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Dubai's Dion provides the ultimate ice breaker when socialising
Revekka Palaiologou says she's just taking the culture of hospitality that the UAE is so known for up a notch
- PUBLISHED: Tue 18 Feb 2025, 4:08 PM
It’s an odd time to be alive – we both crave connection and shy away from it, choosing instead to communicate through messages typed out on machines or through voice notes rather than via eye contact and in physical proximity.
But does that mean the connection found online is any less deep than sitting side by side and having a conversation? Not really, suggests the premise of a new social network called Dion. The app, launched about three months ago, allows users to send a beverage to a connection – an ice breaker and social lubricant to help dialogue develop. “In order to become a member, you have to apply (through the app, which is available on the App Store) and you have to be approved. And we have now almost 1,000 active users and a few thousand in the waiting list,” says Revekka Palaiologou, CEO and co-founder of Dion.
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The app has partnered with exclusive venues to allow for the beverage credits to be passed from one user to the next. “We seamlessly meld digital with real world interactions and socialising,” says Palaiologou. “It's gifting, but what we do is we bring back intention into connections.”
Once you’ve ‘gifted’ someone a beverage and the person has accepted, a chat window opens on your screen indicating both parties are open to communicating. (It is also a great way to send an apology to someone if you are running late.) Should the receiver decline your nudge, you get your money back.
It’s a culture of gifting
The concept of blending hospitality with digitisation to craft pathways for connection came naturally to Palaiologou. “I'm from Greece — we are very big on treating and hospitality. And I feel like UAE has the same openness and treating and inclusiveness as well. I feel we're very close mentality wise,” she says.
Add to that the UAE has a dine-out culture, a vibrant night life, and a love for both hosting and experiencing a warm welcome and you have the secret code for success. “It was really important for us to start somewhere where it's dense and strong in the hospitality sector, because for this to work, we have to have partnerships with venues,” she says.
Currently Dion has ties with 41 venues where people can be spotted flashing their apps for ‘gift voucher’ redemption. “We have six more in the pipeline. So we'll finish around 47-50 venues. There is no point of working with everyone -- what we do is we pick the top 50 venues in each city that we want to work with. And we start from there,” she adds, rattling off names such as Gaia, African Queen, and Coya Dubai as popular spots on Dion’s menu.
While the app is in its nascent stage, big plans are afoot to grow the brand. “We have started expanding into wellness, which is phase two,” she explains, adding that first a few brands that will be added to the equation will offer treatments such as “an infrared sauna or an ice bath”.
“There is a very big shift towards wellness, and this is something that is also close to our hearts, and we feel that it lacks in socialising. We aim to change that,” she smiles.
There is no subscription or joining fee (yet), if you want to get onto Dion. Instead, a service fee is charged during a beverage-sending interaction, which helps it to cover costs.
Finding work-life balance
As for her own work-life balance, Palaiologou — who has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 list — is still trying to find it. “The lines are so blurry that for me, especially since we launched in Dubai, and now we are launching in the US, and things are growing so fast, and it's so exciting for me. Work is life,” she says.
However, there are somethings that have helped her stay grounded, she admits. “I'm trying. I'm wearing the wearable (trackers of sleep, etc.), but it's like, oh, you slept five hours tonight.”
However, there are two things she insists on making time for in her troubled schedule: one, gym time four or five times in a week. “In order to make it, I'll book a class, because otherwise there is no chance of me making it. And I also have a very unorthodox approach to working. I prefer to work two-three weeks non-stop, and then have three days after that that I will travel,” she says.
This pragmatism is a quality that she harnesses across the board – including when she’s confronted with obstacles or dealing with imposter syndrome. “I used to feel imposter syndrome all the time, and this is something that goes back to diversity and inclusion, and I used to mentor many people regarding that. This is such a very big thing in tech. And what is sad is that I've mentored many women and many guys. There are so many times, so many times that I've been through that I remember there were times that I was like, Oh, this is it, especially in the beginning of my career, I'm going to get fired. I don't belong here. I don't know what I'm doing, and I would end up getting, a promotion. What's sad is that it's not even a good indication of reality sometimes.
“I feel like as you get older, you feel less of it, because whenever this happens, you can actually make yourself accountable,” she adds.
For now, she’s focused on growing Dion. “I feel that, you know, every major shift in social networking has digitised an existing behaviour. Facebook digitised friendships, Instagram digitised lifestyle. Dion is doing the same for real-world socialising, and we're creating a treating economy where people can connect by meaningful gesture,” she explains.
Look at it as a glass half-full situation; we may shy away from physical closeness, but we still live for connection. It’s the human condition – and Dion’s ice breaking ping is perfectly timed. There’s no geographical bar to who you can send a drink to – where Dion goes, so does your gift.
