Image by Richard Peat

When I travel, nothing is more satisfying than meeting local people and getting a sense of what it’s really like to live in a place. But how do you escape museum visits and tourist trap eateries?

Enter EatWith, a new startup that connects local cooks with travellers. You can browse through “experiences” hosted by locals in their own homes and book meals for anywhere from $15-200 dollars.

It’s being called “Airbnb for food,” and like Airbnb, it not only gives travellers and diners an opportunity to meet new people (reviews on one host say she “made us feel like we were part of her family”), but it also provides new entrepreneurship opportunities for local cooks, ex-chefs, or aspiring foodies who want to make side income or do what they love -- as their own boss.

"After years of working as a management consultant, I found EatWith and am now able to do what I really love: creating an unforgettable culinary and cultural experience for people from around the world,” Julius, a host from Spain, writes on his profile.

Just like other “sharing economy” platforms, EatWith is powered by solopreneurs and freelancers who are building the new economy: transforming the “owning culture” into the “sharing culture” and providing experiences that go beyond traditional boundaries to bring people together. You don’t need to wait for vacation to try EatWith; there are now hosts all across the United States.

Like most sharing economy platforms, EatWith is powered by big investment: Israel’s Genesis Partners. It makes 15% off every guest hosted.

Freelancers, would you do this on vacation?