MEET NICHOLAS HOWE
Founder of Howe-United Games & Software and creator of HUGS Hub and Cups & Spoons.
A personal journey that became a larger mission.
Nicholas Howe did not set out to become a software founder.
His background began in food, wine, e-commerce, and distribution. For years, he worked across industries before finding himself pulled toward something much more personal.
![4[1]](https://howe-united.com/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/41-rprwk1h5n0v1cd89whr27s4315xib1tjcjj2xta4y0.png "4[1]")
That shift began with his own journey through relationships, fatherhood, self-awareness, and the desire to become the kind of partner and father he wished he had seen modeled more clearly growing up.
“I wanted to create the kind of safe space I never had.”
Growing up, Nicholas did not have many examples of open, curious, emotionally safe relationships.
As he became a father, that realization became a turning point.
He began asking his son Cam a series of simple weekly questions:
What made you happy this week?
Did anything make you sad, anxious, or nervous?
Was there anything I did that made you feel hurt or unheard?
Is there anything you need from me before I see you again?
Those conversations became a safe space for honesty, reflection, and repair.
They also became the first version of what would eventually become Cups & Spoons.
From personal practice to public purpose.
During COVID, Nicholas watched couples around him struggle under the weight of stress, isolation, and disconnection.
The world was on fire, and home was supposed to be the safe space.
But for many people, home became another source of pressure.
That was the moment Nicholas began to see that what he and his son had built together could help more people.
The question became:
How do we create a tool that helps couples notice each other, acknowledge effort, and build safety in the middle of real life?
Relationships are not built once. They are chosen continuously.
Nicholas believes relationships require ongoing effort, awareness, and curiosity.
People change.
Needs change.
Capacity changes.
The person you love today will continue becoming someone new.
Strong relationships are not about freezing someone in place.
They are about continuing to learn who they are becoming and choosing to grow with them.
Helping people feel seen before things fall apart.
For Nicholas, HUGS is not just a product.
It is a way to help people create the kind of communication and emotional safety that many are never taught.
It is a way to help couples acknowledge the small efforts that often go unnoticed.
It is a way to support therapists who are carrying the emotional weight of helping couples through difficult moments.
Most importantly, it is a way to help people build healthier relationships earlier, with more care, clarity, and intention.
The mission is bigger than an app.
HUGS exists to strengthen the systems that support healthier relationships.
For Nicholas, that means building tools that help couples communicate more openly, help professionals guide the work more effectively, and help families create patterns that can carry forward for generations.