Southern Methodist University graduate Sarah-Allen Preston displays an Afloat gift bag in the technology firm’s Dallas offices.
Elías Valverde II | The Dallas Morning News (TNS)
DALLAS — Sarah-Allen Preston went through a two-year period of her most challenging personal experiences, including her 5-month-old son’s open-heart surgery and her divorce just over a year later.
She found the brightest days were the ones when friends sent her presents. Wanting to thank those who were there to help, Preston looked locally for gifts.
“It was truly the thought that someone was there for me,” Preston said. “I felt connected, I felt cared for. I felt like I wasn’t alone.”
When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, she created it herself. The event planner-turned-entrepreneur came up with Afloat, a same-day delivery app showcasing unique products and local businesses.
Today, the app has 12,000 users and features 70 local businesses in Dallas and Kansas City. Preston has raised over $1.5 million from early investors and is now seeking an additional $3 million in new growth capital.
“I wanted to be able to make it easier for everyone to bottle that feeling of connection and also amplify it through technology to make it convenient,” said Preston, a 37-year-old Southern Methodist University graduate and Kansas City native.
The all-woman-run business has 10 employees.
Preston outsourced the app’s development but now has a dedicated head of product who’s always looking to improve the app. With a few clicks, you can pick out an item and have it delivered to a recipient’s doorstep the same day.
The app has curated gifts for birthdays, men, women and almost any occasion, taking the frustration out of finding that perfect thing.
In Preston’s view, Afloat is more than just an app. It’s a connector. The company works to reinforce relationships and celebrate all things local.
“It is keeping the business in the community, which is really important to me,” Preston said.
Donna Letier, CEO of Dallas garden kit seller Gardenuity, has partnered with Afloat for about a year. She connected with Preston about being a working mom and wanting to pay it forward but not always having the time to find gifts.
“Our business is across the country, so for us to be able to do something in our immediate area is so exciting,” said Letier.
Local businesses don’t pay to be a part of Afloat’s program. The app makes its revenue from transaction fees, tiered subscriptions and marketing opportunities.
Afloat has 200 businesses on a waiting list while it looks to expand and upgrade the app. In Dallas, the app’s retailers include the likes of Jojo Mommy, St. Bernard Sports and Stanley Korshak.
Preston declined to release the company’s first-year revenue.
Acknowledging that she still likes to go to stores to shop for gifts, Preston said there are so many more occasions where she could be gifting. Afloat helps her skip the trip and send a gift from anywhere.
“It really expands the opportunities for gifting that would otherwise get left by the wayside,” she said.
