Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in app development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sienna Nazarian, Founder of CityPoll, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

CityPoll is an app that empowers users to have a voice in their communities right from their phones. Our feed and interactive map allow users to learn about, vote and comment on proposed policies and real estate developments within a certain mile radius of their residential communities (the mile radius limitation ensures that only those being affected by the proposed policy or development at hand will be able to have a say on it). The results are presented to City Councils and Real Estate developers, thereby amplifying the voices of residents unable to attend City Council meetings and enabling both Real Estate Developers and City Councils to make decisions with the needs of constituents in mind.

CityPoll has three user types: residents, real estate developers, and local governments. The range of residents spans across a variety of concerned local citizens, some of which might be small business owners, long-time residents, LA transplants, or anyone looking to have a voice in what's happening in their area. CityPoll's early adopters stem from Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the app aims to obtain a national and global user base.

Tell us about yourself

All of my projects start with curiosity and a drive to solve real-world problems with practical solutions. In eighth grade, I attended a speaker series on urban change and the shifting dynamics of neighborhoods. One talk in particular got me thinking about how large-scale development decisions are made—and how those decisions affect the everyday experience of residents.

I began working with HOPE SF, a public–private partnership focused on revitalizing neighborhoods, while running an independent study on how local policy decisions are shaped. By interviewing stakeholders and observing City Council meetings, I realized these meetings were often the only official venue for residents to weigh in—yet many couldn’t attend because of time, work, or family constraints. This created a structural inefficiency: resident voices went unheard, cities advanced projects without a full picture of community needs, and developments risked rejection later for failing to address those needs accurately.

I saw an opportunity to bridge this gap. I created the CityPoll app to make community input both accessible for residents and actionable for cities and developers—helping decision-makers collect representative feedback in real time, speed up approval timelines, and design projects with greater alignment to local priorities.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as an entrepreneur is presenting CityPoll to policy leaders and groups that have been aiming to create social equity, such as HOPE SF, The San Francisco Mayor's office, and the Mayor of Beverly Hills, Lili Bosse.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things that come with being a young entrepreneur is having to work three times as hard to establish my credibility because of my age.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Start asking questions, and never stop asking them.
  2. Embrace the "Nos." When you hear a no, it means that what you're trying to do hasn't been done before. If you're not hearing no, it means that what you're trying to accomplish is so easy to accomplish that anyone else can come in and copy you.
  3. You always have to be your number one advocate.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.citypoll.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sienna-nazarian/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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