St. Pete Founder Prepares Tampa Bay Rollout of New Community App NewTree

NewTree, a new community events app founded by St. Petersburg native Maddy O’Connor, is preparing for its initial rollout across Tampa Bay following the release of its early MVP on the Apple App Store.

NewTree was created in Tampa Bay and is heavily inspired by the community culture growing across St. Petersburg and Tampa. From its branding and design to the product itself, the app draws inspiration from the region’s growing social scene, including local groups, wellness events, pop-ups and other experiences.

The platform gives users one place to discover nearby events and communities, while allowing local businesses, groups and independent organizers to create and share their own events.

Over the past several weeks, NewTree has been undergoing a significant product polish ahead of its rollout. An updated version of the app is expected shortly, followed by a coordinated local marketing and community outreach effort across St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Tampa.

O’Connor returned to Tampa Bay after several years in Washington, D.C., where she worked in digital communications and design. NewTree will begin building its first community in the same region that inspired the platform.

NewTree was recently featured nationally by Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson in a story about technology aimed at helping people get off their phones and connect in person.