Why I built Orbit.

I'm Tommy Newman. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and I'm graduating from Georgetown University with a degree in Psychology and Business.

For a long time, I felt a quiet lack of belonging on campus — and I assumed it was just me. So I started asking around, and then I ran a survey. 70% of students said they felt the same way.

That's when I launched Orbit — a lightweight way to actually discover what's happening on campus and find a place to plug in.

Over 700 students at Georgetown and the University of Maryland tried it. Every single one told me it was helpful. They also told me something else, almost unanimously: they'd trust it — and use it more — if it were officially aligned with the school, not a third-party app.

So, here I am.