A new community platform is giving military spouses a secure way to connect with their peers.
Instant Teams, the international talent marketplace for military spouses and employers, recently announced the launch of the Twelve Million Plus app for those married to active-duty members, reservists, retirees and veterans. It builds on the company’s mission, according to a press release, and is being rolled out at bases around the country.
“Twelve Million Plus is an extension of our commitment to support the force behind the force,” said Kate Williams, community initiative program manager and Army veteran spouse. “The life of a military spouse takes on many ages and stages, making it critical to have a community-led, real-time ‘go-to’ when you have a question, need a place to bounce around an idea, share a reason to celebrate, or reach out if you need extra support and encouragement.”
The company created 12M+ to address three primary, quality-of-life improvements for military spouses:
- Democratize access to each other as a global community while fostering local connections;
- Centralize resources to make them easier to find and tap into when needed;
- Advocate for spouses by working with partners and organizations that can facilitate employment, professional development and financial wellness opportunities.
“These focal points came from months of community surveying and feedback on what was missing from the community and how we could help innovate solutions to solve those concerns,” Williams said.
How does Twelve Million Plus work?
Once a new member joins and is verified by ID.me — a secure, digital-identity network — they will have access to a daily feed, courses, events, content and the ability to meet and connect with members.
Williams said spouses will be able to select which areas they want to engage with and curate their own experience.
“Every day, community members will find a diverse group of peers, experts, resources and curated content,” she said. “It’s a place to check in daily to discover what’s new, ask questions, share ideas and connect in whatever way a spouse feels comfortable and however it best serves them.”
Spouses will also be able to engage with vetted, spouse-friendly companies directly within the app. For example, they can shop and support military- and veteran-owned businesses through Spouse-ly, access PCS support through MILLIE and take advantage of a partnership with Grow with Google to expand their skills at no cost to them.
Why choose 12M+ over other online groups?
“Not every spouse is on Facebook,” Williams said. “The growing population of younger spouse generations are not using Facebook, and many spouses are not on social media for personal and/or military-connected reasons. So we have to think about providing innovative solutions for the community that are inclusive, safe and accessible to all. This is our goal.”
Williams added that social media driven groups can be “bulky” and a challenge to navigate, and often spouses have to look in multiple places to find the information that’s important to them.
“12M+ will bring the heart of the community right into the palms of their hands — in one place,” she said.
The 12M+ app is free for military spouses to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
