Dallas-based entrepreneur Austin Eudaly made his name in oil and gas, but a recent pivot has led him to the completely disparate industries of film and online dating.

He began working in the oil and gas industry in 2005 holding positions for Meredith Land & Minerals Co., Flatiron Energy Partners, and most recently served as managing partner at Gallatin Natural Resources.

“From 2008 to 2012 Mr. Eudaly personally oversaw leasehold acquisitions in multiple basins acquiring some 47,000 acres for certain exploration and production partners,” according to the Gallatin website. 

“I feel like a lot of people push their dreams back and say ‘maybe I’ll do that one day,’ and you get to the end and say ‘you know, I really should’ve given that a shot.'” 

Austin Eudaly

Now, he’s taken a step back to pursue other ventures such as his dating app Vouch and a documentary series called Uncommon Fellows. 

While he still holds an advisory position at Gallatin he has decided to give his full time and attention to his new projects. 

Eudaly said the change in direction comes from the opportunity to work on something he truly loves.

“This is a lifelong dream,” Eudaly said. “I feel like a lot of people push their dreams back and say ‘maybe I’ll do that one day,’ and you get to the end and say ‘you know, I really should’ve given that a shot.'”

DOCUMENTARY WILL GATHER THINKERS TO PONDER LIFE’S BIG QUESTIONS

For him, that dream began after graduating from Oklahoma State University. Beginning to question what he had been taught, he packed up and moved to New Zealand to study, work, and learn.

“I started reading different books from different perspectives. People like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins. I left New Zealand thinking I could’ve been wrong my entire life about what I believe,” Eudaly said. 

This desire for discovery led him to the idea behind Uncommon Fellows. He said the self-funded documentary series will focus on getting “key leaders from religion, philosophy, science, and the arts assembled to explore the questions fueling their disagreements — and ours.” 

The project is still under development, but Eudaly has big plans and even bigger players he hopes will participate in the project. The first of many leaders who have decided to sign on is Christian theologian Alister McGrath.

“I am trying to get four of the leading thinkers in the world today, one Atheist, Christian, Jew, and Muslim and mix that with four leading millennial-minded musicians that have a religious background, that is a seeker, or maybe agnostic belief,” Eudaly said.

Other key leaders he hopes to get on board are Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist and famed atheist, and Justin Vernon of indie folk band Bon Iver, to name a few.

DATING APP LETS FRIENDS, FAMILY IN ON SWIPING

Apart from his documentary series, Eudaly has also jumped in the online dating industry with an app he co-founded earlier this year with Sean and Catherine Lowe from ABC’s The Bachelor

Eudaly was friends with Sean Lowe long before he rose to fame on The Bachelor. 

Their app, Vouch, is unique in the regard that users who want to swipe on the app have to have a voucher. 

“We tried to create an app that four of your most trusted family and friends can help alongside you,” Eudaly said. “My vouchers are my sister, Catherine Lowe, my mom, and my best friend’s wife. If I swipe yes, one of my vouchers would have to swipe yes too and it makes it a much higher quality match.” 

“We tried to create an app that four of your most trusted family and friends can help alongside you.”

Austin Eudaly

Eudaly and his roommate came up with the idea one night at a dinner party when their married friend asked if she could swipe for Eudaly on Bumble. She continued to swipe for the next 45 minutes.

From that Vouch was born.

“The main difference is that we saw all the other dating apps out there and it’s just one person swiping on another and it was kind of a lonely experience. In all of human history people have met significant others organically,” Eudaly said.

Since its launch in March, the app has more than 10,000 downloads. It’s currently available on the App Store. 

“I am pitching groups, like angel capital. Were just looking to raise seed funding,” Eudaly said. “At this point, we have funded it all ourselves, but we are looking to expand into Austin next.”

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