About Us
5050 Cafe Friends (fifty-fifty) is an online platform for local biz/orgs who wish to increase clients and customers in their area, workplace or residential care facility by networking, marketing, and fundraising in their community.
People who register as Friends (Join as a Friend) are able to receive invites to local social events (promos/giveaways) where they can enjoy meeting locals and the people behind their biz/orgs and if they choose - upgrade their subscription to return funds to the biz/org they support.
We are a passionate and dedicated team that has built 5050 from the ground up in Auckland, Aotearoa NZ. We saw a clear gap in the market where screen-time was taking away valuable social connections, and the pandemic has unfortunately exacerbated the issue of social isolation. We are here to support the local community by providing registered users (Friends) with invites to local social events and allowing them to support local businesses and organizations (biz/orgs) through our Bestie Support subscription. One of our standout features is our focus on proximity, which not only saves time, money, and travel-time, but also brings the community closer together.
- In today's busy world, it's hard to find time for social events. That's why we have integrated 'proximity' as a core function of our platform, to help you save precious time.
- We believe in making things accessible for everyone, which is why it's completely free to join as a Friend or Biz/Org (forever). If you want to show your support for local businesses and organizations, you can upgrade to Bestie Support (B.S.) and either receive a payout or an amount to spend at a listed biz/org.
- By emphasizing proximity, we are not only cutting down on travel time, but also creating opportunities for locals to receive invites and play an active role in their own community.
For far too long, social media giants like Facebook and Instagram have dominated our lives. However, we believe that this dominance poses a problem. While long-distance communication has become effortless, these platforms prioritize advertising revenue over the well-being of their users. With our platform, our aim is to prioritize the local community. By becoming a user, especially through Bestie Support, you can feel valued and make a significant contribution to your community.
About the 5050 part...
At 5050, we not only value social activity, but also strive for equality and fairness. We believe in gender equity as a means to achieve gender equality. Our 5050 Protocol is designed to raise awareness and promote independence. We request that every user ticks the checkbox to signify their commitment to equality. This ensures that no one feels obligated to anyone else, creating a safer environment and a level playing field for everyone. As pay parity gains recognition, we believe that support from those who identify as male is crucial in helping people who identify as female achieve independence.
How 5050 Cafe Friends was Founded
The Barista, The Book and The Diploma
'Some times you wonder why your life has gone the way it has, but then you realise that things have happened the way they have for a reason and that the way it has come together - all makes sense. In some ways it can feel as if things were pre-ordained and that your life’s experiences have all contributed to "what you’ve created."I realise now, that being a barista, writing a book and gaining a Diploma all contributed in some way to "the now" or how 5050 has come to be fashioned in the way it has.'
- Julie MacCulloch, Founder 5050
The Barista
I started learning how to make a cappuccino back in about 1980 in Sydney, Australia from the Italian community. ‘I was young and it was a job. I never really thought I’d ever use that skill again as it was quite pressured, hard work and anyhow, I had dreams of becoming a film-maker. Back then, I was just the Patisserie Girl, the term barista hadn’t been coined yet.’
The Book
Desirous of wanting to create a black African/American type of female character and inspired by the William's sisters (Venus and Serena) and their gutsy tennis playing ability, they seemed like wonderful role models for children, and inspiration for a first novel. Many years on, the ‘black lives matter’ movement has been a much needed force for change. It was the racial inequality instinctively felt by her (Julie) back then, that she regarded as a close cousin of gender inequality which formed the basis for 5050.
‘I think without attempting to write that book which I’m very proud of, I wouldn’t have thought it possible to change attitudes and behaviours around gender equality. But I do think it’s possible - at least on my website as everyone has to agree to the 5050 Protocol in order to join. We have to start somewhere as females and non-binary people, but we also need the support of males to get there. Luckily they’re into it,’ says Julie.
The Diploma
Film-making was a long held dream that wasn’t possible when I was young, because there were no courses or guides available, but enabled by The Right Honourable Helen Clark who made education for single, older women such as myself accessible, it came to be. She handed me my Diploma in Film-making (which was pretty amazing for someone of her position to afford the time to do this) and I believe that none of this (5050) would have been possible without her.
Because it was only studying film-making which was transitioning from analog to digital at that time and mostly confined to Adobe applications such as Final Cut Pro that forced me to learn about computerisation. Without this experience of computers and education made available, I don’t believe I would have ever considered building a web patform such as this. Before this course and as a stay-at-home-mum, I had no ability to even send an email.
Thanks Helen - you made the impossible, possible.