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Our story
We built what we needed.
We're Alaa and Sana, once dormmates, now friends, hikers, and founders. We met at UFV, bonded over a shared culture and a love for the outdoors, and realized the community we were looking for didn't quite exist, so we built it ourselves.
Why Circl exists
Great gear shouldn't sit unused while other people go without.
BC is one of the best places in the world for outdoor adventure. Skiing, hiking, kayaking, it's all right here, basically in our backyard. And UFV sits right in the middle of it.
But gear is expensive. A decent ski setup runs $800. A trail tent, another $400. For most students, that's weeks of groceries. So the mountains stay out of reach.
At the same time, there's gear sitting in closets all over campus. Stuff that got used twice and hasn't moved since. The people and the gear are in the same building. They just have no way to find each other.
That's the gap we built Circl to close.
The gap we closed
Gear sitting unused + students who want to go outside = Circl.
100%
UFV verified
What we believe
Built on a few simple ideas.
01
Trust
Every transaction is built on community accountability.
UFV-only accounts, campus handoffs, real ratings from real people who actually showed up.
02
Sustainability
Sharing over buying, every time.
Every rental is gear that didn't need to be manufactured. Better for your wallet. Better for the planet.
03
Accessibility
No budget should determine who gets to explore.
The outdoors is for everyone, not just the ones who can afford to kit out.
04
Community
We're not building a marketplace. We're building a community.
Every user is a neighbor, not a transaction. There's a real difference between the two.
05
Empowerment
Idle gear becomes active income.
Every listing is a chance to help someone explore and earn something back. Big goals, bigger summits.
The journey
From one conversation to a platform.
1
Jan 2026
The idea
One hiking plan turned into a question: why is this so hard?
2
Feb 2026
Started building
Sana coded. Alaa planned. We figured it out one feature at a time.
3
July 2026
Launched at UFV
First listings. First rentals. First community.
4
Now
Growing
Building, learning, and getting outside more than ever.
5
Next
Every campus
The Circl expands.
The team
Students who got tired of waiting.
The idea started in January 2026. Since then it's been one feature, one conversation, one hike at a time.
A
Alaa
Co-founder
Business grad, hiker, and the one who spotted the problem and wouldn't stop talking about it until we built something. Circl started as a conversation, Alaa made sure it didn't end there.
S
Sana
Co-founder & Tech
CIS student and the one who built what you're looking at right now. Circl is the website Sana wished existed, so she built it, and became its first user.
C
Chang
Advisor
Business professor and the person who told us to stop overthinking and start building. Has been in our corner since day one.
Why it matters
Every rental is three wins.
Owners earn
Gear sitting in a closet isn't doing anything for you. Every rental turns storage into income, even a weekend rental can cover your next adventure.
Renters explore
Trying a new sport is a lot easier when it costs $25 for a weekend instead of $800 to buy in. That's how we think it should work.
The planet benefits
Less manufacturing, less waste. Shared gear is a quiet form of environmental action, one that also happens to save everyone money.
Join the community
Ready to use Circl?
Whether you've got gear to share or adventures to plan, there's a place for you here.