Built from
lived experience.
Dolra started from a simple truth: meeting people shouldn't be this hard. We know because we've lived it.
Hi, I'm Kassia Gao.
I built Dolra because
I lived the problem.
As a migrant who has studied and worked across industries — from finance and media to education and creative fields — I know how hard it is to rebuild connections in a new city.
This idea didn't come from a whiteboard. It came from real experience and hundreds of conversations with people facing the same quiet challenge. I've spent years at the intersection of:
- ✓Marketing, storytelling and creative communication
- ✓Events, community design and shared spaces
- ✓Education, human behaviour and what makes people click
I understand what makes people connect — and what quietly holds them back. Now, I'm building something to change that.
Events are full of people. Connection is still hard.
You show up. You look around. Everyone seems busy, already in a group, or talking about nothing. Sound familiar?
Too many platforms, too little signal
Eventbrite, Meetup, Facebook, Instagram. You scroll endlessly and still can't tell which events are worth your Friday night.
You meet people once, then nothing
A great conversation. You connect on Instagram. Two weeks pass. That person is gone. No follow-through. No relationship.
Networking feels random and shallow
You don't know who is in the room, what they care about, or whether they're worth your time. It's a gamble every time.
Hard to know who shares your goals
Everyone's at the same event for different reasons. There's no way to know who's there to network, make friends, or date.
Group chats start too late
By the time the event group chat gets active, the event is tomorrow. No real connection was made before walking in.
You leave without building anything real
One drink. Small talk. A card you'll never follow up on. You go home and the energy evaporates by morning.
How we got here.
The realisation
After moving cities multiple times and watching friends go through the same quiet struggle — great at their jobs, surrounded by people, but genuinely lonely — Kassia started asking: why is this still this hard?
Hundreds of conversations
Before writing a single line of code, Kassia spoke with hundreds of people across Melbourne. Migrants, professionals, students, organizers. Everyone had the same story: events felt random, shallow, and exhausting.
Dolra is born
The first version of Dolra launched with a simple goal: connect compatible people before they walk through the door. The early results were striking — people arrived warm, left with real plans, and came back.
Building the future of belonging
Today, Dolra is growing across Melbourne and expanding. We're curating events, powering organizer communities, and matching thousands of people who are looking for the same thing: real connection.
Connection shouldn't be left to chance.
We believe everyone deserves to feel seen, connected, and supported — especially in a new city. Our vision is a world where meeting the right people is not luck. It's designed.
Events are already
happening.
We're curating events across Melbourne — from startup meetups to ceramics workshops, NGV late nights to salsa classes. There's a room for you.
Browse all events →Your next friend, collaborator, cofounder or partner could already be attending your next event.
Stop showing up to events as a stranger. Start arriving already connected.
Free to join · No spam · Built for real-world connection