Scott Lewallen ’03 is a creator by design
Scott Lewallen, Grindr Co-Founder, USC Annenberg Alumni ‘03, Photo by: Cody Pickens
Original article: JUN. 19, 2019 Greg Hardesty | USC Annenberg
Scott Lewallen ’03 wasn’t sure what exactly to expect when, as a freshman, he signed up as a communication major at USC Annenberg in 1998.
It turned out to be a great call.
Diving into such topics as the human psyche and group mentality, Lewallen quickly took to the school’s emphasis on putting theory to practical use.
Lewallen would go on to make a name for himself as co-founder and senior vice president of product and design for the hugely popular social networking app Grindr.
Every day, millions of gay, bi, trans and queer people around the world use Grindr to connect. Lewallen, in fact, first connected to the gay community when he came to USC after keeping his sexual orientation private throughout high school.
“Coming out was quite different when I was a freshman at USC,” Lewallen said. “Being gay was not nearly as visible or accepted as it is today. I wasn’t confident enough in my sexuality to walk into the campus LGBT center and introduce myself. Instead, I joined a fraternity, came out there, and grew a tribe of friends at USC and in West Hollywood.
“That experience and those pain points directly influenced my intention to design Grindr as a tool to make it easier for gay guys to meet and form their own communities.”