Executive Interview: Sara Seabrooke, co-founder of Instant Chemistry

9th October 2013 Simon Edmunds

Name: Dr. Sara Seabrooke

Position & Company: Co-founder of Instant Chemistry

Can you describe your role and what you do?

My role at Instant Chemistry focuses on the science. I work closely with our partners at Queen’s University to ensure the client is receiving high quality results and in a timely fashion.

What is your personal style in business in three words?

Trust, integrity, precision.

What is your background, and how did you get into the online dating industry?

I have a PhD in genetics and neuroscience from the University of Toronto. I had learned about how genes can be important in forming relationships between couples when I was completing my undergraduate studies. I had wondered to myself, that wouldn’t it be nice if a genetic test could help single people find someone they had a real connection with? I realized though that genetics isn’t the whole story and there are many aspects which people consider before entering a relationship. Online dating provides those other aspects and I thought this would be a great addition to those methods.

What are you most proud of in your role?

I am most proud of being able to provide clients with their DNA results in a safe and secure system so that their matchmaker can work with them to help find them someone they can share their life with.

What interests you about the online dating industry?

The online dating industry greatly increases the number of potential partners for a person. It also makes it easier for two people who are really good for each other, but live in completely different cities and would never have met otherwise, to meet. In some online dating sites, there are so many potential matches; it can be difficult to sort through all the matches to find someone who you feel a real connection with. Instant Chemistry can help people by providing another search option to help narrow down who they are more likely to feel a connection with. They still use all their other personal preferences, but we can help them decide who among those people they are more likely to experience physical attraction with.

What do you think the future holds for the dating industry?

As people get busier, it is getting harder for us to spend the time looking for a potential partner. Because of this, the number of users of online dating is increasing every year. I think that because of the increasing numbers of people using online dating that there will be advancement in our understanding of relationships and new preference options that will help sort through all the people to find the right person. Instant Chemistry is on the forefront of those new advancements because it helps people access information that we normally couldn’t know without meeting someone in person. If we don’t have the time to spend meeting every one of our matches on an online dating site, then Instant Chemistry can be really useful in helping us figure out which of our matches we might experience a real connection with.

Do you think the industry will see more collaborations with the scientific world?

Yes. I believe science has a lot to offer to, not just the dating industry, but to society as a whole. Any advancement in science that can help couples find happiness I think will be embraced, whether that is helping them find each other, having children, or helping to keep their families healthy by preventing disease through early detection.

What sets your company apart from others in the industry?

Instant Chemistry provides a unique way for matchmakers to help predict whether two people will experience physical attraction when they meet. This is an aspect of matchmaking that cannot be determined through interviews and questionnaires.

What does the rest of 2013 and beyond hold for your company?

Instant Chemistry is planning to expand its relationship with matchmakers to be able to reach more people who are looking for a meaningful relationship. We are also interested in providing our service to online dating sites because we know this is where most of the people look for partners and we think we can have the greatest impact for those people by being available on online dating sites.

Visit Instant Chemistry’s website here, and read our article on the company here.