Mental Health
A social platform so fathers stop figuring it out alone
Priya Mann is building Next Level Dads, a social app where fathers can build genuine friendships and community, shaped by conversations with fathers and a survey of more than 100 dads across Canada.
Lack of time was the most common barrier for fathers with children aged 0 to 5, at 89.8%. Fathers also named not knowing where to meet other dads, conversations that stayed surface-level, and awkwardness about reaching out.
The same research found that dads wanted more ways to connect with people who understood their stage of life. Among fathers with children aged 0 to 5, 55.9% were interested in joining small groups or communities, and 57.6% wanted help finding dads in a similar life stage.
“Fathers shouldn’t have to navigate fatherhood alone. We want to make it easier for dads to find people they genuinely connect with and build friendships that extend beyond the app.”
Priya Mann
The numbers are her own. Priya Mann surveyed more than 100 fathers, interviewed dads, and spoke with organisations that support fathers and families to understand what was missing. What she kept hearing was that dads wanted opportunities to build friendships, connect through shared experiences and interests, and find other dads who could relate to where they were in life.
That research shaped Next Level Dads, a social app built specifically for fathers. Its live web application lets dads create profiles, discover and message other fathers, join communities and find events. The goal is to make it easier for fathers to move from wanting more connection to actually building it. She is a student at the University of Toronto and works alongside a volunteer team.
The reason is her dad. "I was raised by a single father, and my dad has always been one of the most important people in my life," she says. "We are incredibly close, and growing up, I saw just how much he showed up for me and my brother. As I got older, I became more curious about the support that exists for fathers."
That curiosity became Next Level Dads. Through conversations and research with fathers, she saw a gap between dads wanting stronger social connections and having accessible ways to actually build them.
Next Level Dads is continuing to develop and test its app, grow its community, and work with organisations supporting fathers and families to create more opportunities for dads to connect. As the community grows, the team is also exploring communities built around shared interests and life stages, reflecting what fathers said they wanted from the app.