Waitroom Launches a New Live Video Platform Using Timed Mini-Conversations to Bring Communities Together

Led by CEO Vinny Lingham, the platform is backed by notable investors including David Sacks and Ari Emanuel and will kick off with sessions hosted by prominent celebrities

SAN DIEGO, March 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seasoned entrepreneur, technologist and TV personality, Vinny Lingham, with his co-founders Michael Gaylord and Margaret Grobler today announced the launch of Waitroom, a first-of-its-kind live streaming format. The new platform facilitates sequential, one-on-one video conversations that are broadcast as a live show, so a larger audience of viewers can watch.

Waitroom was designed to foster short, authentic conversations between well-known individuals and their followers. Meanwhile, communities gain personal access to their favorite celebrities, thought leaders, creators, makers and experts, live on video. A countdown timer keeps the energy high and a queuing system allows the host to have short one-on-one chats with many people while avoiding conversation hogs. Shows can be simultaneously streamed to other platforms like YouTube or Facebook, or recorded—making the content far-reaching.

A lineup of shows with high-profile hosts will kick off today, including TV personality Tan France, talk show host Amanda Kloots, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales and various other celebrities, business leaders and social media influencers. A schedule of sessions for the launch festival may be found on waitroom.com.

Waitroom is the newest business venture from Vinny Lingham, who will act as CEO. As a prolific angel investor and serial entrepreneur (including Gyft and Civic), Waitroom's inspiration came from Vinny needing something that did not yet exist. Having worked with duo Michael Gaylord (CTO) and Margaret Grobler (Chief Designer) on multiple startups for over a decade, he knew they could help bring what he envisioned to life.

"The lightbulb moment for me was during COVID  lockdowns when I was doing back-to-back video calls, very inefficiently every day. Needlessly long meetings and cumbersome group calls were eating up my time," said Vinny Lingham, Waitroom CEO. "I figured there had to be a way to save time while still allowing me to talk to all the people seeking to connect. Waitroom's format was born out of that need to be more time efficient, but what surprised me is how much fun and energy the timer and the queue brings."

Waitroom is also backed by several top Silicon Valley investors, and other notables, including:

• Ari Emanuel:Endeavor, CEO
• David Sacks: Craft Ventures
• Mike Maples Jr: Floodgate
• David Frankel: Founder Collective
• Character
• 20VC
• Social Leverage
• Valor Equity Partners
• Signia
• Possible Ventures

To learn more, sign up or join a show, visit waitroom.com. The Waitroom app is available for download in the App Store or on Google Play. To apply to become a host to connect with your community on Waitroom, please visit waitroom.com/host.

About Waitroom:
Waitroom is building the next generation of live conversation and video streaming experiences. With a unique approach to facilitating conversations between well-known individuals and their communities, Waitroom's philosophy is all about free, open and shared conversations and authentic human connection. Co-founded by Vinny Lingham (CEO), Margaret Grobler and Michael Gaylord, Waitroom was built by a team of seasoned startup experts with a global mindset, and is backed by top Silicon Valley investors. For more information, visit waitroom.com or follow on Twitter and YouTube.

About Waitroom CEO Vinny Lingham:
Vinny Lingham, entrepreneur, technologist, reality TV personality, and author, is CEO and co-founder of Waitroom. A serial entrepreneur, he has decades of expertise founding several companies prior to Waitroom including Civic, Gyft, Synthasite (Yola) and more. Originally from South Africa and an esteemed technology expert, Vinny is a prolific angel investor, crypto-aficionado, and co-founder of Cape Town-based Newtown Partners. Vinny has led early-stage investments into successful startups. He can be seen as a Shark on Shark Tank South Africa and an Angel in National Geographic's Undercover Angel.

SOURCE Waitroom