Making connections

This story appeared in the Spring 2019 Letters & Science magazine.

On a recent morning en route to her San Francisco office, Heidi Allstop tuned out the rush-hour bustle and took note of her fellow commuters — the bus riders scrolling on their phones, the sidewalk striders passing one another and avoiding eye contact.

This morning of observation took her back to a pivotal day during her junior year at UW-Madison. Exams were approaching and anxiety was peaking on campus. Feeling overwhelmed and utterly alone, Allstop sank onto a bench outside College Library. But as she began watching other students shuffling by, heads down and faces full of worry, a realization struck her.

“I thought, ‘Wow, I wonder how many of them are struggling with the same problems I am, but we’re too afraid to talk about it,’” she says.

In that moment, Allstop, a 2010 psychology grad, thought about how students could benefit from “been there and lived through it” support from peers who have struggled with issues — academic pressure, roommate tensions, relationship problems, homesickness, fear about the future and more — so common to college life.

Her idea, BadgerSpill, came to life as a student organization in 2009. It gained traction quickly because demand was strong and the concept was simple: “Spill your guts here, confidentially, and you’ll get feedback, empathy and encouragement from fellow Badgers who can relate.”

Students submit anonymous “spills” about whatever is on their minds, and the vent sessions go to a handful of student supporters who have experienced a similar problem in the past. Those students respond within 24 hours, offering feedback and encouragement and suggesting campus resources that may also help.

Allstop eventually turned Spill into a business, and expanded it to 150 campuses. Then in 2014, Spill was acquired by a Silicon Valley-based social networking company called the Experience Project, which allowed users to connect around life experiences. Allstop joined the company as a director of product.

“I went from leading a college and high school effort to leading a social network with 12 million registered users from all walks of life,” she says. “It was a terrifying leap.”

But as anyone who’s lived the startup life — let alone in the epicenter of the tech world — knows, businesses can change course at breakneck speed. Allstop faced that challenge when the Experience Project shuttered in 2016, leaving only BadgerSpill up and running. (Fortunately, the student organization continues to thrive, with roughly 400 student supporters responding to about 150 spills a semester, according to current president Ellen Converse.)

Allstop has taken the transition in stride. She appreciates the successful run Spill had, and how it’s led her to her current role as a platform product manager at TaskRabbit, a company that connects users with people who can help with cleaning, moving, repairs and other home tasks.

“I love building tech products,” she says. “It’s really fun to be able to solve people’s problems with technology, especially when it’s a meaty real-world challenge. Before Spill, I didn’t know that I was capable of building an app or a website, nor did I have the confidence to try. Now I get to do it all day, every day! I look forward to continuing this, whether it’s for someone else’s company or any new companies I may start in the future.”