Alphonso Terrell, the founder of SPILL, is on a mission to create a safe and engaging social media platform. This topic is crucial as it addresses the potential gap left if TikTok gets banned in the US and offers a culturally resonant alternative.
Just hours after being laid off from X, formerly known as Twitter, during Elon Musk’s takeover, Alphonso Terrell, the former global head of social and editorial, launched SPILL. Now, less than two years later, he’s poised to fill a void another popular platform may leave. SPILL is designed to be a digital space for positive, safe, and inclusive connections. Referencing the AAVE phrase “spill the tea,” the platform encourages users to share information authentically.
This raises an important question: what role will SPILL play for Black users if TikTok disappears? Terrell is confident in SPILL’s potential. “I believe we’re building the greatest social platform in the world, bar none,” Terrell tells ESSENCE. “We’re starting with a core experience that just isn’t possible, unfortunately, anywhere else. We understand who actually drives the culture. It’s not like, oh, we just built this tech, and then let’s figure out where all the cool kids are. We know. Ironically, it takes other folks a while to figure it out, but we know because we come from this. It’s us. We know those two things. Then number three, we know it’s about fun and connection and community.”
SPILL is addressing a need for novel social media solutions that resonate with culture. According to their team, making this happen has been “a beautiful and terrifying experience.” To date, the app has enjoyed more than 500k downloads, a testament to its growing popularity.
“The idea behind SPILL was really motivated by some very personal experiences working at major platforms before,” Terrell tells ESSENCE. “My entire career has really been about delivering solutions for how can we move culture to a place that’s more inclusive, more dynamic, richer, so that it can enhance people’s lives.”
SPILL has definitely gained attention. It was named Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024 and has hosted exclusive Q&As with Kerry Washington, among other notable moments. But more than anything, the user experience is still functioning as Terrell intended. “The app we built feels very connected,” he explains. “Not to get too woo-woo, but the ancestors are with us on this. There are a lot of magical things happening that I could not say we had planned. But I’m really grateful.”
In conclusion, SPILL’s emergence is not just about filling a potential void left by TikTok but about creating a space that is culturally significant, inclusive, and truly connected. Alphonso Terrell and his team are on a mission to redefine social media, and it seems they are well on their way.
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