Sam and Leila’s story began on a quintessential New York night set in the heart of iconic Korea Town, in a room full of young startup dream chasers, fueled by hope and cheap soju.

It was Noom’s 2017 Holiday Party when Sam first approached Leila. 

Exhibit A

To Leila, Sam was effortlessly captivating. He didn’t demand attention—it just seemed to find him, as people naturally gravitated toward his charm. 

To Sam, Leila and her big, brown eyes were the only things in the room. When the two of them began speaking, everything around Sam began to fade away—the other people in the bar, the sound of his colleagues’ terrible ‘singing,’ and the flicker of cheap neon lights—as he focused exclusively on Leila… and how to continue the conversation, which he was stunned he had managed to keep alive for so long.

What he didn’t know was that Leila was experiencing the same ethereality while speaking to him :)

However, life, as it often does, had its own plans.

Though the magnetic pull between them was undeniable, their paths diverged (aka, Leila had a boyfriend).

Once in a while they would run into each other—at company off-sites and happy hours, or during the rare but unforgettable moments when Sam had to kick Leila out of a conference room because “he’s got this room at 2:30 and ‘they’re already on the line’”...

These fleeting encounters were always lighthearted and brief, leaving the connection between them lingering but unexplored.

With 2020 came the pandemic, pulling them even further apart. Leila, begrudgingly, left the city she called home to be closer to family in Arizona while Sam (stubbornly) stood by in New York. 

Then, one auspicious day, their paths converged.

Leila was in the Noom office while on a work trip in 2022 when she saw Sam walking by, looking intent and brooding (though, in reality, thinking something along the lines of “what should I get for lunch?...”).

They hadn’t seen each other in a couple of years. And — this time — Leila approached Sam.

They started spending time together—lot’s of time. Over drinks in the Lower East Side, dinners in SoHo, fun shows you could only find in NYC, and while exploring their favorite corners of the city. Sam and Leila rediscovered why they hadn’t forgotten the night they had met.

Leila, excited by her return to the city, was running on high-octane enthusiasm. Sam, who may have aged ever-so-slightly during the pandemic, hung on for dear life…

Sam, hanging on for dear life:

It’s been a whirlwind since. Sam and Leila traveled to many countries together, moved to Brooklyn, and finally got engaged in the privacy of Fairy Bridge in the Highlands of Scotland in March 2024.

The bridge is associated with blessings, good fortune, and magic. Many believe visiting such a bridge can bring love, happiness, or a touch of otherworldly charm into one’s life.

Sam, shortly after proposing:

Sam and Leila are excited to build their future together, each dedicated to supporting one another’s growth, improvement, and happiness.

They can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter with all of you.