Essays & field notes
Notes from a decade spent studying how strangers become allies — what builds trust fast, what kills it, and how to design gatherings in service of human connections.
The Cost of Loneliness at Events
A beautiful event can still leave someone feeling alone. What does that cost you?
“We put tremendous care into what attendees will see, hear, and eat. What they socially experience during that time deserves the same attention.”
We’re Asking Networking to Do Too Much
Networking gets us from stranger to acquaintance. We ask it to do the whole job.
How Much Are Your Attendees Really Getting From One Another?
We measure registrations and satisfaction — rarely the quality of the relationships people build.
What Years of Peer Groups Taught Me About Human Relationships
A decade inside confidential peer groups — and the word I needed for what happens in them.
How Turning Attendees into Allies Unlocks Event ROI
How merging stage and lobby unlocks true event ROI.
Trust Doesn’t Take Years — It Takes Design
What a decade of running private groups taught me about human connection.
The 10 Milestones Your Attendees Need to Form Deeper Bonds
How world-class events design for human connection—and why isolation is ruining your ROI.