RYE BROOK, NY (August 31, 2025) — A 17-year-old senior at Blind Brook High School has turned personal frustration into a successful iOS app, creating Seat Maker to simplify seating charts for events.
Austin Frankel developed the app after experiencing awkward seating situations at events. It serves as his first major iOS project, which he built over about a year while balancing school and other activities.
Seat Maker is designed for creating seating charts for events like weddings, parties, bar/bat mitzvahs, dinners and corporate gatherings. The app allows users to drag and drop tables and guests, shuffle arrangements, lock positions for key people, and share charts via messages or images. It works offline without needing an account.
Originally a paid app, Seat Maker is now free to download on the App Store. It peaked at #4 on the U.S. paid Lifestyle chart shortly after launch in July 2025.
The story has been featured in local outlets, including the Yonkers Times in an interview where he discusses the app’s development and features, and the Katonah–Lewisboro Times highlighting his entrepreneurial drive as a Bedford-area teen.
Frankel is involved in BBYO, a Jewish youth organization where he holds a regional leadership role. He runs coding education programs like CodeLab and Code Assist, and co-founded Your Honor Ink, a custom apparel business.
Beyond the app, Frankel shares insights on his experiences, such as how BBYO helped him network and build Seat Maker, in posts on the organization’s site.
He maintains an active online presence, including a personal website at austinfrankel.info, a LinkedIn profile and Instagram at @austinfrankel1, where he promotes the app and his other ventures.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.