Lara Piras is a copywriter, researcher, and brand strategist. Lara's expertise lies in creative copywriting, editing, trend and insight analysis and strategy, working with renowned global forecasting companies and brands including Nike, ASOS, adidas, IKEA and Peroni. Lara also writes features on wellness, diversity and inclusion, youth culture and future innovations for titles such as Vogue, Refinery29, and Included Magazine.

People are taking a patchwork approach to self-expression to feel like they have control over how their identity is generated. Yet as individual expression becomes more mutable and mistrust in social systems abounds, there’s one place above all that people are seeking integrity and guidance: brands.

Reality Split

From decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs)  run on Discord to city-wide mutual aid groups, people are finding safety and optimism in numbers. For growing numbers of people, collective action is emerging as the only viable solution to compounding crises and deepening alienation.

World Builders

Claudia Gård is the co-founder of gofrendly, a social app designed specifically for women to find authentic connections and local friends. Gård is recognised as a friendship expert due to her dedication to creating a platform that fosters meaningful connections among women. Her vision and leadership have contributed to building a vibrant community where women can forge lasting and genuine friendships.

United Kingdom

Home and Relationships

Technology

YouGov

Interview with Claudia Gård conducted by the author

CyberCrew

Community Fund

Driven by AI, social app gofrendly offers women seeking friendships and social experiences a smart take on connections, meet-ups, and social networking events. It’s addressing the loneliness epidemic, especially among women, in a nuanced way that feels accessible and community-first.