Welcome to the first feedback forum for 2008! Our guests this month are Tobin and Jevaun, founders of Cupid's Lab.

Cupid's Lab (http://www.cupidslab.com) is an early stage startup building an online social network focused on creating a trusted and fun environment for online dating. Launched as a social experiment among friends, Cupid's Lab opened its doors to the public in 2007 with their premier matchmaking application that lets friends play cupid for one another. Since launching the site the team has been faced with critical challenges.

• When functionality and value depend on an active user base, what are the challenges of building a community that will encourage interaction and participation while gating spammers, predators, and other questionable users from the service.
• Online dating is a VERY competitive industry where the top players spend large amounts of money on advertising and lead generation. How does a bootstrapped endeavor stand to compete in this industry through partnerships and “grass root” methods for executing regionally focused marketing?
• Exploring touchpoints and circles of engagement to broaded our service by empowering active users in a way that encourages participation by passive users.

Our gracious host this month is Jason Olim. Please RSVP through the link below or you will not be able to get pasts the doorman, and please bring $5 to cover beer & pizza.

Nearest subway stops: 23rd St on the F,V (6th Ave), the 1 (7th Ave) or the C,E (8th Ave).

Online dating is a challenging but lucrative space, please join us to hear Tobin and Jevaun's take and (of course) to offer your feedback!

Tobin Schwaiger-Hastanan, co-founder of Cupid’s Lab, is a software engineer with over 14 years of experience building enterprise and Internet applications. Tobin is currently a freelance developer for MTV Networks where he is re-architecting Nickelodeon’s Go City Kids community site. He has also worked at FOX Interactive Media and MLB Advanced Media, where he architected the e-commerce system behind MLB.com’s digital subscription and download service.

Jevaun Howell, co-founder of Cupid's Lab, is an artist and multimedia designer. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, he received a B.A. in Communication Design and minors in Film, Digital Imaging, and Business Administration. He is currently employed as the Design Director for Major League Baseball, working on rich internet applications and new media initiatives.