SCHENECTADY — To cross or not to cross? Exhausted by endless scrolling, meaningless chatter and an oversaturated online dating pool, it’s no surprise that more and more singles are choosing the latter.
Some, like Becky Daniels and Gabby Fisher, are ditching dating apps altogether and looking for more organic ways to find love.
“A lot of people, even those who have been tied to their phones for a very long time, find that dating apps just don’t give them what they’re looking for in terms of hooking up,” said Daniels, who swears off finding love at first swipe apps like which are Tinder, Bumble and Hinge.
In 2021, frustrated by the lack of opportunities to meet potential partners in person, Daniels and Fisher launched Capital Heart Connection, an event series designed to connect the Capital Region’s vibrant and inclusive singles community.
Now the friends are taking the business to the next level by offering matchmaking services out of a brand new office space at Palette Community in downtown Schenectady as part of a corporate partnership with the female-focused co-working space. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the office, located at 508 State St., on Feb. 2 at 4 p.m. to celebrate the expansion.
Now playing Cupid, the friends-turned-business partners have rebranded their company Micropolitan Matchmakers and are taking on clients looking to ditch their dating apps and find their romantic match with real-world experiences.
Inspired by the interest of other singles who have attended their events in past years, the couple enrolled in a matchmaking course this summer to become expert matchmakers. Thus, in June, a service for dating without swiping was born.
“We really want to put the joy and humanity back into dating,” Daniels, 36, said.
Their matchmaking services include in-depth introductions, a guaranteed number of dates based on your chosen membership package, organized and private feedback on each date, and access to group coaching and members-only events. Packages start at $1,500.
Here’s how it works: If someone were to sign up for a five-session package, for example, the process would begin with a two-hour personal consultation. The goal of the first meeting is for Daniels and Fisher to leave with a detailed understanding of their client’s dating history, preferences and interests so they can begin finding a suitable match.
To do this, matchmakers search a business database of singles, which people can sign up for free. As longtime residents of the Electric City, each of them has a hand in networking in the area for their day jobs, they also leverage their personal connections to brainstorm potential matches.
After a handful of singles are selected, Daniels and Fischer conduct video interviews to make sure the person is who they say they are and would be a good fit. Background checks are also conducted to give clients an extra level of peace of mind that is lacking in the often wild landscape of online dating (a round of applause for no more secretly married suitors).
The two will then determine the best combination they want to set up for their client, a process Daniels describes as “a little bit of magic.” After due diligence, business partners fully plan the first date, prohibiting individuals from exchanging phone numbers or social media contacts before the meeting.
“You can meet someone on a dating app and text for three weeks before you meet in person and build a story about that person in your head before you even meet them, for better or worse, and it’s very rare that someone will fulfill that expectations, so we really tried to take all of that out and get them to focus on that personal connection,” Daniels said.
After pandemic-induced shutdowns and minimized social activities, more and more people are interested in face-to-face interaction that doesn’t require a stable Wi-Fi connection. Micropolitan Matchmakers makes it possible to do just that — but leaves the more awkward parts of the courtship process, like deciding whether to see each other again, to the organizers.
After the date, both parties fill out a feedback form and meet with the matchmakers to discuss how they want to proceed. If they decide to break up, the client can try their luck again by moving on to the second date of their five-date package.
The benefit of the program is that the dates never expire, so even if a client goes on a first date – or just wants to take a break from the scene entirely – they can come back weeks, months or even years later for their next match.
The singles database, accessed only by Daniels and Fisher for matchmaking purposes, includes about 200 people and continues to grow. Daniels said they’re currently seeing slightly more women than men, but registrations are starting to even out as they advertise more social events.
There’s also a large demographic of people in their 50s and 60s, many of whom are recently divorced, who Daniels says are taking advantage of the platform. “They don’t want to worry about having to navigate the dating app scene because there’s this whole culture and all these unwritten rules that I think people find very confusing and overwhelming,” she explained.
While finding a partner is their current focus, Daniels and Fisher will continue to organize various events for singles to go out and socialize. The company is planning a series of events in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, including an evening with the Albany Symphony Orchestra at Proctors Theatre, an afternoon meeting at Grahams Cafe, a “Ghost of the Past” comedy show and a social gathering in Berlin in Troy.
A full schedule of events, as well as more information about dating services, is available on the Micropolitan Matchmaker website.