The Swell App Curates Community Through Conversation

With all the turmoil in the world, we need community now more than ever. The Swell app enables people of all backgrounds, areas and influences to have conversations and make new connections.

Swell is a micro-podcasting app with social features. Users put up five-minute audio posts; they can add photos, hashtags and links. These are conversation-starters, so anyone can reply with their own up to five-minute audio clip.

“Every day I want to grow, and part of that growth is to be in conversation,” Deborah Pardes, vice president of stories andvoices at Swell, told the Journal.

People use Swell to tell stories and voice their opinion, as well as to ask questions and give answers. Pardes grew up in a Modern Orthodox home, where she was taught about the Talmudic tendencies of questioning.

“I was brought into that world of dialogue, where you can look at the same text for 17 years, and have different takes every year,” she said. “When you’re in a circle of really curious people, who are in deep inquiry about a specific thing, the voices rise.” 

In fact, Swell reminds Pardes of the Friday night dinner conversations she had with her family growing up.

“I feel like Swell brings you to that warm table,” she said. “You can listen, if you are not in the mood to talk. And then, if you feel interested in something, you can add your voice without having to scream … to find a way in.”

While you can listen to anyone’s Swellcast via web browser, you need to be logged into the app to post and reply. To reply, you simply click reply on someone else’s Swell or comment, record your audio and post.

You can interview others, capture a moment in time or use it as an audio diary of what’s going on in your world.

Pardes likes to use Swell at weddings. She captures the audio well-wishes for the bride and groom and snaps a photo of whoever is talking. 

“What really got me was creating stories that were going to be accessible in perpetuity,” Pardes said. “It’s why I love the Shoah Project. You memorialize people.”

The fact that it is not video is also a plus.

“At the end of the day, we waste too much time coiffing,” she said. “If I’m saying something, I want someone to hear me and not look at what my eyebrows are doing.”

Pardes, who lives in Los Angeles, joined the Swell team in November 2019, one month after the founding of the company. Swell’s original purpose was to be a clearinghouse for audio stories about health. Pardes came on board because of her background in health and podcasting.

At the beginning, Swell collected conversations with people about their ailments; the intention was to discover how they solved their problems. Then COVID, and the George Floyd protests, happened.

“We realized this needed to be a product that enables all conversations, not just ones about health,” she said. “It was a pivotal moment.”

Pardes’ role at Swell is to curate and host conversations. As with other social apps, there’s no barrier to entry for Swell.

“However, there’s a discovery that happens with deep listening,” she said. “And you can’t do deep listening on Reddit or Twitter.”

Pardes is constantly speaking with the people she might never have met.

“The ones who create the true sense of community on Swell are the ones who are coming in with their story [and] an intention to have a really great conversation,” she said. “There’s nothing better.” 

Pardes thinks Swell will be a beacon of hope for authentic voices.

“There are so many beautiful people in the world telling beautiful stories,” Pardes said. “I guess I’m kind of mushy about it, because it’s making me feel a little hopeful.”

Deconstructed Salad Recipe

Just like Swell is the canvas for great audio interactions – blending unique voices together – Pardes’ deconstructed salad is a perfect conversation-starter for your next in-person gathering or company lunch.

Empty plates serve as the canvas. Fill the center of the table with bowls, brimming with delicious, fresh ingredients. Salad dressings serve as the final creative splash across the finished creation.

Each guest makes their own plate. It’s a fun way to hang out before the meal, and help make the “salad.”

Here are some important ingredients

nuts
seeds
bits of cheese
cherry tomatoes
cut cucumbers
multi-colored radishes
bright green peas
microgreens
kumquats
berries
spring onions
fresh herbs

Use your “what’s in season” imagination!

Follow Deborah Pardes on Swell at swellcast.com/dbpardes. Follow Debra Eckerling at swellcast.com/thedebmethod.