He Searched for a Dating App for Gay Conservatives, Found None, and Built It Himself

The Advisor with Stacey Chillemi · May 14, 2025 · 30m

After a bad date in December 2023 Harrison Smith searched for a dating app where gay conservatives could find each other authentically. There was not one. So he Googled how to make an app, self-funded the entire thing, and built BAEsed — the world's first dating platform designed specifically for gay conservatives who feel alienated by both mainstream dating apps and traditional conservative spaces. As a licensed mental health counselor with a background in trauma recovery he brought something most tech founders never do to the product — a genuine understanding of the emotional and…