Hidden Gems: Meet Khushboo Yadav of Hoogah LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Khushboo Yadav.

Hi Khushboo, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I joined the software industry over two decades ago, back when “Cloud” meant actual clouds, and our biggest fear was Y2K turning microwaves into Terminators. Life’s not just about debugging code—it’s also about debugging ourselves. After two decades of juggling deadlines and deployments, I made a bold move: I quit the hustle.


Post-2020 changed everything for me. I’ve seen myself and my closest friends unravel in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Loneliness, lack of belonging— we call it different things. It hit us all. I started Hoogah driven by one belief: if technology is part of the problem, it has to be part of the solution. Hoogah – It’s my heartfelt (and slightly scrappy) attempt to tackle loneliness and bringing back that elusive sense of belonging. Think of it as a platform for meaningful one-on-one connections—not just to connect, but to truly feel connected.

Starting Hoogah was like stepping into a whole new world—terrifying, exciting, and filled with moments where I questioned my sanity. But I had to atleast try 


Has it been scary? Absolutely.

Worth it? A hundred percent. 



That’s me in a nutshell : a techie-turned-connector on a mission to figure out this human thing while occasionally laughing at myself

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I started Hoogah, I thought the hardest part would be building the tech. After all, that’s what I knew. What I didn’t expect was the emotional weight of building something that touches such a tender part of people’s lives—loneliness.

One of the earliest challenges wasn’t funding or features—it was convincing people that this problem mattered. That loneliness isn’t just a “soft” issue, but a silent epidemic affecting our health, our work, and our sense of self. I found myself in rooms where people nodded politely but moved on to the “real” metrics. That hurt. Because for me, this was the real stuff.

There were days I felt completely alone building something meant to help people feel less alone. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

I had no fancy pedigree or a safety net. I bootstrapped. I pitched through doubt. I coded through imposter syndrome. I held back tears on calls and cried after meetings. There were nights I wondered if I was crazy for thinking I could build something that changes how people connect.

And then—someone would send a message saying, “That pairing changed my day.” Or “I didn’t know how much I needed that conversation.”

That kept me going.

The biggest challenge hasn’t been the platform. It’s been holding onto belief—especially when the world doesn’t quite get your vision yet. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: every movement starts with someone who refuses to give up on something they know the world needs.

And I won’t give up.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Hoogah is a connection platform built to combat loneliness and foster meaningful one-on-one relationships—in real life. Hoogah was born from a deeply personal realization: even in an age of constant digital interaction, people are lonelier than ever. Rather than add another social app to the noise, Hoogah focuses on creating intentional, human connections that lead to lasting community and belonging.

At its core, Hoogah pairs individuals weekly based on shared life experiences, interests, and values—not randomly. Whether it’s employees in a remote workplace, members of a community, or attendees at an event, Hoogah helps people skip the small talk and get to what really matters: feeling seen, heard, and connected.

At Hoogah, our mission is to combat loneliness by fostering real, meaningful human connections. We help individuals move beyond small talk to build authentic relationships that create a true sense of belonging—at work, in communities, and beyond. Through intentional one-on-one meetups, we aim to transform workplaces, organizations, and gatherings into spaces where happiness, engagement, and emotional well-being can thrive.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The crisis didn’t knock on the door — it barged in.

Post-2020 wasn’t just a global shift, it was a deeply personal one. For me, it cracked something wide open. I watched people I love lose parts of themselves — not just to sickness, but to silence, to distance, to isolation. And I felt it too. The quiet unraveling. The kind of loneliness that seeps in not because you’re alone, but because you feel unseen.

Before that, I thought I was doing what I was “supposed” to do — building, achieving, staying busy. But the pandemic held up a mirror. What’s the point of success if we’re all silently breaking down behind our screens? What’s the point of connection if it never makes us feel truly known?

That was my awakening.

I learned that community isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It’s oxygen. It’s what keeps us soft, resilient, human. I learned that grief doesn’t always come in loud, dramatic waves. Sometimes it arrives quietly — in long silences, in missed birthdays, in unanswered texts. And I learned that if we don’t design for belonging, we design by default — and the default is isolation.

The crisis taught me that technology can either widen the gap between us or become the bridge. I chose to build the bridge.

Hoogah was my response. Not just to what I saw — but to what I felt. That’s the most important lesson: if we don’t feel connected, nothing else really works.

And I’ll spend the rest of my life working on that feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hoogah.org/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khushiy/