I’ll tell my grandkids Q1 2025 was the best time to leave my cushy philanthropy job to found a new organization. And maybe I wouldn’t be lying given this moment of political polarization, a tech oligarchy built from our attention, and generational apathy towards politics. I’d also tell them it was born from a need to get people together. In person.
In January 2024, I hosted the first “Revival Rounds,” a monthly happy hour to bring business to bars struggling in Oakland. The Oaklandside’s December 2023 Culture Makers event sparked my idea for a monthly gathering. At the event, entertainment leaders Kevin Allen (Grand Nationxl), DJ Lady Ryan, and Billy Joe Agan (Eli’s Mile High Club) implored attendees to visit bars, restaurants, and nightlife before venues all shuttered. In every city I've lived, bars, restaurants, and neighborhoods with regulars facilitated connection and community. These third spaces—places where people gather and form connections outside of work or home—have always been where I found belonging. To Eric Klinenberg, these are “social infrastructure,” the physical places and organizations that shape the way people interact.
We ate waffle fries at Blueberry Hill in The Loop, St. Louis, danced all night and played trivia at Wonderland in Columbia Heights, DC, and watched (and wagered) on sports and reality TV alike at Parlor Sports in Inman Square, Somerville (Boston). Yet in Oakland, years into the pandemic, we were losing beloved establishments almost weekly. Starline Social Club and Palmetto, where I partied and had family dinner for my 40th birthday, both shuttered in 2023. I was determined to do what I could to preserve our nightlife, and happy hour and an email list were the best tools I had.
Some Revival Rounds shed light on the interplay between the civic (policing, news, responsiveness of city hall) and the social (exchanging phone numbers, making plans with strangers after, family friendly spaces). At Temescal Brewing, owners Sam Gilbert and Dvorit Mausner shared the struggles they faced—even as one of the largest brewery spaces on Telegraph Ave.—and encouraged attendees to find a spot where they could “be a regular.”
As the 2024 election approached, I also tested whether there could be an appetite for a sprinkling of civic action, and we hosted postcard writing to swing states, with strong attendance. I quickly learned that events with a civic or social component—not just drinks—drew the biggest crowds. With some momentum and flexibility, I decided to leave my role in philanthropy to explore demand for an organization providing social infrastructure.
I come to this work after nearly twenty years in public education as a teacher in DC and a district leader in the Boston Public Schools and San Francisco Unified School District. In January, I wrapped almost seven years at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) where I led collaborations with CZI Education’s product team to incorporate learning science and human development1 into our edtech product development2.
At CZI, I worked with interdisciplinary scholars and practitioners, learning about innovative ways to support young people's development through autonomy and supportive relationships—like Tony Burrow’s work on cultivating purpose3 and contribution, Mark Murphy’s youth-led organization, GripTape, and Chris Chatmon’s youth-led Kingmakers of Oakland.
My friends might describe me as a “Kool-Aid drinker.” This sometimes manifests as, upon return from a vacation, my immediate declaration “I want to move there!”4 Or, after doing a grantee site visit, “That was the best program ever!” It also manifests as engaging seriously and deeply with ideas, and continuing to pull a thread as I try to incorporate ideas into my mental schema. Ann Masten’s work5 on resilience as a web of positive adjustments in the face of adversity was one of these6.
During the pandemic, I personally felt the impact of relationships as protective factors, and I was eager to explore this domain more. When I finally read Bowling Alone7 and Palaces for the People, I saw relationships in a new light. These pieces articulate the role of relationships as protective factors for our society and democracy.
I started Joinery after my marketing colleague (and JOINERS regular) drilled into me that producing content drives engagement. I’ll be sharing ideas, questions, insights, and opportunities to participate as I build JOINERS, a new social venture to cultivate civic purpose and social capital. After announcing my departure from CZI, my community has been incredibly supportive, introducing me to others tackling similar challenges. I hope to bring some of those conversations into this space on a weekly basis so we can all take the small, intentional steps towards building a productive democracy.
But I’m also launching this space because I’ve always processed ideas and information through writing, so I’m excited to work it out in public—and hear your feedback. In the few weeks since introducing the JOINERS idea to the world, I’ve made rapid progress and refinement, so I’m looking forward to doing more here with you. And because all our time is limited, I’ll try my best to keep posts under 850 words.
What resonated for you most in this edition? What would you like to see in future issues? Drop me a line or comment on this post to introduce yourself. And let me know what aspects of civic purpose you’re interested in. And of course, if you know someone else who might be interested in this, forward it along.
Upcoming Events
We build community through social events, together. If you have something coming up, contact me to share with other joiners.
March 13, 6-8pm: Art Talk. A look at the magic of miniatures through history, plus a peek at Erica Meade’s (a regular at JOINERS) work. Includes wine! $10. RSVP at Brushstroke Studio.
March 15, 6pm-2am: Temescal Spring Bar Crawl. Gather your friends (or meet some new ones) and plan for a fantastic evening on the avenue. 21+, no ticket required. More info at temescaldistrict.org.
March 15, 6-10pm: On Purpose Collective Launch Party. On Purpose Collective is an inspired community of purpose-driven entrepreneurs, change-makers, healers, and creatives, supporting one another to bring our bold visions to life from a place of resourced body, mind, spirit, and finances. Hosted by Lily Williams, a JOINERS regular.
March 21, 5-8pm: Revival Rounds #15. Revival Rounds will welcome the first days of spring and celebrate women’s history month at Heart & Dagger Saloon, a woman-owned bar focused on community in Lakeshore/Grand Lake. RSVP on Partiful.
March 22, 9:30-12pm: Plants and Pitchers in Miniature. In this 3 hour workshop for adults, you’ll learn how to make miniature plants and pitchers using simple craft materials and household objects. These tiny decor items are cute additions to a bookshelf, top of a door hinge, or in the context of a miniature scene or vignette (like what you can create in Erica’s "Make a Miniature Vignette" course!). Hosted by JOINERS regular, Erica Meade. RSVP at BrushStroke Studio.
April 25, 5-9pm: JOIN or DIE Screening. Join or Die is a film about why you should join a club—and why the fate of America depends on it. Follow the story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of Robert Putnam, whose legendary "Bowling Alone" research into American community decline may hold the answers to our democracy's present crisis. RSVP on Partiful.
May 4, 9:30-12pm: Make a Miniature Vignette. In this 2.5 hour workshop for adults, you’ll create a miniature scene that features a wall and floor, framed piece of art, console table, miniature books, and clock. You’ll get to customize your space with a choice of art print and mini-framing method, “tile” color and pattern, wall color, clock color, and more. Final dimensions approx. 7.75” tall x 6” wide x 3.7” deep. Hosted by JOINERS regular, Erica Meade. RSVP at Brushstrokes Studio.
Like Along, which was one of the times when my personal and professional views on education most aligned.
An excellent conversation with Tony on Hidden Brain.
This happened with cities as diverse as Atlanta, Copenhagen, Austin, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Portland, Mendoza, Valparaiso, and even Salt Lake City over the years. The one time I acted upon it, I moved to the Bay Area.
This is a good 5 minute summary, but her book Ordinary Magic is worth a read.
My interest in cognitive neuroscience and human development was itself an outgrowth of a learning journey that started when I wrote my IB Extended Essay about Søren Kierkegaard my senior year of high school, but that’s a story for another day.
I’ll admit that as an adolescent in the early 2000s, I somehow confused this with Bowling for Columbine.
This is great. Excited to follow along, I mean join.