How We Connected

US Chamber of Connection

The most creative artists in America right now aren’t in galleries. They’re in your neighborhood. How We Connected is a front-row seat to the social artists rebuilding human connection. Hear inspiring stories about roller skating crews, bad art clubs, jousting societies, city saunters, Georgian dinner parties, catch-playing challenges, midnight runners, and picnic societies. Hosted by Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst, co-founders of the US Chamber of Connection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 12h ago

    Float and Flow: Micky Wolf, Co-Founder, Seam

    At a Seam retreat, even the meditation is a relay. Whoever's leading snaps their fingers three times and someone else takes over. Nobody holds the mic for long. That's the point. It's how a murder mystery game about birders became a campfire musical by the second night. It's also how another gathering produced a seven song musical about a fight over the center of a cinnamon roll. Micky Wolf co-founded Seam, a values based community rooted in Baltimore. It now has people all over the country. He's been rehearsing his whole life. In high school he was Prime Minister of Parliament at Winston Churchill High School and led an attempt to break the world record for the longest chain of shoes. The record was 24,962. They collected 17,000 and donated every pair. Micky's retreats run on something they call lended trust. You don't need to know everyone. Just one person who vouches for the rest. Aim for roughly half familiar faces then balance what Micky calls float and flow: enough of a plan for the weekend but enough drift to let a musical break out. Meanwhile, Charlotte reports back from her husband's rave on top of a mountain, where you could see a forest fire burning. Aaron returns from Provence ready to start a Friday night dinner tradition of his own. 00:00 Intro 01:42 Catching Up: Mountaintop Raves, Provence, and Chamber News 07:54 Meet Micky Wolf: Origin Story 11:05 Vulnerability, Adult Sleepovers, and Spirituality Exposed 14:02 What Seam Is: Values-Based Community 16:40 Inside a Retreat: Float and Flow 22:28 The Money: Pricing, Access, and Who Says Yes 27:12 How to Get Fiscal Sponsorship 29:36 Micky's Vision for Baltimore 31:20 Debrief: Sleepovers, Shabbat, and a Break from Tech --- The most creative artists in America right now aren’t in galleries. They’re in your neighborhood. How We Connected is a front-row seat to the social artists rebuilding human connection. Hear inspiring stories about roller skating crews, bad art clubs, jousting societies, city saunters, Georgian dinner parties, catch-playing challenges, midnight runners, and picnic societies. Hosted by Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst, co-founders of the US Chamber of Connection. Aaron Hurst is the co-founder of the US Chamber of Connection. He’s a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy. Charlotte Massey is the co-founder of the US Chamber of Connection and leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship. Connect with Us www.chamberofconnection.org Micky Wolf, Co-Founder, Seam Micky has been bringing people together since he was a ring bearer at age three. As Prime Minister of Parliament at Winston Churchill High School, he led an attempt on the world record for the longest chain of shoes, collecting 17,000 pairs and donating every one. He's the co-founder of Seam, a values based community rooted in Baltimore that hosts retreats and gatherings built on co-creation, from relay meditations to campfire musicals. His day job is CEO of Dent Education, a Baltimore nonprofit running paid innovation programs where young people launch ventures and careers. He also co-founded the Baltimore Youth Innovation Coalition. His rule for any gathering: enough flow to carry the weekend, enough float to let a musical break out. Learn more: https://www.denteducation.org Heylo www.heylo.com Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Float and Flow: Micky Wolf, Co-Founder, Seam

  2. Aug 11

    A Gathering, Not a Meeting: Sandra Slater, Leader, Cool Block

    When Sandra Slater knocks on your door, she has a script. “Hi, I'm Sandra, and I live across the street.” She points to her house so you know she's a neighbor, not a stranger selling something. Then the invitation: come to my home for a gathering, not a meeting, so we can get to know each other better. More than half the people she invites say yes, partly because everyone secretly wants to see inside the house across the street. Sandra is Aaron Hurst's aunt and in many ways the inspiration for the US Chamber of Connection. Her Cool Block program set out to help neighbors cut their carbon footprints. She learned that leading with the planet is a nonstarter. What people are actually hungry for is each other. There's someone sleeping 10 feet from your head that you've never met. So connection became the way in, and when COVID hit, her blocks already had masks and supplies and knew who had a generator and who was a doctor. There's a surprise, though. The topic people can't stop talking about isn't carbon. It's trash. Show neighbors the three bins and what goes where and they'll happily debate it all evening. Meanwhile, Charlotte returns from trekking Mont Blanc with fresh lessons on hosting, and Aaron reports back from being the awkward plus one at a pickleball party. 00:00 Intro 02:32 Charlotte's Mont Blanc Trek 06:25 Guest Introduction: Sandra Slater 14:15 Sandra's Origin Story 15:07 People for the American Way 17:28 Environmental Awakening 18:28 The Cool Block Challenge 23:25 How to Run a Cool Block 30:45 Scale and Impact 32:32 The Cost of Community Building 34:28 Obstacles and Politics 36:06 Palo Alto Forward and Housing Advocacy 42:00 Reflection --- The most creative artists in America right now aren’t in galleries. They’re in your neighborhood. How We Connected is a front-row seat to the social artists rebuilding human connection. Hear inspiring stories about roller skating crews, bad art clubs, jousting societies, city saunters, Georgian dinner parties, catch-playing challenges, midnight runners, and picnic societies. Hosted by Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst, co-founders of the US Chamber of Connection. Aaron Hurst is the co-founder of the US Chamber of Connection. He’s a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy. Charlotte Massey is the co-founder of the US Chamber of Connection and leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship. Connect with Us www.chamberofconnection.org Sandra Slater, Northern California Director, Cool City Challenge Sandra has spent more than 30 years turning environmental conviction into neighborhood action. She began her career at the United Nations Environment Programme and worked closely with Norman Lear to help found People for the American Way. She later built her own design firm focused on green building. Her Palo Alto home, designed as a showcase for sustainable living, has welcomed 4,000 visitors on tours. As leader of the Cool Block program, she helped neighbors across Palo Alto and beyond cut their carbon footprints by first getting to know each other. She's also a co-founder of Palo Alto Forward, a grassroots group advocating for more housing and better transit. Her real specialty is the knock on the door. Learn more: coolblock.org/cool-city-challenge Heylo www.heylo.com Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    A Gathering, Not a Meeting: Sandra Slater, Leader, Cool Block

  3. Aug 5

    Waiting in Line: Aaron Altabet, Founder, Chumstock

    When you arrive at Chumstock, Aaron Altabet hands you a sardine tin. On it is your name, and inside are business cards shaped like fish. They’re simple: your name, personal phone number and email address. There are 14 cards: you get a stack of salmon and one orca. It’s based on how many friendships Aaron thinks you can build during the four-day weekend. You have to choose. The salmon can be traded but you have to save the orca for the one person you’d be sorry to lose touch with. Chumstock is Aaron’s answer to a climate conference: four days, three nights at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Labs. At the conference are 120 startup founders, funders, operators, and researchers. It’s an unconference, so there’s just one 10-minute speech on opening night. There’s something surprising though: Aaron surveyed everyone after Chumstock and found that the number one place people met was in line. All Aaron’s careful planning came down to people waiting for food or for the ferry, or sometimes for the trivia to start. That and a culture where it’s ok to go up to someone and say hi. Aaron also gets deep into his social math: why six is the largest table you can have to maintain a conversation and why you owe your friends a note at least once a year. Hosts Aaron and Charlotte wonder how to build lines into their conference! 00:00 Introduction 02:29 Two Aarons, One Podcast 04:59 Becoming a Connector 06:35 The Origin of Chum Stock 09:28 Shelf-Stable Friendships 13:21 Social Media vs. Real Connection 15:54 What Chum Stock Actually Is 19:22 The Sardine Tin Business Cards 23:58 The Social Math of Group Size 25:48 The Surprising Power of Waiting in Line 30:16 Wrap-Up and What's Next --- The most creative artists in America right now aren’t in galleries. They’re in your neighborhood. How We Connected is a front-row seat to the social artists rebuilding human connection. Hear inspiring stories about roller skating crews, bad art clubs, jousting societies, city saunters, Georgian dinner parties, catch-playing challenges, midnight runners, and picnic societies. Hosted by Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst, co-founders of the US Chamber of Connection. Aaron Hurst, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, is a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy. Charlotte Massey, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship. Connect with Us www.chamberofconnection.org Aaron Altabet, Chumstock www.chumstock.com Aaron is the founder of Chumstock, a four day unconference for people working on climate that he hosts at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Labs in the San Juan Islands. He came to it sideways. He rowed crew and took a dual degree in biology and history at the University of Puget Sound, spent four years teaching science and running wilderness trips in Maine, earned a master's at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and recruited scientists for biotech before an MBA at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business pulled him toward climate and venture capital. He built Chumstock after watching two friends throw big multi-day gatherings and realizing he could do it too. He's 33, based in Seattle, and he sends a lot of holiday cards, most of them late. Heylo www.heylo.com Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Waiting in Line: Aaron Altabet, Founder, Chumstock

  4. Jul 28

    The Third Vault: Chip Conley, Co-Founder, MEA

    Aaron's in France for his sister's 50th birthday, so this one was recorded ahead of time. Before the interview, he and Charlotte get into why life transitions are at the center of the Chamber's work. Transitions are when people are most at risk of drifting into isolation. They're also when people are most willing to build new relationships.  This week’s guest is Chip Conley, who founded MEA. Chip was a shy kid who preferred his imaginary friends to real ones and now calls himself a mixologist of people. After 24 years running a boutique hotel company and four years as Airbnb's head of global hospitality and strategy, he co-founded MEA, the world's first midlife wisdom school. MEA has drawn more than 9,000 people from 60 countries. He walks through the three vaults of communication: the head, which holds the facts of your life, the heart, which holds your stories, and the gut, which holds what's unfiltered and unplanned. Chip calls this his Roto-Rooter for the soul. 00:00 Introduction 04:03 Meet Chip Conley 05:22 Chip's Roots in Connection 07:41 Inside the Modern Elder Academy 11:01 The Three Vaults of Communication 17:05 Connection, Community, and Boundaries 26:40 Reflections and Closing Thoughts 29:33 Wrapping Up --- How We Connected explores the conversations that power communities across the United States. Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey share what they’re building at the US Chamber of Connection and speak with leaders whose work strengthens local connection. Episodes offer human stories, practical insights, and ideas you can use in your own community. Aaron Hurst, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, is a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy. Charlotte Massey, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship. Connect with Us www.chamberofconnection.org Chip Conley, MEA www.meawisdom.com Chip is a co-founder of MEA, the world's first midlife wisdom school, with campuses in Baja California Sur and on a 2,600-acre regenerative horse ranch outside Santa Fe. He founded Joie de Vivre Hospitality at 26 and spent 24 years building it into the second-largest boutique hotel operator in the United States. He later joined Airbnb as head of global hospitality and strategy, where the founders called him their modern elder, someone as curious as he is wise. He's a New York Times bestselling author, has given three TED talks, and writes a daily blog called Wisdom Well. He was a founding board member of Burning Man, serves on the board of the Esalen Institute, and spent nearly a decade on the board of Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. Heylo www.heylo.com Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Third Vault: Chip Conley, Co-Founder, MEA

  5. Jul 21

    Friendship Journeys: Shasta Nelson's Global Adventures

    Aaron and Charlotte recorded this one early, since Charlotte's about to be off the grid and overseas. She's heading out to host a Women Who Explore trek on the Tour du Mont Blanc, hiking the circuit around Mont Blanc through France, Italy, and Switzerland with a group of women she's never met. There's a guide on the ground handling the trails, which leaves Charlotte in charge of what she calls the vibes: making sure everyone bonds, feels looked after, and comes home with the kind of friendships that outlast the trip. This week’s guest is Shasta Nelson, the Chamber of Connection’s Chief Friendship Officer and the author of Frientimacy and The Business of Friendship. Shasta traces her path from a childhood shaped by her parents' divorce to a first career as a pastor building community to launching one of the first friendship-matching sites, all of it feeding her work on what makes people bond.  Since 2013 she's hosted 20 international trips, starting with a begrudging group trip to Cuba that drew 200 responses and turned her into a self-described scientist in the friendship lab. She shares the recipe she's refined over a decade: ground rules like you don't have to be friends with everyone, but you do have to be friendly; two prep calls before anyone boards a plane; and an owner's manual prompt where each traveler names the one thing that'd help the group support them better.  00:00 Introducing Shasta Nelson, Chief Friendship Officer 04:09 Welcome Shasta 05:20 Origin Story: From Divorce to Friendship Expert 07:23 Charlotte's Trip Details 08:57 How Shasta's Group Trips Began 14:06 Managing Group Dynamics 16:26 Lasting Bonds, Repeat Travelers and Reunions 19:17 Gender Dynamics in Group Travel 26:03 Planning Trips: Strangers vs. Friends 28:42 Why Group Travel Builds Deeper Connections 31:35 Aaron's Dream Trip: Biking Italy --- How We Connected explores the conversations that power communities across the United States. Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey share what they’re building at the US Chamber of Connection and speak with leaders whose work strengthens local connection. Episodes offer human stories, practical insights, and ideas you can use in your own community. Aaron Hurst, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, is a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy. Charlotte Massey, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship. Connect with Us www.chamberofconnection.org Shasta Nelson www.shastanelson.com Shasta is a keynote speaker, one of the country's leading experts on friendship and belonging, and the Chamber's Chief Friendship Officer. A former pastor with a Master of Divinity, she launched GirlFriendCircles in 2008 as one of the first friendship matching platforms in the US, and she's since studied more than 10,000 friendships through surveys, interviews, and lived experience. She's the author of three books, including Frientimacy and The Business of Friendship, and her framework of positivity, consistency, and vulnerability has reached millions through two TEDx talks. Her work has shaped connection at companies like Google and LinkedIn and been featured from Harvard Business Review to The New York Times. Each year she also hosts international friendship trips around the world. Heylo www.heylo.com Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Friendship Journeys: Shasta Nelson's Global Adventures

  6. Jul 14

    Invite to Connect: Alexandra Friedman, Chamber of Connection

    Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey of the US Chamber of Connection discuss initiating invitations despite fear. Meanwhile, Charlotte enjoyed a trip to Minnesota for a family reunion and Aaron helped an Amazon delivery worker stuck behind a gate. This week's guest is Seattle-based friendship and social skills coach Alexandra Friedman, who is a lifelong connector. Her work has evolved from hosting dinner parties, to 125 curated events for 2,700+ people, and into coaching on social skills and friendship. Alexandra coaches Aaron and Charlotte on capacity, group building, travel, and hosting, emphasizing a focus on invitation. 00:00 Introduction 00:29 Weekend Catch-Up 14:30 Introducing Alexandra Friedman 15:45 Childhood Roots of Connection 23:53 College, Yelp, and Career 30:09 Connection at Work and AI 33:11 Becoming a Friendship Coach 35:36 Live Mini Coaching Session 48:24 The Power of Initiation 51:06 Wrap-Up and Credits --- How We Connected explores the conversations that power communities across the United States. Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey share what they’re building at the US Chamber of Connection and speak with leaders whose work strengthens local connection. Episodes offer human stories, practical insights, and ideas you can use in your own community. Aaron Hurst, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, is a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy. Charlotte Massey, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship. Connect with Us www.chamberofconnection.org Alexandra Friedman, Connection Feast www.connectionfeast.com Alexandra is a friendship and social skills coach and the founder of Connection Feast, a Seattle company she started in 2018 to cure her own loneliness after moving home. What began as rooftop dinner parties for strangers she'd meet at crosswalks and in Facebook groups has grown into 125 curated events and coaching that's reached more than 2,700 people. A self-described social artist, Alex helps adults build real community without giving up who they are, teaching the skills most of us were never taught: how to initiate, ask good questions, handle rejection, and turn a first hello into a lasting friendship. She works one on one, in groups, and through immersive experiences, all aimed at helping people connect more deeply with themselves and each other. Heylo www.heylo.com Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Invite to Connect: Alexandra Friedman, Chamber of Connection

  7. Jul 7

    Leave It on the Trail: Magalie Remy, Soul Sistas Hike Too

    From the US Chamber of Connection, Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey catch up after the Fourth of July. At the Chamber there’s planning for Welcome Week, the Best Day Ever program with five partner events, an August Seattle volunteer potluck, and Aaron’s National Night Out block party collaboration  In Memphis and Nashville, Aaron met leaders exploring a Nashville chapter and observed common tensions around newcomers and inequality.  This week’s guest is Magalie Remy of Soul Sisters Hike Too, who talks about building a women-over-40 mindful hiking community during the pandemic. It’s focused on rest, forest bathing, meditation, and tree hugging, emphasizing small, intimate hikes that reduce overperformance/overthinking. 00:00 Catching Up 05:49 Charlotte's Block Party 09:01 Aaron's Memphis and Nashville Trip 16:10 Magalie Remy: Soul Sistas Hike Too 18:04 Starting Soul Sistas Hike Too 19:08 What is Mindful Hiking 20:13 The Art of Tree Hugging 28:38 Rest, Isolation and Overperformance 31:31 Inside a Hike: The Full Experience 35:34 Community Growth and Future Plans 40:28 Reflection 42:34 Rest vs Activity Reflection 45:23 Podcast Milestones --- How We Connected explores the conversations that power communities across the United States. Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey share what they’re building at the US Chamber of Connection and speak with leaders whose work strengthens local connection. Episodes offer human stories, practical insights, and ideas you can use in your own community. Aaron Hurst, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, is a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy. Charlotte Massey, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship. Connect with Us www.chamberofconnection.org Magalie Remy, Soul Sistas Hike too www.heylo.com/g/f80507f9-e6d6-4b3c-a98c-1969598787cd Magalie is the co-founder of Soul Sistas Hike Too, an Atlanta-based mindful hiking community for Black women that's grown to about 500 women. A Brooklyn native and self-described introvert who grew up reading in the corner at parties, she rediscovered nature during the pandemic, when a birthday hike with a friend turned into something she couldn't stop doing. Together they built a practice they call mindful hiking, where women slow down on two to four mile trails to meditate, hug trees, forest bathe, and reconnect with themselves and each other. The heart of it is making space for rest and sisterhood while pushing back on the "strong Black woman" narrative that leaves so many women overperforming and burned out. A photographer and fibre artist herself, Magalie keeps each hike intentionally small so the connection stays real, and the work now reaches into wellness workshops, retreats, and experiences for organizations. Heylo www.heylo.com Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Leave It on the Trail: Magalie Remy, Soul Sistas Hike Too

  8. Jun 30

    If It Floats, It's Invited: Erik Hillesheim, Seattle Paddle Rave

    On this week's How We Connected, Aaron checks in from Memphis, where the Peabody has a duck parade and the tailor who once dressed Elvis, then heads to Nashville to meet leaders hoping to open a Chamber of Connection. Charlotte is off to see her grandma and family in Minnesota for the Fourth of July. This week's guest, Erik Hillesheim, moved to Seattle from Minnesota knowing just one person and figured the fastest way to find his people was to build something. It started with Seattle Swim Club, a Friday cold plunge that grew to hundreds on TikTok. Paddle Rave followed last Fourth of July, when a group text for 20 people turned into 100, then 500, then 1,000 paddleboarders around a DJ on Lake Union. Erik lays out the part nobody sees: six city offices, 15 partners, neighborhood associations, insurance, and federal permits filed 135 days ahead with the Coast Guard so others can be spontaneous. He believes water is a conductor of connection, and Paddle Rave stays free, a triangle of music, nature, and each other. This year it becomes Lake Union Concerts, adding Dock Rock, a rock series for a wider crowd. As Erik says, "If it floats, it's invited." --- How We Connected explores the conversations that power communities across the United States. Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey share what they’re building at the US Chamber of Connection and speak with leaders whose work strengthens local connection. Episodes offer human stories, practical insights, and ideas you can use in your own community. Aaron Hurst, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, is a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy. Charlotte Massey, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship. Connect with Us www.chamberofconnection.org Erik Hillesheim, Seattle Paddle Rave www.lakeunionconcerts.com Erik created of Seattle Paddle Rave, one of the largest floating concert series in the country, which draws around 1,000 paddleboarders to Lake Union to dance to a live DJ spinning from a boat. Originally from Minnesota, he picked up a paddleboard during the pandemic and brought the habit with him to Seattle, where he set out to thaw the Seattle Freeze by building community on the water. Before Paddle Rave he started Seattle Swim Club, a Friday morning cold plunge that grew into a weekly ritual and he now runs the events under a broader banner called Lake Union Concerts, including a new rock series, Dock Rock. He is also the co founder of Abundant Social Club, a holistic social wellness community, and a frequent collaborator on gatherings like sauna raves and the Enchanted Forest. By day, Erik is a sustainability and social impact consultant who helps organizations use business as a force for good. His guiding belief is that water is a conductor of connection, linking people to music, nature, and one another. As he likes to say, if it floats, it's invited. Heylo www.heylo.com Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    If It Floats, It's Invited: Erik Hillesheim, Seattle Paddle Rave
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

The most creative artists in America right now aren’t in galleries. They’re in your neighborhood. How We Connected is a front-row seat to the social artists rebuilding human connection. Hear inspiring stories about roller skating crews, bad art clubs, jousting societies, city saunters, Georgian dinner parties, catch-playing challenges, midnight runners, and picnic societies. Hosted by Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst, co-founders of the US Chamber of Connection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    US Chamber of Connection
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © US Chamber of Connection
  • Show Website
    How We Connected

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