Pass the app

Lily Javois Malek ’20 and Sean Malek ’20 realized they needed a better system the same way many home cooks do: while trying to track down a recipe they knew they had somewhere. Their most‑cooked recipes were buried in screenshots, notes apps and faded index cards.

“There was no home or organized space for our favorite recipes,” Lily said. “That was the pain point I saw [with a solution] that just didn’t exist out there yet.”

The married couple — along with Elizabeth Malek ’21, Sean’s sister — created Table Talk, an app where users can share and archive recipes with friends and family.

The concept grew directly from their routines. Lily, who studied health sciences, recognized the need. Sean, a computer engineering graduate and iOS developer, saw a project he was ready to take on.

“I already have the skills to build an app, but I’d never built an app myself before,” he said. “I thought it’d be a cool challenge.”

Elizabeth, who earned her degree in marketing, joined to lead social media and marketing efforts. Her UD coursework, especially experiential projects with Dayton‑area businesses, shaped her approach. “[Those classes] allowed me to apply those textbook concepts into real‑world examples,” she said.  

Family, though, sat at the center of the idea. The Malek siblings’ UD ties stretched back generations. Sean and Elizabeth’s grandmother, Mary Ann Hickey, held men’s basketball season tickets beginning in 1969. Their grandfather, Richard Hickey ’51, was an alum, and their parents, Colleen Hickey Malek ’86 and Joseph Malek ’86, met at UD.

“Dayton runs through our family’s blood. Any way we could continue to keep that connection was something we were always looking forward to.”

“Dayton runs through our family’s blood,” Sean said. “Any way we could continue to keep that connection was something we were always looking forward to.”

Inside the app, users can create “tables” for family, friends, holiday planning or any community that gathers around food. Recipes can be built with photos, bookmarks and tags, including an “heirloom” category for recipes passed down through generations.

For the trio, these functionalities were important. Sean pointed to one dish he’s always trying to track down: his mom’s Mexican corn salsa.

“It gets buried in photos or messages,” he said. “That’s a big part of the purpose behind what we’re doing: making it easier for people to keep track of the recipes that matter.”

Elizabeth said the memories that happen around the table extend beyond immediate family. “Those moments spread to other groups as well — your chosen family. That’s a special part of what we hope to capture.”

Table Talk launched in May, and the Maleks hope Flyers will be among the first to pull up a seat.           

“The porch life lasts so much longer than you expect.” 

“The porch life lasts so much longer than you expect,” Lily said. “This community aspect of the app, we realized we owe it to Dayton. We’re just continuing that shared experience in a different way.”         

For more information on Table Talk, follow them on Instagram and download the app on the App Store.

Photographs courtesy Lily Javois Malek, Elizabeth Malek and Sean Malek

A version of this article appears in print in the Summer 2026 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 32. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE