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How We Connected: Daily Summaries Delivered
by 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. 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 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.
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- 5 days ago51 min
Friendship Isn't Magic: Jessica Gifford, Founder, ProjectConnect
Jessica Gifford grew up in a tiny community of hippies, peace activists, and draft dodgers who built their own one-room schoolhouse. From kindergarten through eighth grade she was with the same 15 kids, so she never learned how to meet people. Her fix came at college: become the RA. It's easier to create the community you want than to break into one that already exists.Years later, as a social worker on college campuses, a survey crossed her desk showing loneliness rates off the charts. What they were doing wasn't working. So she built ProjectConnect, a program now used by more than 100 organizations, on the idea that friendship isn't magic. Jessica boils it down to three practices: sharing, caring and repairing. And the conditions matter: an hour of icebreakers between strangers who never see each other again is, in her word, pointless.Jessica's newest program is a 30-day challenge of acts of social courage. Do the awkward thing on purpose, because awkwardness is often the first step to connection.Over at the Chamber, Aaron and Charlotte workshop the Chamber's new message out loud, and Aaron previews Pickle at the Palms, where his Oura ring ruled that a pickleball session had earned him a couple of extra desserts.00:00 Welcome to How We Connected06:17 Sharpening the Chamber's Message14:18 Meet Jessica Gifford16:35 From Social Work to Project Connect22:15 The Arthur Aron Aha Moment25:50 Six Conditions for Connection31:16 What Makes an Organization Invest36:29 Advice for Leaders46:04 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 Uswww.chamberofconnection.orgJessica Gifford, Founder and Chief Connection Officer, ProjectConnectJessica grew up in a small community of hippies and peace activists, sharing a one-room schoolhouse with the same 15 kids from kindergarten through eighth grade. She learned to make community by creating it, first as an RA at Antioch College. She became a social worker, earned her master's at Smith College, and spent years leading mental health promotion at Amherst College. When campus surveys showed loneliness off the charts, she built ProjectConnect, a six-week program that turns Arthur Aron's research into a repeatable recipe. More than 100 organizations have used it, from colleges to corporations. Her latest challenge invites people to commit 30 days of acts of social courage, because awkwardness is often the first step to connection.Learn more: https://projectconnect-us.comHeylohttps://www.heylo.comHeylo 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.
- 1 weeks ago46 min
Friendship Machines: Gina Phillips, Director of Operations, Pickle at the Palms
Gina Phillips grew up in a family of introverts. When they went out to eat, everyone brought a book. As a kid, she was shy and had hearing problems. Making friends didn't come naturally. But if she made the thing happen, she had a role to play. She still calls herself your friendly neighborhood introvert. Gina won't be the life of the party, but she'll make sure it happens.That carried her from founding Seattle Startup Week to WeWork, where she led global member experience. Her training for community teams included a rule Chumstock fans will recognize: a line is an opportunity. If people are waiting in front of you, introduce them to each other.Now she's bringing all of it to Pickle at the Palms, a 20-court indoor pickleball center in Seattle's Interbay neighborhood. She's hiring for warmth. Gina's big goal for the decade isn't a full house. It's a wedding. She wants couples to meet at the Palms and she's gunning for the Best Matchmaker trophy!At the Chamber, Charlotte closes out the summer, making noises at her baby niece at the Colorado cabin. Aaron pitches a quick pickling station at Pickle at the Palms, brine, jars and all.00:00 Introduction00:29 Catching Up03:50 Meet Gina Phillips08:47 Scaling Beyond Events17:32 Gina's Origin Story21:39 Community Building at WeWork27:45 Inside Pickle at the Palms40:25 Matchmaking43:12 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 Uswww.chamberofconnection.orgGina Phillips, Director of Operations, Pickle at the PalmsGina grew up in a family of introverts who brought their books to restaurants. She learned young that if she makes the thing happen, she has a role to play. She founded Seattle Startup Week in 2013. Then came WeWork, where she rose to Global Head of Member Experience. Now she's building Pickle at the Palms, a 20-court indoor pickleball center in Seattle's Interbay neighborhood, backed by the family that owns the Seattle Storm. She plays ultimate frisbee for a team called Jazz Picnic and has her eye on the Best Matchmaker trophy. Her motto: it matters less who you know than who knows you.Learn more: pickleatthepalms.comHeylohttps://www.heylo.comHeylo 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.
- 2 weeks ago35 min
Vibe Curator: Emily Trageser, Co-Founder, Girls Who Walk Baltimore
An hour before the first-ever Girls Who Walk Baltimore, it was raining, and Emily Trageser had a choice to make. She pushed the walk back an hour and hoped. Women started messaging: I was there; I walked without you. 60 women showed up. Emily and Summer had cases of water, hair ties, band aids, and a paper sign-in sheet.Walks now draw up to 500 women, and Under Armour hosts a Women's History Month walk at its new campus. There’s a larger mission: rewrite the story people tell about Baltimore. City developers call it the last uncut gem of the East Coast.Her secret weapon is a team of vibe curators. When a new walker arrives, the vibe curator rings a cowbell and starts cheering. Walk leaders play matchmaker before anyone takes a step. There are smiley stickers for women who want to chat. Some come to zone out, which is fine too.Meanwhile, Aaron records from Baltimore at the end of a five-city week that included dropping his youngest at Michigan. Charlotte signs off to catch the final Duck Dodge sailboat race of the Seattle summer.00:00 Introduction01:07 Charlotte and Aaron's Week06:01 What Is a Vibe Curator?07:45 Meet Emily: Her Roots in Community Building11:59 First Walk: 60 Women in the Rain15:52 Scaling Up, Local Business Partners17:37 Emily's Favorite Walks21:26 Invitation, Welcoming and Who Shows Up27:48 Burnout, Balance and the Wellness Break30:55 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 Uswww.chamberofconnection.orgEmily Trageser, Co-Founder, Girls Who Walk BaltimoreEmily has been gathering the troops her whole life. Before the walks, she organized wellness gatherings at a local yoga studio, from sound baths to cacao ceremonies. Then her friend Summer called with a vision for a walking club. They planned a route they knew, made a graphic on Canva, and invited every woman they could think of. It rained bu sixty women showed up anyway. That was March 2024. Today Girls Who Walk Baltimore draws up to 500 women per walk and a team of vibe curators making sure nobody walks alone. Emily is showing off the city she loves, one waterfront promenade at a time.Learn more: www.instagram.com/girlswhowalkbaltimoreHeylohttps://www.heylo.comHeylo 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.
- 3 weeks ago46 min
You Can't Interrupt: Vlada Bortnik, Co-Founder, Marco Polo
Every day, a 90-year-old nana opens Marco Polo and records a weather report. She's sitting outside. It's sunny, and that's just about the whole message. Some of her grandkids reply and some don't. It's not the point. Her family gets to see her face and know she's alive and well.Our guest this week is Vlada Bortnik, who co-founded Marco Polo. In Soviet Ukraine, Vlada was a leader in her classroom. She was a kid who stood up for the bullied new girl. Aged 11, she landed in Kansas, and the roles reversed: she was in a new country, with wild curly hair and a name nobody could pronounce. What hurt most wasn't the teasing. It was that this time, nobody stood up for her. Vlada set out to build the thing she didn't have: a place where people feel seen.On Marco Polo, you can't interrupt. You talk, they watch when they can, and both of you feel heard in a way even video calls can't manage. Vlada's fully remote employees say they feel closer to each other than when they sat in neighboring cubicles. And when Vlada's team matched total strangers into groups, they became friends. Some even planned vacations together or flew to each other's weddings. Meanwhile, at the Chamber, Aaron savors a last family weekend before dropping his son at college, complete with birthday cake for his 15-year-old dog. Charlotte paddleboards her slowest crossing ever to a dock rock concert.00:00 Welcome and Weekend Recap05:33 Seattle's Play Problem12:26 Meet Vlada: Ukraine, Kansas, and Being Bullied17:04 Engineering, Art, Building Things Together21:03 Building Marco Polo30:37 Founder Burnout and Separating Self from Company40:33 ---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 Uswww.chamberofconnection.orgVlada Bortnik, Co-Founder and CEO, Marco PoloVlada was born in Ukraine and came to Kansas at age 11. She went from classroom leader to bullied new kid without an ally. It an experience that shaped everything she's built since. She double-majored in computer engineering and art at Northwestern. She was the first student her counselor had ever seen combine the two. Then she spent five years at Microsoft, where she met her husband Michał. Together they founded Joya Communications in 2012 and dug into happiness research. Then came Marco Polo, the video messaging app that helps millions of people feel close by letting them talk face to face without interruption. This year she launched Marco Polo Circles to help people make friends, not just keep them. Her rule for showing up, on the app and off: messy hair, we don't care.Learn more: www.marcopolo.meHeylohttps://www.heylo.comHeylo 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.
- Aug 18, 202639 min
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 Intro01:42 Catching Up: Mountaintop Raves, Provence, and Chamber News07:54 Meet Micky Wolf: Origin Story11:05 Vulnerability, Adult Sleepovers, and Spirituality Exposed14:02 What Seam Is: Values-Based Community16:40 Inside a Retreat: Float and Flow22:28 The Money: Pricing, Access, and Who Says Yes27:12 How to Get Fiscal Sponsorship29:36 Micky's Vision for Baltimore31:20 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 Uswww.chamberofconnection.orgMicky Wolf, Co-Founder, SeamMicky 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.orgHeylowww.heylo.comHeylo 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.
- Aug 11, 202646 min
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 Intro02:32 Charlotte's Mont Blanc Trek06:25 Guest Introduction: Sandra Slater14:15 Sandra's Origin Story15:07 People for the American Way17:28 Environmental Awakening18:28 The Cool Block Challenge23:25 How to Run a Cool Block30:45 Scale and Impact32:32 The Cost of Community Building34:28 Obstacles and Politics36:06 Palo Alto Forward and Housing Advocacy42:00 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 Uswww.chamberofconnection.orgSandra Slater, Northern California Director, Cool City ChallengeSandra 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-challengeHeylowww.heylo.comHeylo 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.
- Aug 5, 202636 min
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 Connector06:35 The Origin of Chum Stock09:28 Shelf-Stable Friendships13:21 Social Media vs. Real Connection15:54 What Chum Stock Actually Is19:22 The Sardine Tin Business Cards23:58 The Social Math of Group Size25:48 The Surprising Power of Waiting in Line30:16 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 Uswww.chamberofconnection.orgAaron Altabet, Chumstockwww.chumstock.comAaron 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.Heylowww.heylo.comHeylo 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.
- Jul 28, 202630 min
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 Introduction04:03 Meet Chip Conley05:22 Chip's Roots in Connection07:41 Inside the Modern Elder Academy11:01 The Three Vaults of Communication17:05 Connection, Community, and Boundaries26:40 Reflections and Closing Thoughts29:33 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 Uswww.chamberofconnection.orgChip Conley, MEAwww.meawisdom.comChip 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.Heylowww.heylo.comHeylo 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.
About How We Connected
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 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 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's How We Connected daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of How We Connected as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the How We Connected podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official How We Connected product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by US Chamber of Connection.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does How We Connected release new episodes?
How We Connected publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does How We Connected cover?
How We Connected covers topics including Science, Business, Social Sciences, Non-Profit. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.