Forbes Nov Oct 23: Finding Your Forever

Featured in: Forbes THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS IN NEW YORK CITY

Since 1986, the boutique matchmakers of Kelleher International have guided exceptional individuals toward their special someone. In the 1980s, well before the advent of online dating, Jill Kelleher made a living by setting up curated, personal dinner parties for eligible singles in the San Francisco Bay Area. Simultaneously, she was working as a young photographer at a popular video dating service, where she fell in love with personally matching many of the Bay Area singles she photographed.

“She had a knack for putting people together,” says Amber Kelleher-Andrews, Kelleher’s daughter and Co-CEO of their family matchmaking firm, Kelleher International. “It was also at this service where my mother discovered that high-profile professionals were hesitant to join a dating service, due to their desire for discretion. That’s when she got the idea to start her own boutique matchmaking firm.”

Now more than three decades later, the mother-daughter duo, globally known for running the world’s top professional matchmaking firm, still enjoys playing cupid every day. While the rise in popularity of dating apps is enticing, they can leave eligible singles who are seeking a serious relationship discouraged and overwhelmed. “Dating apps are massive and a huge time suck with people not being honest with who they say they are,” Kelleher-Andrews shares. “They make it extremely difficult for eligible, accomplished singles to find true compatibility.”

That’s why the Kelleher International team takes a different approach. They start by being selective with who they invite in. Potential members are thoroughly vetted and interviewed before membership consideration. Once they are a member, Kelleher International prioritizes commonalities and what’s most important for each member. The firm delves into deeper questions than apps provide, saving precious time for their picky clientele. “We cut to the chase,” Kelleher-Andrews says. “Our matchmakers focus on values and what is truly meaningful in each match, allowing our members to relax and just have fun.”

MAKING MAGIC

A Kelleher International membership guides passionate singles toward thoughtful, hand-selected introductions. But how does one jump into the adventure? “Our members are leaders in their fields. They are living their best lives and are extremely passionate individuals,” Kelleher-Andrews says. “They possess very special qualities and appreciate meeting someone similar and curated specifically for them.”

New members are assigned to a team made up of an experienced matchmaker, personal scout, and dating coach who takes the time to deeply understand them and hone in on the member’s specific “type” before arranging hand-selected introductions.

The process is very high-touch and bespoke, and it sets Kelleher International apart from others in the field. “We’ve refined our process over the past 37 years and feel that no one can touch us in the high-end matchmaking business,” says Kelleher-Andrews. “Kelleher clientele are unique, and we’ve logged well over a million hours of one-on-one conversations with these impressive individuals about what’s most important to them in finding a life partner. There’s a lot of learning there that we’ve baked into our process that no other company comes close to.”

New York’s most eligible have been trusting Kelleher International to find them a meaningful relationship for well over three decades. The dating apps haven’t changed that. If anything, they have helped differentiate the quality of service and time-saving aspect of the firm’s approach. For busy professionals who know who they are, and what they seek in a match, Kelleher International is a no-brainer. “We truly love what we do,” Kelleher-Andrews concludes. “This is the best job in the world.”