Four Coronado residents created an app that bundles a business directory, event listings, local job postings and an AI assistant into one platform for the 92118 zip code.

The 92118 Collective is set to launch Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the A Taste of Coronado event, where the app is a VIP Experience sponsor, the Coronado Times reported.

Giovanna Jimenez, Rachel Strueber, Alyson Barré and Paulina Bejarano created the platform. Jimenez, who owns F45 Training in Coronado, said the idea started "over a glass of wine while Easter egg hunting."

The app's centerpiece is an AI concierge called Cora. Users can ask Cora conversational questions about weekend activities, restaurant options, local professionals or children's programs. Cora searches the Collective's own curated Coronado database first. Only when it cannot find an answer locally does it reach out to the broader internet. Jimenez said that approach uses five to 15 times less energy than prompting an open system like ChatGPT, though that claim has not been independently verified.

A rewards program called the Key ties the app to Orange Avenue storefronts and other local businesses. Residents earn points by checking in at participating shops, and those points accumulate across every business on the island. Each business sets its own perks for users who reach certain point levels. Jimenez gave an example from her own gym: a highly engaged user could earn a private class for themselves and 10 friends.

The system has guardrails. Users are capped at three check-ins per week at any single business, and they cannot pile up visits at one shop and then redeem a reward at a different one. Jimenez said the structure encourages residents to spread their spending across multiple local businesses rather than concentrating visits.

The app also includes a local alerts feature for situations like Coronado Bridge traffic and a gig board for one-off jobs such as tutoring, sports coaching or TaskRabbit-style tasks posted by Coronado residents.

The 92118 Collective enters a space where at least one other local app already operates. The Explore Coronado app, created by Clay Shinn, offers event listings, dining guides and shopping maps. The Collective's founders say their platform differs by adding AI-driven search and the social rewards layer.

Residents may see check-in opportunities from the 92118 Collective before the official Oct. 7 launch at A Taste of Coronado.