Origially published in Carroll Capital, the print publication of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Read the June 2025 issue here.
Bo Brainerd, MCAS ’25, has a knack for playing Cupid. For years, she’s been setting up friends on dates and offering romantic advice, but in the age of dating apps, she felt like even the algorithms could use a little help. That’s why Brainerd, a philosophy major, management and leadership minor, and self-described “lover of love,” decided to launch her own dating app, Ophelia.
The app’s name comes from the phrase “oh I feel ya,” something Brainerd would say to friends while commiserating about dating. She wanted to create a platform where it felt easier for couples to build more meaningful connections. What sets Ophelia apart from other dating apps is its date curation services. For brand-new and long-term relationships alike, the Ophelia team will take the lead and plan perfect outings based on a pair’s preferences.
It’s Brainerd’s way of taking some of the stress out of online dating and letting couples focus on in-person connections rather than spending extra time online. Ophelia has set up more than two hundred first dates across Boston so far—80 percent have led to second dates. “A first date is nerve-wracking, but when it goes well, it’s euphoric,” she says.
Brainerd signed up for the Edmund H. Shea Jr. Center for Entrepreneurship’s annual Elevator Pitch Competition on a whim in Fall 2023. She won second place with the concept for Ophelia, but the biggest prize was the support she received from alumni mentors. In particular, Peter Bell ’86, P ’20, ’25, general partner of alumni-run SSC Venture Partners, has been “integral to boosting my confidence” throughout the entrepreneurial process, she says.
Brainerd went on to participate in the Shea Center’s accelerator program, followed by the Strakosch Venture Competition, where she placed second and received $5,000. That summer, she joined SSC’s accelerator program, where she came away with a $10,000 investment in Ophelia in exchange for 2 percent equity.
The mobile app for Ophelia officially launched in November 2024, and Brainerd and her nine-person team plan to expand Ophelia’s services to markets beyond Boston soon.
Now that she has graduated, Ophelia is Brainerd’s full-time job, a reality she calls a dream come true. She has many ideas of how the platform could evolve, but one thing remains fundamental for her: “I will always choose a path that embraces the human experience."
