As far as mobile dating platforms go, Grindr is likely the only well-known app specifically designed for the LGBTQ+ community. And though that position means it has captured a large share of the market, the company continues to innovate and launch content that reaches a population that has been historically underrepresented in the media.
That’s where INTO comes in. A digital magazine, INTO is dedicated to news and commentary that is relevant and necessary for queer people. We spoke to three members of the INTO team about how they’ve built and maintained an empowering and affirming culture since the magazine launched a year ago, and how they work to make all people across the LGBTQ+ spectrum feel seen and understood.
FOUNDED: 2009
EMPLOYEES: 75 nationally, 71 locally
WHAT THEY DO: Along with its social networking app that’s designed for gay, bi, trans and queer people, Grindr executes various initiatives aimed at advancing LGBTQ+ issues, including a digital magazine and Gaymoji sticker collection available on iOS and Android.
WHERE THEY DO IT: Los Angeles
NOTABLE PERKS: Generous parental leave, complete healthcare coverage, daily catered lunches, a fully-stocked kitchen and free on-site parking are just a few perks.
BUILDING COMMUNITY: Grindr's product team is building a platform to connect and empower the LGBTQ+ community. Learn more.
Trish Bendix, Managing Editor, INTO
Trish assigns stories, photo essays and other pieces of content to staff writers, regular contributors and freelancers, as well as creates content for the site. She also speaks on behalf of INTO at conferences, panels and other public events.
BEYOND WORK: Along with an appreciation for queer, feminist art, Trish enjoys hot yoga every morning before work.
What are some of the pressing issues facing your industry and how are you tackling them through INTO?
LGBTQ media is sometimes seen as obsolete. Any kind of focus on a minority or marginalized community is too frequently discounted as not being profitable enough, and often, even LGBTQ verticals at mainstream outlets are sequestered and buried. At Grindr, though, INTO is a priority. INTO is given the opportunity to grow, evolve and to reach a community who still feels as if they don’t have a virtual home. INTO seeks to create that home. Because we are able to pay contributors and offer a platform to creators, and are supported with resources and a physical space, we are able to be an anomaly in our industry.
At Grindr, INTO is a priority [and] is given the opportunity to grow, evolve and reach a community who still feels as if they don't have a virtual home. INTO seeks to create that home."
Does INTO have a reputation within Grindr?
We are definitely the loudest side of the building! We laugh a lot, sing a lot, bounce ideas around and genuinely enjoy being creative together. Many of us have worked together in some capacity pre-INTO, because we are all experienced in our fields, and it’s a small LGBTQ media landscape. It helps to know a lot of the same people and enjoy a shorthand for our industry.
How do you create a team feeling?
Grindr has so many opportunities for us to celebrate, both during work and after hours. We have a lot of parties: holidays, seasons, you name it. As for INTO, we often spend time together outside of work, supporting each other’s creative endeavors — some are musicians, others are photographers and some have their work published in books — and also have one-on-one lunches or coffees with each other.
Mathew Rodriguez, Staff Writer, INTO
Mathew writes for INTO and also stars in several video series for the platform.
BEYOND WORK: Mathew likes to relieve stress and flex a different part of his brain through video gaming.
How is Grindr’s culture different than previous companies in which you've worked?
Sadly, previous companies I’ve worked with have operated on a culture of fear and one where individual personalities didn’t matter much. That couldn’t be more different at INTO. Everyone’s personalities matter. Our passions influence the content we make and our stories serve as the foundations for what we do. To put it bluntly, I’ve worked in a culture where workers were expected to carry out edicts from higher-ups. Here, we write our own edicts and collaborate on goals. It’s empowering.
Our passions influence the content we make and our stories serve as the foundations for what we do...it's empowering."
What initially drew you to Grindr?
As a queer journalist, I’ve been writing about Grindr and the queer community’s relationship to it since 2014. I’ve even been critical of the platform, before, as well, which led quite a few people to question why I would take a job there. I told them this: when a corporation gives a top-level job to a black gay man and says that they want to do better to include everyone who is a part of the LGBTQ community, it’s hard to ignore.
I was attracted to Grindr because a person I respect immensely, our editor-in-chief Zach Stafford, reached out to me specifically to say that he was building something that he wanted me to be a part of. When Zach and I spoke for the first time about me potentially joining Grindr, we spoke about queer people being underserved in mainstream media and how queer and trans people of color were underserved in LGBTQ media. I was drawn to Grindr because the conversation was about accessibility, visibility, trust and access.
I was drawn to Grindr because the conversation was about accessibility, visibility, trust and access."
Is this job what you expected?
No, the job is not what I expected, but that’s a great thing. The INTO team at Grindr is small and malleable enough that every new team member, and every new personality, can influence the team’s ethos and direction. So the team’s goals and strategy morph as more voices are brought to the table. I’m happy to say that I work at a place that does not have a top-down mission that forces people to work mindlessly toward a corporate goal. Our mission is one that is bottom up, informed by the voices of each staff member. When we first launched INTO a year ago, six people comprised our team meetings. We sat around a small conference table in a small meeting room. Now, our meetings are standing-room only and they only grow more vibrant as we bring different communities to the table.
Rocco Kayiatos, Visual Editor, INTO
Rocco leads a small team of video producers to create original content for INTO and Grindr.
BEYOND WORK: Rocco lifts weights and meditates every morning to stay focused, more even tempered and teachable.
How does Grindr’s overall culture impact the INTO team?
INTO is a team of LGBTQIA thought leaders and innovative creatives and that informs the culture, the way we connect with each other and they way we aim to connect with the larger world.
If you look at your to-do list, what gets you out of bed in the morning?
I love strategizing how to make an impact through media and how to grow our audience. I am so passionate about new media, growing and testing a big concept in small bites to build to what we as creators feel excited to make and what our audience wants to see. One thing that is so different and exciting about digital content versus linear is our immediate connection with our audience. It’s so powerful to have direct access and be able to pivot and adapt accordingly.
I feel empowered in a way that I have only experienced while working for myself...I have never loved a job more."
What makes Grindr such a special place to work?
My immediate coworkers are all so interesting and inspiring and my boss trusts me and allows me the freedom to lead my department and do my job as I see fit with full support. I feel empowered in a way that I have only experienced while working for myself. It makes it feel like a singular opportunity rather than work.
I have never loved a job more. There is so much freedom for experimentation and exploration. I can’t believe I get paid to make videos about queer life. Overall, the Grindr company culture is generous, inspiring and festive.
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