Our Why - socialmix

socialmix is more of an experience than a mobile app. More a purpose than a label. It all started about a decade ago when two Northern California friends – Gary Gilkison and Rafael Nunez – kept getting asked the same question. It is the same question that nearly everyone gets at a friend’s house, social event, restaurant, bar or club...

"What do you want to drink?"

It did not take long for us to understand that this question results in many different outcomes and even a little anxiety for some. From “what do you recommend” to “I’ll have what she’s having” to the fallback of ordering your boring “old faithful”. There had to be a better way.

In fact, we learned that this was not just a challenge for patrons. A professional bartender or mixologist as a career is hard to sustain and requires personal branding, creative flair, and constant education. And, sadly, establishments such as restaurants and bars deal with extremely low margins with a nearly 60% failure rate in the first year and an astonishing 80% going out of business within five. In addition, the distributors and producers in our industry are limited by how they can engage with customers directly which impacts their ability to grow and sustain market share.

So, we set out to fix this. Fast forward nearly a decade later, a few more kids, technology advances, a lot of business experience and the launch of a new company. socialmix is the mutual efforts of passionate people who care about the craft, support our community, and enjoy creating engaging experiences.

socialmix. Connecting people one drink at a time.

Gary Gilkison

Founder & CEO

Experienced Entrepreneur

Rafael Nunez

Co-Founder & CSO

Sales Master & Bartender

Xiaobing Yang

Chief Application Officer

Artificial Intelligence Scientist

Paul Lutjemeier

Chief Information Officer

Technology Guru & Bartender

What do you want to drink?

Mobile Experience

Enjoy with statistical certainty

By leveraging intelligence and learning, we present a personalized drink menu based on the profile, chemistry, history, and location of the patron in that specific moment.