I went to a great event back in May of last year – and if you know me, you know that I only praise things that I believe in. Thanks to blogger Chris Pirillo who kindly sponsored tickets for some people, I was one of the winners of a ticket to attend Chic Meets Geek, a new series of events run by Carol Tran and a team of intrepid volunteers. The event was at the Automattic Lounge at Pier 38 in San Francisco, and was a great example of the kind of interconnectedness amongst communities I’d long been a fan of. The mission of Chic Meets Geek is to ‘bridge communities to inspire, share and connect’, and by holding events where the more tech and geeky folks meet those outside of tech (such as those interested in fashion), the event series may just succeed in its aims to get more conversation across diverse communities. If there’s anything the current tense political climate can teach us, it’s that the more people talk to those outside their own groups, the more likelihood we’ll have in solving our shared, collective problems. Events like this one are an integral part of coming up with solutions, and breaking down the barriers, so kudos to the event organizers (and wonderhouse Carol, who was the event MC and chief ChicGeek) for recognizing the need for such an unique event. I think CGM has hit on something incredibly worthwhile, because while there will always be events that cater to a single core audience, events – and people, and organizations – that reach out beyond their siloes serve all of us better to solve our collective problems and misconceptions.
There were a number of interesting components to this event – the centerpiece of which was a great panel of folks talking about what makes them passionate and how they’ve gotten to where they are in life. Few people really hit on the emotional aspect of why or how they’ve done what they’ve done in terms of professional success and the role of passion in what they’ve done; the panel (which included folks from software, restaurants, real estate, fashion, dance and more) was candid, honest and interesting, and more interested in listening to one another than in self promotion (a rarity in startup-rich Silicon Valley). There were also a lot of local small businesses that were involved as sponsors for the event; attendees sampled offerings from a variety of companies, including wine, cheese, soup, tasty tea sandwiches from Dartealing, as well as Abel‘s Tequila flavoured ice cream. Luckily for those trying to avoid the sweets, the audience could listen to the sweet tones of Emily Palen, a violinist for the evening.
What makes this series of events far more than just another Silicon Valley schmoozefest was the idea that the event of fashion fans and geeks got together in one place and experience another group of people which they rarely might encounter – with a nonprofit bonus to boot. We also heard from the powerfully inspirational duo the Reverend Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani, the organizers from the Glide Foundation, a fantastic San Francisco non profit who were the event’s non profit of the evening. In addition to Cecil and Janice, the audience heard from 2 recipients of the Glide Foundation’s work, who moved people with their stories of resilience and courage in the face of adversity. Hearing stories from the recipient’s of a non profit’s work is always rewarding. To call Glide a church is to miss the point – they, like all important institutions in society, serve multiple needs and multiple groups of people. That ChicMeetsGeek chose them is appropriate, as both of them highlight the role inspiration plays in personal change, and that groups with a mission of passion and change can achieve so much. It echoed the speakers in the panel, who all expanded on how important passion was to them as individuals. ChicMeetsGeek seeks to share those stories inspire as well as connecting the groups, and in a world where negativity rules so much of our news cycle, stories of positivity and change do inspire and remind us that groups of individuals can make change possible and harness the power that comes with strength in numbers.
All in all a powerful evening and something I look forward to attending again in the future – and something I look forward to seeing expand globally. Finding organizations, events and people who make connections between diverse groups and who look to inspire all of us makes us as individuals grow – and ChicMeetsGeek embodies the wise words of Margaret Mead who reminds us to “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”.
I think they’re really onto something there though. There will always be events that cater to a single core audience, but events – and people, and organizations – that reach out beyond their silos serve all of us better.
Regards,
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