Alumna Licenses Employee-Connection App

Anita D. Bhappu, who received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the UA in 1991 and now serves as an associate professor of retailing and consumer sciences in the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, has created a new method for engaging employees in the modern workplace.

Her software-as-a-service platform Sharing Tribes connects co-workers through a private company marketplace to borrow and lend goods and volunteer services. From lawn mowers to ladders, the idea behind Sharing Tribes is to unite employees across generations and motivate them to build an inclusive coworker community.

She and her colleagues have licensed the invention through Tech Launch Arizona.