Life Happens Offline
The Problem We’re Solving
Excessive screen use is fueling a mental health crisis. The numbers are clear: rising rates of isolation, loneliness, and depression, particularly among young people. We're more connected digitally yet more alone in real life.
When we're glued to our screens, we miss the experiences that actually make us happy. The sense of accomplishment from tackling a challenge. The pride of developing a new skill. The joy of genuine human connection. These aren't luxuries. They're essential for leading a happy and fulfilling life.
Our Vision
To create the world's first marketplace for goal-oriented, challenging, real-life experiences. A place where you can discover your next adventure, connect with like-minded people, and build a life you're genuinely proud of.
Our Approach: Real Challenges, Real Growth, Real Community
We're your adventurous companion, believing that life's greatest treasures are found beyond the screen.
Our approach is rooted in decades of positive psychology research. Completing goal-oriented challenges gives DOers (participants) three things essential to thriving: a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of control, and meaningful connections with others. These aren't abstract concepts - they're proven pathways to happiness and well-being.
DOers select from a wide range of challenges in our portal; all sourced from trusted challenge providers. Schools and other organizations can also choose challenges that align with their curricula and student-growth goals, partnering with us to support and manage student participation. Sponsors contribute funding or materials that bring challenges to life and keep them accessible to all.
The result? Behavioral change that lasts. A community doing things they never thought possible. Acquiring new skills that last a lifetime. We're building a global movement where people feel more pride in what they've done than in how many likes they received.
Meet Our Founder:
Dr. Douglas Perednia
DOcurious was born from a physician's concern and an entrepreneur's determination to solve a problem that could no longer be ignored.
Dr. Douglas Perednia has spent his career at the intersection of healthcare and technology. After earning his bachelor’s in economics from Swarthmore College and MD from Washington University School of Medicine, he did research for the Flinn Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, the National Library of Medicine, and became a pioneer in the field of telehealth. In the process he founded the Telemedicine Research Center and the Association of Telehealth Service Providers and improved the efficiency of healthcare delivery. His 2011 book on healthcare reform is still used in classes today.
But as Doug watched technology transform healthcare for the better, he witnessed its darker side. The relationship between excessive screen time and declining mental health, especially among youth, became impossible to ignore.
As both a healthcare professional and a parent, Doug knew something had to change. Simply eliminating screens wasn’t the answer – phones and screens are important tools. The answer is balance. People need meaningful alternatives to spending time on social media or watching videos. We must make it easier to find real-world activities that would give them the connection, accomplishment, and meaning they were seeking through their screens but never finding.
That insight led to DOcurious. By combining his healthcare expertise, technology experience, and the proven principles of positive psychology, Doug and a select team of experts created a solution that addresses the root cause of the problem, not just the symptoms.
His vision: help people move from passive consumption to active participation in their own lives. Replace endless scrolling with meaningful challenges. Trade virtual validation for real accomplishment. Transform isolation into genuine community.
Meet the Team
Guided by experts across multiple disciplines, we're combining cutting-edge research with real-world experience to create something transformative. Our diverse backgrounds are united by a shared mission. We're not just building a platform. We're pioneering a movement.
Doug Perednia, MD
Martin Miller
Kennon Sheldon, PHD
Lincoln Merrihew
Natalie Brown
Michael Barnett
Jakob Harrold
Traci Lamm
Advisors
Dr. Jean Twenge
Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky
Nicole Runyon
Caleb Carr
Where We’re Headed
Based in the Portland, Oregon metro area, we're building and testing our platform with real users. We're creating partnerships with challenge providers nationwide, curating experiences from beginner-friendly to genuinely epic.
We're looking for partners who share our vision: challenge providers who create transformative experiences, sponsors that support challenges, and investors who believe in putting human connection before engagement metrics, and early adopters ready to earn their next story.
Join the Movement
The loneliness epidemic. The mental health crisis. The feeling that life is passing us by while we stare at screens. These aren't inevitable. These are problems we can solve together.
We're not anti-technology. We believe technology should serve human flourishing, not replace it. We believe in adventure over algorithms, real accomplishment and community built through shared challenges.
Do something real. It's our invitation to you.
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