When Ryan Brown was forced to change her baby on a dirty restroom floor, she knew she couldn’t be the only one struggling to find clean, safe bathrooms. That moment inspired her to create Go Squadies, an app that maps and rates restrooms based on cleanliness, accessibility, and reliability. Think of it as a “Waze for bathrooms,” complete with a proprietary trust score that factors in safety, hours of operation, and real-time user feedback.
In this episode, Ryan shares how she turned her frustration into a social impact startup addressing public health, equity, and even economic issues for businesses. She opens up about the early challenges of validating her idea, conducting focus groups, and proving that the U.S. ranks shockingly low in restroom access. Ryan also discusses the role of AI in improving the app and the importance of listening to users at every step.
Her story is a powerful reminder that small, everyday frustrations can lead to big innovations.
Top Three Things You Will Learn In This Episode:
How everyday struggles can inspire meaningful solutions: Listeners will learn how Ryan Brown turned common parenting frustrations—like dirty, inaccessible public restrooms—into a mission-driven tech startup.
The importance of user feedback and research: The episode highlights how focus groups, surveys, and real-world testing shaped the Go Squadies app, showing the value of listening to your audience when solving problems.
Why public restrooms matter for health, safety, and equity: Beyond convenience, the conversation explores how clean, accessible restrooms impact families, travelers, and businesses, and why infrastructure improvements are critical.
Episode Notes and Resources:
Go Squadies website: https://www.gosquadies.com/
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