Powell does not have a shortage of information.
The challenge is knowing where to find it.
City updates may live on one website, township information somewhere else and Parks and Recreation resources in another place. Local events, businesses and community conversations are scattered across calendars, websites and social media feeds.
Chris Vince saw an opportunity in that fragmentation.
Vince, a Delaware County real estate developer, and business partner Pat Hindall originally began developing an app several years ago as a tool for homeowners associations and property management companies. As they built it, they realized the same problem extended beyond individual neighborhoods.
“We are centered now on being very community oriented and putting all the information for the communities in one spot,” Vince said.
That idea eventually became MyPowell App, a platform designed for people who live, work, shop or simply want to stay connected to Powell.
One place to start
MyPowell App brings together local government information, events, news, businesses and community resources in one place.
It is designed to help users find what they need without first having to know which website or organization has the answer.
Marc Tennenbaum, who has helped grow the app locally, said that can be particularly useful in Powell, where residents may need information from the city, Liberty Township or another organization depending on the issue.
The app also includes features that go beyond simply organizing information. Users can create private groups, participate in discussions, browse local business offers, buy and sell items and use a geolocated lost-and-found tool.
One early example came through the app’s marketplace. According to the MyPowell team, residents have posted items for sale and received multiple local responses, with some transactions completed within hours.
That kind of interaction reflects what the developers hope the platform can become: not simply a directory, but a useful part of everyday community life.
A different approach to community social media
MyPowell App also enters territory already dominated by platforms such as Facebook, where local groups have become a common place to ask questions, sell items and share community information.
Vince and his team are taking a different approach.
Rather than relying on an algorithm to determine what users see, content in MyPowell App is reviewed and approved by a real person. The goal is to keep discussions and information relevant to Powell while limiting bots, spam and unrelated posts.
The team describes the experience as more curated than traditional social media, with verified local services, upcoming events and important community announcements organized around Powell.
That focus appears to be resonating with users.
MyPowell App has surpassed 3,000 downloads, and the company says about 65% of users return regularly, averaging roughly three sessions per week.
Vince has said from the beginning that downloads are only part of the challenge.
“We’re still new. We’re still learning what works, what doesn’t,” he said.
The team says events have emerged as a particularly useful part of the app, helping people discover upcoming activities and community gatherings. Users also move among local news, business discounts and other features during their visits.
Those habits suggest the app is beginning to solve a harder problem than simply getting onto someone’s phone: giving people a reason to come back.
Investing beyond the app
The MyPowell team also says its role in the community extends beyond the platform itself.
MyPowell has donated thousands of dollars to nonprofits in the Powell area and supports Olentangy sports teams and other community groups.
That involvement fits the larger idea behind the app: creating stronger connections among the people, businesses and organizations already part of the Powell community.
For Vince and his partners, the opportunity was never simply to add more information to an already crowded digital landscape.
It was to make the information, resources and connections already available in Powell easier to find and use.
With more than 3,000 downloads and a majority of users returning regularly, MyPowell App is beginning to show there may be an audience for a community platform built around one simple idea:
Make it easier to stay connected to where you live.
To download the MyPowell App on your device visit: The App Store (apple) or Google Play (android)
