Calling all Iowa singles: Date Me Dsm is the newest way to skip the apps and find your match.
Date Me Dsm, created by Leah Wafful in the summer of 2024, is an offline dating opportunity that consists of singles-only events. Wafful is also creating a singles database for her future matchmaking services.
Events range from private dinners to ticketed speed dating at various venues. What first started in Des Moines has quickly begun to make its way across the state.
‘Serial’ entrepreneurship led Leah Wafful to hosting state-wide dating events
At the end of July, Wafful hosted a one-year anniversary event. Over 300 singles showed up, ranging from 25 to 55 plus. She posted on Instagram saying, “How’s my failure look?” poking fun at those who didn’t initially support her matchmaking goals.
“The inspiration came from, you know, being a serial entrepreneur,” Wafful said. “I own a couple of other businesses and I had seen people doing these on a larger scale and bigger cities like Miami, New York, Chicago, and of course I’m like, ‘why can’t we have that here in Des Moines?'”
Wafful said when she came up with the idea for Date Me Dsm, she figured she’d do one or two events. She never expected it to be what it is today.
On top of Date Me Dsm, Wafful also owns Bronze 515, an airbrush tanning company, and Waffles & Whip, a sweet treat food truck.
“I’ve just made kind of connections in different industries and am really utilizing that,” Wafful said. “As Date Me Dsm has grown, I’m to the point where like people are reaching out to me to host.”
Date Me Dsm has now had events all over Iowa, and has even hosted with the Iowa Cubs and Iowa State Fair.
“At the end of the day, I’m creating dating confidence in people who haven’t left their house in years,” Wafful said. “I’m just creating a confidence for people to not only meet somebody romantically, but also maybe meet somebody platonically too.”
Date Me Dsm connects two Des Moines locals
Date Me Dsm events are both big and small. While some are hosted at restaurants or wineries, others are exclusive dinner parties. Wafful shared the success story of one new couple, Mary Claire Li and Jake Kirpes.
The Des Moines locals had been to Date Me Dsm events before, but had no luck. In January 2025, they each filled out an application to attend a Date Me Dsm dinner party with 10 single women and 10 single men.
“The night started and we all met at the Surety Hotel,” Li said. “We had a cocktail hour and got to mingle with everyone. Then we had dinner and we were sitting close to our match, but none of us knew who we were paired with.”
Kirpes remembers Li sitting across and diagonal from him. He said they had small group conversation, but didn’t talk one-on-one until they received their match in an envelope.
After being matched together, the two shared dessert and returned to the Surety Hotel for post-dinner drinks.
“We had never crossed paths prior to dinner,” Li said. “It’s just kind of a unique thing. I don’t know if we ever would have met otherwise.”
The two recalled their first date after the event clear as day. As Des Moines locals do, they enjoyed a day at the Art Center before ending at the Winchester Public House.
Kirpes and Li have been dating for months now, and just booked a two-week vacation to Australia together. They both shared their gratitude for Date Me Dsm, and encouraged others to try it too.
“You can meet someone you wouldn’t have otherwise met and have your whole life changed from it. So, that would be my advice. Just take a bet on yourself,” Kirpes said.
Is Date Me Dsm hosting future events?
Wafful isn’t stopping anytime soon, as August 2025 was Date Me Dsm’s busiest month yet. Singles looking to attend an event can stay up-to-date via her Instagram or website.
Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Date Me Dsm matchmaker Leah Wafful wants to help Iowa singles find love offline
Reporting by Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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