For alumni networks
A place graduates come back to.
Most alumni networks live on LinkedIn (the algorithm decides who sees what), on a Facebook Group (the algorithm decides who sees what), or on a vendor-built portal nobody opens. The third option could be good — schools spend a lot of money on those vendors — but they're usually heavy enterprise software optimised for the development office, not the graduate. Connect is the lighter, cleaner alternative.
Where the existing tools break.
LinkedIn owns the relationship.
Your alumni network is on LinkedIn because that's where the alumni are. But the algorithm decides who sees what; you are competing with hot takes from strangers for attention; and LinkedIn could change the rules tomorrow.
Vendor portals are clunky.
The big enterprise alumni-platform vendors (Almabase, ToucanTech, etc.) are heavy software for the development office. Graduates open it once, find the UX confusing, and never come back. There is a real product gap between LinkedIn and these portals.
No real-time feel.
Alumni groups are async by default. There is no live chat, no presence, no "the network is actually doing something right now" energy. The reason Discord works for gaming communities is that absence of live signal is exactly what makes alumni networks feel dead.
No way to surface the playbook.
The advice that experienced alums give to recent grads gets DM'd once and is gone. There is no Q&A surface, no archive of "what should I know about my first job", no knowledge layer.
How Connect fits.
Your school, your domain, your brand.
alumni.yourschool.edu on Professional+. Graduates land in your brand, your colour, your login screen. SSO/SAML on Custom for one-click sign-in from your existing identity system.
Feed + articles + events as first-class surfaces.
The feed surfaces long-form posts (alumni spotlights, school news, milestone announcements). Articles get formatting + cover images. Events have RSVP and a calendar surface. Each is its own thing, not a chat message.
Real-time chat for the connections that need it.
Channels per topic (career advice, regional groups, special interests) with live presence and typing indicators. The energy that makes Discord work for gaming makes alumni chat work for catching up.
Q&A as a knowledge surface.
Recent grads ask questions; experienced alums answer; the threads stay findable. The accumulated wisdom of your network moves from DMs into a searchable knowledge layer — making the alumni community actually useful, not just a vanity surface.
Alumni engagement isn't a hard problem. It's an under-served problem — the existing tools are either too small (LinkedIn Groups) or too heavy (enterprise alumni portals). Connect is the right size.
Try the Free plan.
One public workspace, up to 50 members, no credit card needed.