How We Connected

US Chamber of Connection
  • 4.6 (8)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

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 Aaron Hurst is the Co-Founder and CEO of the US Chamber of Connection and a long-time leader in the movement to strengthen community through work. A serial entrepreneur and social innovator, he previously founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation, two organizations that reshaped how companies think about purpose, service, and meaningful work. His book The Purpose Economy helped define a new era in which connection, meaning, and relationships stand at the center of business value. At the Chamber, Aaron focuses on reconnecting America by mobilizing community builders in every town and city. Known for turning big ideas into practical action, he works at the intersection of business, civic life, and community leadership. Aaron co-hosts How We Connected, bringing thoughtful perspective, personal stories, and a clear belief that human connection is a skill every organization can cultivate Charlotte Massey Charlotte is the Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection and Executive Director of the Seattle Chamber of Connection, where she leads strategy, programs, and partnerships dedicated to strengthening the connective tissue of communities in Seattle and nationwide. Her background spans political organizing, digital marketing for large-scale nonprofits, and venture-backed entrepreneurship. She is a Forbes 30 under 30 awardee, a Thomas J Watson Fellow, and a Tory Burch Fellow. Charlotte creates environments where collaboration is natural and accessible. Charlotte started her career in political and civic organizing, later serving as a digital marketer for major nonprofits and advocacy organizations, helping them mobilize supporters and scale their impact. She co-founded Gnara, a venture-backed outdoor apparel company that developed patented zipper technology to make clothing more functional and accessible for women, earning national recognition and viral reach. A lifelong community builder, Charlotte also founded the Seattle Picnic Society, a 2,000-plus-person open-invite community that gathers for creative, joyful events across the city. As co-host of How We Connected, Charlotte brings grounded, practical insight and a keen sense for the moments that reveal how connection actually happens – in workplaces, neighborhoods, and local ecosystems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1d ago

    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 own 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. Jun 24

    Room for Everybody: Maryam Banikarim, Co-Founder, The Longest Table

    Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst of the US Chamber of Connection catch up on Charlotte's second wedding anniversary weekend in Portland, where she and her husband reread their vows, and Aaron's trip to New York for his sister's 50th, the Knicks championship parade, and a Father's Day in the Yankee Stadium. Charlotte walks through her hunt for breakable Guinness World Records for Welcome Week. This week's interview is with Maryam Banikarim, co-founder of The Longest Table, a free neighborhood potluck that turns a single city block into one long table where strangers become neighbors. It started during the pandemic, when everyone kept saying New York was dead and Maryam kept thinking we're all still here. She posted a photo of a shared street meal on Nextdoor, met eight neighbors over coffee, and put on a lunch that drew five hundred people the first year. It now draws more than two thousand in Chelsea alone and has grown into a movement of about 50 tables across the country. 00:00 Show Intro and Check-In 01:13 Weekend Stories 09:19 Welcome Week and World Records 15:59 Introducing Maryam Banikarim and The Longest Table 16:26 Origin Story: Always the New Kid 19:01 Birth of The Longest Table 25:06 Why It's Caught On 27:38 Planning a Longest Table for Seattle 30:08 How It Works: Table Captains and Community Tables 38:41 Reflection --- 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 Maryam Banikarim, The Longest Table Maryam is a marketer turned community builder and the co-founder of The Longest Table, a free neighborhood potluck that turns a city block into one long table where strangers become neighbors. Born in Iran and raised moving from place to place, she arrived in the US during the hostage crisis and learned early that belonging is something you build rather than wait for. Across 25 years she led growth at Nextdoor, Hyatt, Gannett, NBCUniversal, and Univision, then during the pandemic co-founded the nonprofit NYCNext and helped launch the We Love New York City campaign. An Emmy Award-winning storyteller and host of The Messy Parts podcast, she's grown The Longest Table from one Chelsea lunch into a movement of roughly fifty tables across the country. longesttablecommunity.org Heylo https://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.

    Room for Everybody: Maryam Banikarim, Co-Founder, The Longest Table

  8. Jun 16

    Playful Connections: Safi Aziz, Founder, Joust Society

    Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst of the US Chamber of Connection discuss Charlotte’s weekend sorting childhood boxes and finding old party invitations and Aaron’s excitement about the New York Knicks championship, a Pittsburgh chapter launch, and a team retreat. This week's interview is with Safi Aziz founder of Joust, a “play club” that uses curated, fast, easy-to-learn games and carefully designed ambiance to spark conversation. Missing pre-pandemic Sunday game nights inspired Safi to launch Joust after a year of hesitation, and the club has now hosted 2,000+ players in two years. Joust partners with hotels by driving weekday traffic and shares game staples like Codenames, Flip Seven, and Wavelength. 00:00 Show Intro and Check-In 02:27 Weekend Plans 12:17 Introducing Safi Aziz and Joust 12:36 Origin Story: Sunday Game Nights 15:09 Joust Philosophy: Play Club, Not Board Game Club 16:53 The Secret Sauce 24:21 From Idea to Sold-Out First Event 27:23 Hotel Partnerships and the Business Model 31:13 Expanding Joust and the Loneliness Epidemic 33:00 Co-Designing the Art of Invitation --- 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 Safi Aziz, Joust Safi founded Joust, a play club where fun-loving people meet to compete. The idea came to him during the pandemic, out on a run, when he realized how much he missed the Sunday game nights he used to host in his apartment building's lounge. He kept the idea to himself for 12 months before deciding to go for it, booking the back of a bar in Williamsburg. Two years later, Joust has welcomed more than 2,000 players to roving game nights at some of New York City's best hotels and lounges. Safi is quick to point out that Joust isn't a board game club. It's a play club that happens to play board games, with fast, easy-to-learn picks chosen to spark conversation and camaraderie. Joust joustsociety.com Heylo https://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. Photo credit: Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Playful Connections: Safi Aziz, Founder, Joust Society
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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. --- Aaron Hurst Aaron Hurst is the Co-Founder and CEO of the US Chamber of Connection and a long-time leader in the movement to strengthen community through work. A serial entrepreneur and social innovator, he previously founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation, two organizations that reshaped how companies think about purpose, service, and meaningful work. His book The Purpose Economy helped define a new era in which connection, meaning, and relationships stand at the center of business value. At the Chamber, Aaron focuses on reconnecting America by mobilizing community builders in every town and city. Known for turning big ideas into practical action, he works at the intersection of business, civic life, and community leadership. Aaron co-hosts How We Connected, bringing thoughtful perspective, personal stories, and a clear belief that human connection is a skill every organization can cultivate Charlotte Massey Charlotte is the Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection and Executive Director of the Seattle Chamber of Connection, where she leads strategy, programs, and partnerships dedicated to strengthening the connective tissue of communities in Seattle and nationwide. Her background spans political organizing, digital marketing for large-scale nonprofits, and venture-backed entrepreneurship. She is a Forbes 30 under 30 awardee, a Thomas J Watson Fellow, and a Tory Burch Fellow. Charlotte creates environments where collaboration is natural and accessible. Charlotte started her career in political and civic organizing, later serving as a digital marketer for major nonprofits and advocacy organizations, helping them mobilize supporters and scale their impact. She co-founded Gnara, a venture-backed outdoor apparel company that developed patented zipper technology to make clothing more functional and accessible for women, earning national recognition and viral reach. A lifelong community builder, Charlotte also founded the Seattle Picnic Society, a 2,000-plus-person open-invite community that gathers for creative, joyful events across the city. As co-host of How We Connected, Charlotte brings grounded, practical insight and a keen sense for the moments that reveal how connection actually happens – in workplaces, neighborhoods, and local ecosystems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    US Chamber of Connection
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © US Chamber of Connection
  • Show Website
    How We Connected

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