According to a 2023 report from the United States Surgeon General, 60% of students feel lonely or isolated at universities. Even more troubling, one-third are considering dropping out, with 68% of them citing mental health issues as the cause. For Zhang, lack of connection had become more than a personal problem; it was a generational crisis.
“I realized that I wasn’t the only one who’s experiencing challenges like social isolation [and] difficulty making connections with other students,” Zhang said. “Lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle due to the pandemic — those things will negatively impact your mental health.”
Zhang — who worked for Apple for eight years as well as an online laser eye surgery platform — approached Marshall MBA student and former Microsoft intern, Kenny Wang, with her idea for SoFiiT. Not only would it encourage people to practice active lifestyles but it would also enable them to find connections on campus.
The team developed a prototype, conducted user interviews, and formed the basis for what would become SoFiiT. To match its customers with like-minded workout buddies, the app asks each student for their goals, favorite activities, and even self-described personality traits, such as whether they’re an introvert or extrovert.
In September 2023, Zhang and Wang launched their beta and started to explore the numerous entrepreneurial opportunities Marshall had to offer. They joined Marshall’s Incubator Program to accelerate their development with hands-on mentoring. The group also entered a number of Marshall pitch competitions, including the Athena Female Founders Pitch Competition, the Trojan Tank Pitch Competition, and the New Venture Seed Competition. Encouraged by the positive feedback, the pair kept pushing SoFiiT forward.
“You need support at an early stage. If no one supports your idea, it’s really hard to move forward,” Zhang said. “[The Marshall community] helped us to build more confidence in believing in our vision, the things we’re doing moving forward, and to keep putting efforts into building our paths.”
Zhang sees the entire MBA program and the USC community at-large as instrumental to SoFiiT’s creation and success. They received invaluable health-oriented guidance from experts at the Keck School of Medicine, including Paula Swinford (clinical instructor of family medicine) and Sarah Van Orman (clinical professor of family medicine and chief campus health officer). According to Zhang, Marshall professors like Inge Lindholm, Abby Fifer Mandell, Glenn Fox, Paul Orlando, and Hovig Tchalian offered key counsel and helped to accelerate the growth of her burgeoning company.
“If I wasn’t in the MBA program, I couldn’t have known about all of those pitch competitions and all the resources,” Zhang said. “We have a lot of entrepreneurship-related topics and causes. It helps us to learn more and to explore this track a little bit more.”
After just a year, SoFiiT has over 750 users, the vast majority of whom have reported increased physical activity and mental well-being. Zhang and Wang have also connected with several universities about integrating the app onto their campuses, receiving letters of intent from UC Berkeley and California State University, San Bernardino.
Their journey has taken them from USC Marshall to Techstars Columbus, where the pair is currently making connections and growing their application. They envision SoFiiT used by students across the country, promoting a healthy lifestyle and addressing the growing loneliness crisis.
