quickly search through hundreds of activities that match their needs. One-click registration and simple payment tools makes sign-up simpler than the typical forms used in sports. And communities will be able to highlight all activities, venues, and organizations.

Playon's founders grew up near Notre Dame. As they traveled for their consulting business, they saw the devolution of active communities throughout the midwest. Where others pointed to increasing reliance on tech as the problem, the duo saw it as the only solution.

"We've grown to expect that we can leverage technology to get what we need, but when it comes to getting active, we're still mostly reliant on word of mouth," says cofounder Marc Oestreich.

"Just think about it," says Oestreich, "we have Facebook for our social lives, Tinder for our romantic lives, LinkedIn for our professional lives… now we have Playon for our active lives."

With the University's storied history in athletics and deep commitment to community improvement, the partnership with Playon is an obvious match.

Playon cofounder Sam Maule said, "Our partnership with Notre Dame couldn't be more fitting. Their athletic powerhouse is matched only by their dedication to building an innovation culture through the IDEA Center."

With Notre Dame on board, Playon plans to ramp up staff and launch test markets around the midwest in the next year.

"It's been a pleasure working with the Playon team," says Matthew Dudevoir, Notre Dame IDEA Center's Community Risk Assessment Manager. "As a working adult, my free time is a scarce resource, and group activities often take as long to organize as they do to enjoy. Playon is a real asset to those hoping to enjoy an active lifestyle with minimal fuss, and I'm glad to have been a small part of their efforts."

Contact Playon
Sam Maule, 312-780-5739, [email protected]
www.playonapp.com

SOURCE Playon