When University of Miami graduate Dillon Abend was walking alone at night in a wooded area, he did what most young adults would do – he called a friend on FaceTime for company.
But when his friend – who lived miles away – jokingly asked, “If you get mauled by a bear, what do you expect me to do?” the comment stuck to him, leading him to launch a startup that could change the lives of many.
“I realized there was this huge gap,” said Abend [pictured above]. “People were already using FaceTime or calling friends just to feel safe, but those calls didn’t actually provide any help if something went wrong.”
Because of this one moment, Abend realized something was missing in the market. That’s when the idea for 3rd-i, a social safety app designed to protect people in real time by connecting them with trusted friends, family, and even dispatchers during emergencies, came to life.
Originally from New Jersey, Abend graduated from the University of Miami’s Herbert Business School with a degree in finance and a minor in marketing. While on campus, he had already begun exploring entrepreneurship, raising funds for philanthropy projects, and launching campus initiatives.
But it was his own sense of vulnerability that inspired him to turn a personal fear into a public solution.
“I didn’t set out to build a company, I just wanted to feel safe,” Abend said. “But once I realized how many people were doing the same thing I was – FaceTiming someone just to get home safely – I knew it could be so much bigger.”
3rd-i began as a simple concept: a shareable “body cam” app that streamed video, audio, and location data to a user’s trusted contacts.
However, what started as a prototype in Abend’s dorm room soon gained traction among students who also worried about their safety in a busy city.
“Every time we’d have mixers or events, I’d hear stories from girls about scary rideshare experiences,” Abend said. “It became a culture of, ‘Hey, this just happened to me in an Uber.’ That’s when I knew the need for this app went way beyond me.”
3rd-i allows users to stream live video, audio, and GPS location to their chosen “squad,” who can monitor the situation and step in if something goes wrong. The app’s discreet emergency system, which was built in collaboration with emergency tech company RapidSOS, lets users silently trigger an alert through the application that shares their live feed and location directly with dispatchers.
And, the app has already made an impact. Abend recalls a recent incident in South Beach when a woman mistakenly got into the wrong car, thinking it was her Uber. “She started streaming through 3rd-i, and her friends were able to guide her through the situation in real time,” he said. “It showed exactly why this app needs to exist.”
To make safety more approachable for students, Abend and his team are looking forward to integrating more fun, social features – like games and point-based awards, a “Yik Yak for safety” activity feed, and more.
“Most college students don’t like talking about safety,” Abend said. “They’re tired of tracking apps. So, we’re making it fun and social, and something they actually want to use.”
After building the first version of 3rd-i with a few friends, Abend raised $250,000 in seed funding, followed by another $1 million, after participating in the University of Miami’s University Student Startup Accelerator. The app currently has about 3,000 users.
Now, the goal is to expand to universities nationwide. Abend aims to partner directly with schools, offering a more effective, lower-cost solution than many existing campus safety apps that are barely used by students.
“Some universities are paying hundreds of thousands a year for safety apps that have three reviews and barely any users,” Abend said. “We want to change that.”
Beyond college campuses, Abend sees opportunities to serve other vulnerable groups, like seniors or people who travel alone. “By 2027, more than 10,000 people a day will be turning 65 in the U.S.,” he said. “We’re already getting interest from senior transportation services that want to integrate this technology.”
However, for Abend, the motivation to keep pushing 3rd-i remains personal.
“Every time someone emails us saying, ‘This app made me feel safe walking to my car,’ that’s what keeps me going,” Abend said. “It’s about turning fear into connection, and showing that safety doesn’t have to be isolating.”
His advice for other young founders? Don’t wait for perfect conditions. “To raise that first million, I probably had over 300 meetings and 1,500 no’s,” Abend said. “If I’d waited until everything looked perfect, I’d still be waiting. Just start. Keep pushing. Someone will eventually say yes.”
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI
- From Bezos to Dimon to Trump, America Business Forum brought big ideas – and Miami – to a world stage
- Miami’s tech opportunity is to take on New York City, not San Francisco
- How a University of Miami startup is using nanotechnology to transform agriculture
- How UM’s USTAAR program propels 30 students’ ventures forward
- Miami startups bagged $754M of VC in Q3, PitchBook reports. What were the top deals?
- UM students launch AIdMD, reimagining electronic health records with built-in AI - February 27, 2026
- Six women founders pitched at eMerge Americas’ SHINE! competition. And the winner is … - December 19, 2025
- UM grad’s safety app helps students stay protected and connected. Now with seed funding, he’s expanding access - November 12, 2025