Ep. 133 Fixing Social Media: How Aglow Is Rebuilding Human Connection in a Digital World

Show Notes:In today’s episode, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with David Lipscomb (CEO & Co-Founder) and Stefan Martin (CTO & Co-Founder) of Aglow, a rapidly growing social platform designed to bring authenticity, locality, and real human connection back into the digital experience.Aglow is challenging everything we know about traditional social media — the comparison culture, the AI-generated content flood, the pressure to perform, and the lack of genuine community. Instead, they’re building a platform that prioritizes real people, real videos, local discovery, audio-based engagement, and AI used responsibly to connect humans (not replace them).David and Stefan share their founding story, the problem Aglow is solving, the mental-health implications of current social platforms, and how their focus on authenticity is resonating — especially with Gen Z. They also unpack their growth strategy, including campus ambassador programs, equity rewards, and creative “fight fire with fire” marketing on established platforms.From founder mindset to go-to-market strategy to the future of meaningful social connection — this episode is packed with insight.David Lipscomb Bio:David Lipscomb (CEO) leads Aglow’s strategy and operations. He previously worked in private equity and corporate finance, where he led budgeting, forecasting, and KPI tracking for a $100B+ AUM platform at ICONIQ Capital. Additionally, David supported relationship-building efforts with top founders and investors. Earlier roles include on-site operational analysis and BI development for PE-backed companies in healthcare, energy, and commodities.Stefan Martin Bio:After seeing social media change culture - mostly for the worse - Stefan decided to launch a product designed to connect in a genuine and authentic way through proximity based short-form videos. He's a 13-year engineering veteran who's built everything from Kindle's optimized browser at AWS to Uber's ETA dispatch systems at scale. He led mobile engineering at Volta Charging from Series A to IPO. Now, Stefan's focus is to build the future of social media that is actually social.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:       David:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lipscomb-4b578a142/     Stefan:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ste00martin/Website:  https://aglow.lifeConnect with me:🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale BlueprintLinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/