In 2017, the Go/Do App was launched providing a one-stop location for events and everyday activities taking place in the Fargo, North Dakota region. Founder, Cindy Gillund, created the app to connect people with the things they want to do to create memories. “I hope this app allows for memories to be made and shared… the Go/Do app was created to help make it easier to go and do things that are happening around them,” explained Gillund.
Before the App
Growing up in Fargo, Gillund recalls setting up stores in her room and selling products to her parents for quarters. “I have always had an entrepreneur streak in me… I have always liked creating things whether it was something from my imagination as a child or artwork and architecture as an adult,” said Gillund. It comes as no surprise that Gillund finds herself as the CEO and founder of the Go/Do app given her desire to create.
Social media played significant roles in the idea of an app that would be a repository of events and activities. While on Facebook, Gillund would notice through posts and pictures that her family was missing out on opportunities in the Fargo area. “As a new mother, I began to wonder what I could do with my children… I saw other families going to events around town, but I had no clue where to look for these opportunities or even how to search them on the internet,” explained Gillund.
Along with social media, Gillund’s experience working for Blue Cross Blue Shield provided the missing link needed for the Go/Do App. As a part of the health analytics department, Gillund took complex data and helped processed it to make it accessible to the health insurance company and providers. “Every day as an analyst I was taking complex data and making it accessible to people… I was able to apply this skill to the events industry with the Go/Do app because there it provides people with an easy way to understand what’s happening around them,” said Gillund.
Creating the App
In 2016, the momentum of people’s desire for the Go/Do app and the growing angst to create the app came to a tipping point. As a result, Gillund bought books on how to code mobile applications and began as a novice creating the Go/Do App. “It was a fun experience to figure out how to create a mobile app… I eventually took out a loan to take the idea to fruition and worked with Ryan Raguse at Myriad Mobile to get the app completed,” explained Gillund.
With the help of the Myriad Mobile team, Gillund launched the app in January 2017, offering free downloads for customers while charging businesses to post their events. During the last year, the Go/Do app team has also expanded to add Wendy Blair, a friend and fellow co-worker at Blue Cross Blue Shield, who helps with the data processing and backend work of the app. “Our goal is to expand the reach of our app down the road for all people in a community to take advantage of our app… I also see the creation of an Android App in the near future,” said Gillund.
Learn more from Cindy Gillund and the Go/Do App as she speaks at 1 Million Cups Fargo on Wednesday, February 14th, 2018 at 9:15 a.m. at The Stage in Island Park.
