Grappling with the feeling of isolation in the wake of COVID-19, and the transition to a new high school, founder Ethan Wickstrom (EN ’27), could see the growing gap between hyper-connected digital lives and meaningful real-life relationships. Through carefully navigating this altered social landscape, Wickstrom’s vision took root, “a vision to harness my passion for technology to foster human connections in the real world, rather than replace them”. Wading through various ideas, Fabric was born.

After witnessing friends battling loneliness despite their online presence and having thought he was alone in the struggle, Wickstrom realized the impending lack of connection demanded a solution. During his senior year of high school, the initial prototype for Fabric began taking shape. By April, an MVP was crafted and ready to be critiqued.

Fabric’s mission is to revitalize authentic human connection by constructing digital bridges that lead to real-world experiences. Wickstrom stated, “We’re not just building an app; we’re crafting a new way of interacting with our communities and each other.” As the current digital age consumes daily life, increasing smartphone addictions, loneliness, depression, and anxiety, Fabric aims to prevent mindless scrolling and reimplement connection and in-person interaction.

Wickstrom’s biggest challenge in starting his venture has been balancing academics and the business development of Fabric. Through endless prioritization, delegation, and teamwork, Fabric has won over $10,000 in non-dilutive funding to date. With a $5,000 grant from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Wickstrom and his team have been able to spend time this summer in the Skandalaris Launchpad Program preparing for the successful launch of Fabric version 0.1.0 exclusively to the WashU community this fall.

As Wickstrom gears up for his sophomore year at WashU with the Fabric team, he is excited to continue to build relationships and collaborative partnerships in the community. For all of the founders and future entrepreneurs, Wickstrom shares, “Don’t be afraid to pivot based on what you learn. Take care of your physical and mental health throughout the journey and have a little bit of fun and get your mind off of work every so often. It feels great once you do.”.

To join the waitlist, access updates, and be the first in line for testing opportunities, visit whatsfabric.com. For behind-the-scenes looks and product updates, be sure to follow on Instagram: @stitching_society, LinkedIn, and TikTok: @social.fabric.