From transforming the dating landscape to building a community grounded in real connection, Compatico is redefining what it means to meet with intention. We spent time with CEO Elise Dalrymple-Keast to explore her journey, vision, and discoveries along the way.
For those who haven’t met you yet, could you introduce yourself and share what led you to your role as CEO of Compatico?
I’m Elise, the owner and CEO of Compatico. I started a marketing agency at age 23 with a business partner, and we grew that to a team of six people with an office based in Christchurch. We scaled that down in 2023. I retained some of my clients, and in 2024, I picked up a fractional role at a large law firm. At the start of 2025, I was considering my next step in the business world when the opportunity came up to take over Compatico. With my strong background in working in and running service-based businesses, I had a lot of transferable skills that complemented Compatico nicely. When the opportunity arose to take over Compatico, I went away to think about it for a weekend, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The obsession told me it was the right step for me.
What does Compatico do, and how would you describe its purpose to someone new to it?
Compatico is a matchmaking agency and singles community for singles aged 30 to 70+. What makes Compatico different from the apps is that you have no public profile, we do a police check on every single member, and we have a membership of people who are intentional about dating. We also offer member-only events to provide as many opportunities as possible for people to meet in a safe, curated way. Our purpose is to transform dating for those 30+, and we provide an experience which is much more personalised and engaging than the apps.
What first drew you to Compatico, and what made you believe in its potential?
I realised that I never had the same passion for my marketing agency that other founders had for their businesses – and now I know it’s because the purpose wasn’t strong enough.
What drew me to Compatico was the potential it has to make a positive impact on people’s lives. We live in an age of more apps than ever before, but a loneliness epidemic, and so many people who struggle to meet others. I liked Compatico’s approach because it has humans at the heart of it and you always have a human who you can talk to instead of talking to a chatbot or aimlessly swiping through an app hoping you will eventually hit someone compatible with you.
Leading a company built around human connection must offer unique insights – what have you learned about people through this journey?
It’s reinforced how a great relationship with another person starts with the relationship that you have with yourself and the work you do on yourself. The people who have the best luck in the dating game a) are happy in themselves and the life they lead independently, b) maintain a positive outlook on life, and c) are focused on how they want a relationship to make them feel, rather than arbitrary criteria such as height, job, or a narrow age range.
Compatico has also taught me how multifaceted people are and that ageing doesn’t have to mean getting “old”. Remaining curious about the world and challenging yourself at every life stage is a choice. Compatico tends to attract quite a motivated go-getter community, so I get the privilege of meeting high performers from 30 all the way up to their mid-80s. With the right mindset, good health and a bit of luck on your side, it’s amazing the type of life you can lead.
Who or what do you look to for inspiration or motivation?
I’m inspired by amazing entrepreneurs who have paved the way for women in business, like Cecilia Robinson and Dame Theresa Gattung. I also love seeing what other up-and-coming entrepreneurs are doing. In New Zealand, Simran Kaur and Kate Gatfield-Jefferies are killing it, and internationally, I’m super inspired by Stephen Bartlett and Grace Beverley. When I have challenging moments, I look to people around me who have done it before and think, “If they can do it, so can I”.
I also have a vision board, which I have as my desktop background, with images that represent goals I’d like to achieve personally and professionally and places I’d like to go. I find looking at the vision board helps to keep me on track and reminds me why I work as hard as I do.
What’s one challenge or breakthrough that’s taught you the most as a leader?
I learnt a lot from leading my team at Brandsitters. I was 24 years old, hiring people, having never worked full-time for another business and had no idea what I was doing. I learned that if you feel like you’re not getting the results that you want out of your team, then it’s likely a problem with you as a leader. You have to be honest with yourself and ask: How am I communicating? How am I delegating? Am I being clear with my brief? Are there clear processes in place? Am I giving people enough space to shine? The key to successful scaling is having good systems, hiring good people, and then getting out of their way.
The other challenge is learning to remove personal self-worth from my work and the outcomes of my work. I work incredibly hard and take a lot of pride in what I do, and I’m used to people generally loving what I produce. But as you scale a business, you cannot make everyone happy, and for the sake of your sanity, you need to get comfortable with that. You need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and know that you’re doing the best you possibly can and acting in line with your values – and not everyone will like that, but that’s totally okay. This is a lesson I am still learning!
Outside of work, what’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m the exact opposite of a homebody – the less time I spend at home, the better. I’d much rather be in nature, at the gym, out with friends, or at a café.
I also don’t really enjoy watching movies or television. I won’t watch anything that’s sad, scary, violent or gruesome. If it’s been nominated for some kind of film award, I probably won’t like it. When I’m sick, I’ll sometimes watch a nostalgic Rom Com, but I can count on one hand the amount of things I’ve watched in 2025.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future – both for yourself and for Compatico?
I’m excited to make the membership something everyone will want to be part of, because it means we can host more events in more cities and provide more opportunities for people to meet. We’ve already got some exciting plans in the works for 2026.
For myself, I’m looking forward to building up more systems and processes which make Compatico more efficient and allow me to spend more time growing the brand and making the membership so cool that it makes people envious. Outside of work, I’m excited for a few international trips, and some upcoming ultramarathons and hikes I have booked in.
You’ve recently joined the Alberts community – what have been your first impressions, and what are you most looking forward to as you settle in?
I’ve been really impressed with Alberts. When I first took over Compatico, I was working at home full time, telling myself that it was the most cost-effective thing, but I found it super isolating. I love that Alberts has multiple office spaces within walking distance of each other because I find I work best when I can switch up my working environment. I love that there are lots of events on and opportunities to connect with other members, and that the staff are all friendly and know your name. I also love that it’s just such a beautiful place to come and work from and it’s a nice place to invite people to come for meetings. The on-site sauna is also a bonus.
We’re proud to have Elise contributing to the fabric of Alberts, and we’re excited for all that lies ahead for Compatico.