Jon Stojan
Image credit: Rachel Semaan
In a city known for its calendar coordination and commitment issues, making plans in Los Angeles can feel like more work than the hangout is worth. “Let’s hang soon” usually turns into “Let’s try again next month,” and group chats become graveyards of half-baked ideas. But Last Minute: Join the Party — a sleek, real-time social planning app — is changing that.
Created by Dr. Rachel Semaan, a Detroit-born doctor and former Division I athlete, Last Minute offers something most social apps can’t: low-effort, high-reward connection. It’s built for people with full lives, tight schedules, and zero patience for endless back-and-forths.
Since its launch, the app has gained traction in major U.S. cities, with Los Angeles emerging as a core market. The platform functions as a private, invitation-based event board where users can post spontaneous plans — think “Dinner at 8 in WeHo” or “Anyone down for a Malibu hike?” — and instantly alert only the friends they actually want to invite. It’s location-based, hyper-personalized, and refreshingly drama-free.
“We’re all navigating busy lives, and yet we still want to spend time with our people,” Dr. Semaan says. “Last Minute takes the friction out of that. You don’t need to plan two weeks in advance. You just need an easy way to say, ‘I’m free — let’s hang.’”
Key features include:
- Private, curated circles so you’re only sharing plans with close friends or trusted connections
- Real-time notifications that deliver instant alerts (no waiting, no missed messages)
- Customizable feeds that prioritize relevant invites, not endless scrolling
- Ad-free and algorithm-free design, keeping your social life private and distraction-free
The goal is simple: get people off their phones and into real life. And that mission runs deep for Dr. Semaan, who created the app after years of working grueling hospital shifts, traveling frequently, and feeling the disconnect that came with a demanding lifestyle. As someone who’s experienced burnout firsthand, she wanted to build something that fostered real joy — not more digital noise.
“I didn’t set out to become a tech founder,” she says. “But I knew there had to be a better way to bring people together. We don’t need more content — we need more connection.”
In many ways, Last Minute is perfectly suited to LA’s unique rhythm. The app makes it easy to plan a rooftop yoga session, hit up a gallery opening in the Arts District, or grab spontaneous drinks in Venice without sinking an hour into texting logistics. It turns “we should hang out” into actual plans — minus the pressure.
And while it’s already attracting attention from friend groups and solo adventurers alike, the app has potential far beyond casual plans. Users are leveraging it for co-working meetups, networking happy hours, and even impromptu wellness check-ins — moments that remind us life happens in between the big stuff.
At its core, Last Minute: Join the Party isn’t about being social for show — it’s about being present with people who matter. And in a city that runs on timing, that’s a kind of innovation LA might actually show up for.