Leonardo is the founder and CEO of NOMO, an app built to help make real life cool again. NOMO (No Missing Out) encourages young people to spend less time on social media, not through bans or willpower, but by changing the social forces that make overuse feel inevitable. The app encourages groups of people to reduce their scrolling together, and it incentivizes real-world connection instead.
Behind NOMO
The Origin
NOMO was founded drawing directly from his research at the University of Chicago showing that people want to use social media less, but feel trapped because they don't want to miss out while their friends are still on it. NOMO solves that problem collectively. When people reduce screen time together, it actually works. The app uses behavioral science tools like group challenges, incentives, and real-world rewards to make spending less time on your phone feel social, not isolating.
How it Works
Most screen-time tools treat excessive social media use as an individual problem. NOMO treats it as a social one. The app enables groups of users to reduce their usage together. Competing, tracking streaks, and earning real-world rewards for scrolling less. When everyone cuts back at the same time, the social pressure that drives overuse flips: staying off becomes the norm.
The Research and the Impact
A study conducted at the University of Chicago in Fall 2024 found that just two weeks of using NOMO led to a 47% drop in depression incidence and a 16% increase in life satisfaction among participants.
NOMO is currently active in dozens of schools across the United Kingdom, in partnership with the Behavioral Insights Team, NESTA, and researchers from Princeton University. In Brazil, a partnership with the City of Rio de Janeiro will bring NOMO to 500 schools and more than 150,000 students by August 2026.