Seeking a fresh start, Temi moved to Washington D.C. for his first job out of college, assuming the bustling city life would make it easier to find community and make friends. But even in the nation’s capital, surrounded by people and opportunities, he felt increasingly disconnected. The city was vibrant, yet finding a space where he truly fit in was harder than expected. Social interactions often felt superficial, leaving him with a lingering sense of not belonging.
 

Hoping to shake this feeling, Temi embarked on a cross-country train trip, stopping in 10 cities from D.C. to San Diego. The journey was meant to be an adventure, a chance to explore new places, and perhaps find a community that felt like home. But in each city, that same sense of disconnection followed him. He struggled to identify spaces where people felt welcome, authentic, and encouraged to drop their guard. The experience underscored a critical realization: there was a deep need for tools to help people find their community and feel a sense of belonging—wherever they were.

With the end of lockdowns, Temi renewed his efforts to find spaces where he felt welcomed and connected. While he made new friends, the underlying sense of not truly fitting in persisted. Every gathering, every new encounter, was tinged with a feeling of being an outsider, always on the periphery of a community but never fully integrated into it. His insecurity made it clear that he wasn’t showing up as his authentic self. Without the confidence to embrace who he truly was, he often adapted to fit in, losing pieces of himself in the process. This constant routine of having to switch on and off made these experiences more draining, even though he thought he was an extrovert.

These realizations of not having true community, coupled with the mental toll of not feeling authentically connected, led him to move back to his hometown of Chicago. In Chicago, Temi began exploring whether others were experiencing similar struggles with loneliness and isolation. The more time he spent asking people about their experiences, the more he understood that this was not just his problem—it was a widespread issue affecting many, manifesting in feelings of disconnection, exclusion, and a yearning for a place to call one’s own.

The release of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, titled Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, was a turning point for Temi. This national acknowledgment of the loneliness crisis deeply resonated with him, affirming that his own experiences were shared by countless others across the country. Despite the rise of online platforms and social media, people were feeling more disconnected than ever. Temi discovered that while people increasingly spent time online, they still expressed a strong desire for in-person community. Yet, the number of “third places”—those essential community spaces like cafes, parks, and local businesses—was on the decline, leaving a void that digital interaction couldn’t fill.  

This realization solidified Temi’s belief that the issue wasn’t just loneliness, but the loss of spaces fostering authentic community. To address this, he knew the solution had to be accessible and capable of reaching people wherever they were. That’s where his co-founder, Richard Maina, came in. Born and raised in Kenya, Richard earned a Master’s in Computer Science and went on to excel in big tech. He brought the technical expertise essential to turning the vision into reality. Together, they set out to build a platform designed to help people rediscover community spaces where they truly belong.

Officially founded  and incorporated in 2024, The Moth Company (MOTH) is on a mission to combat loneliness and disconnection in our society. We exist to uplift the people, spaces, and social groups that bring communities together and foster genuine connection.

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We believe the heart of every thriving community lies in the people and places that create meaningful relationships. Through our platform, we share the stories of local businesses and social hubs—their origins, struggles, and passions—to cultivate bonds that go beyond simple transactions.

MOTH aspires to be more than other platforms; we hope to be a movement to create more welcoming, connected, and empathetic communities. By celebrating and supporting the individuals and spaces that make each community unique, we strive to create a world where authenticity is celebrated, and everyone knows they belong.

Together, we can make this vision to life—one story at a time.