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It all started with a James Blake concert when friends Kajal Dattani and Ange Paye left the show feeling disappointed about not hearing their favourite song. That led them to conceptualize a service where fans could vote for songs to be performed at a concert through a donation, and the money would go towards the artist’s charity of choice. Years of planning later, brought on by the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dattani and Paye’s idea eventually evolved into something bigger: a charitable giving, digital engagement and community building app.
In December 2021, they launched the first version of Voto, joining several programs within Platform Calgary and Alberta Catalyzer that they say were vital for providing a fountain of support from other BIPOC women. “I have noticed [that] if you pay attention in Calgary, there are a lot of communities and groups that are specifically for women, and for women of colour, or for queer folks,” says Dattani.
Today, with Dattani as co-founder and head of design and Paye as co-founder and head of product, Voto allows businesses to engage with consumers through social-good campaigns where users complete “actions,” which are rewarded with a micro-donation (from the business) going to a charity. Since its launch, Voto has hosted 14 different campaigns for various businesses, facilitating more than 950 consumer engagement actions that have helped raise more than $1,000 for charities. Action examples include completing feedback surveys on an organization’s services, voting for desired product features (like the design of a beer can or company logo) and more.
“For us, we’re trying to get consumers to lean into businesses, to give their feedback, to engage and to have a reason to engage, and that reason is every single time you participate, money is going into a charity,” says Paye.
