HAYVN Hubcast From Meta to Meetup Magic: Petra Pasquina’s Journey to Founding Groopl EP 123
In this episode of the HAYVN Hubcast, host Nancy Sheed is joined by Petra Pasquina, a seasoned marketer turned tech entrepreneur and the creator of Groopl, a purpose-built app that makes it easier for small groups to connect, communicate, and stay organized.
Petra shares her fascinating journey from corporate roles at Meta and MasterCard to founding a startup aimed at solving one of the most frustrating pain points of modern group life: the chaos of managing logistics across multiple platforms.
“I always look for that white space… a place where people aren’t being spoken to in the right way or there’s an opportunity.”
After years of helping brands speak more clearly to their customers, including launching MasterCard’s first Latinx marketing strategy, Petra saw a major opportunity to build something of her own. Fueled by pandemic-era isolation and digital overwhelm, Groopl was born to simplify and humanize the act of gathering.
“I found myself using five different tools just to get a tennis group together—and even then, half the people didn’t show up.”
Petra breaks down how Groopl combines the best parts of group chats, event invites, calendars, and community feeds all in one place. Designed especially for the unsung heroes who organize everything from volunteer circles to networking meetups, Groopl helps make connecting feel easy again.
Currently available for free on iOS and Android, GROOPL is rolling out new features, including a pro tier for paid event organizers and a future enterprise version for larger organizations.
Whether you're organizing a book club, a mastermind, or a neighborhood meetup, Petra and Groopl are making the act of gathering simpler, smoother, and more joyful.
Connect with Petra:
Email: petra@thegroopl.com
Connect with Nancy: