In this episode of How We Connected from the US Chamber of Connection, hosts Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst catch up on their weekends - Charlotte's elaborate reality-TV-themed 30th birthday party planning and Aaron's dinner debate about whether vampires are cannibals. Aaron shares updates on the upcoming Connected Cities Summit in Seattle, including plans for a "Declaration of Interdependence.” They welcome guest Ren Yu, co-founder of the New York Philosophy Club, who shares how he went from being an only child to building a community of over 6,000 members in New York City.

Ren describes how the club works: attendees receive a sheet of questions exploring a single word - topics like suffering, longing, or death - and discuss in small groups of four or five, rotating through three 30-minute sections before heading to a jazz bar or park for informal after-party. He talks about keeping moderation light, costs low, and the format intentionally accessible - no philosophy degree required. Ren shares the club's vision for expanding to other cities, piloting in high schools, and potentially adapting the model for other settings, while preserving the quality and magic of the experience.

00:00 Introduction

02:29 Birthday Plans and Sexy Vampires

12:51 Connected Cities Summit

18:36 Interview: Ren Yu of NY Philosophy Club

24:30 What is Philosophy Club?

31:40 Growing to 6,000+ Members

33:40 Future Expansion

41:49 Reflection

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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

New York Philosophy Club

https://philosophy.club/

Ren Yu, Co-Founder, New York Philosophy Club

Ren is a co-founder of the New York Philosophy Club, a free public gathering where strangers discuss a single word, ike suffering, longing, or beauty, in small groups across three rotating rounds. Featured by Vogue as one of New York's hottest gatherings, the club has grown to over 6,000 subscribers and hosts hundreds of guests each week across multiple neighborhoods. Ren finished high school early, attended Brandeis at 16 on a merit scholarship, and later transferred to NYU, where he balanced studies with a career in finance. What started as informal discussions in his apartment merged with two other small salons to become one of the city's most in-demand community experiences. The club is now expanding to other cities and piloting in high schools.

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.

In this episode of How We Connected from the US Chamber of Connection, hosts Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst discuss what’s happening at the Chamber. They welcome guest Haley, a community builder in Pittsburgh, who shares her background growing up in a small town, studying sociology and psychology, and moving to Pittsburgh during the pandemic. Dog walking helped her explore the city and meet people, leading her to start a transplant meetup that grew from 14 attendees to a much larger community. She describes how her work evolved into Pittsburgh Social Health, focused on third spaces, offline meetups, and interactive programming.

Haley talks about her upcoming “Connection Expo,” a college-style club fair for adults on Pittsburgh’s South Side, featuring 80 organizations and roughly 400 RSVPs - and the challenges in sustaining community work, including time demands on volunteer leaders, keeping events accessible and low-cost, using partnerships with local business. She shares how she measures success through participant sentiment, feelings of safety and belonging, and actionable next steps.

00:00 Introduction

01:30 Weekend Catch-Up

09:11 Conference Strategy

18:54 Introducing Haley Ingersoll

20:09 Growing Up in a Small Town

21:36 Moving to Pittsburgh During the Pandemic

23:53 From 14 People to 400: Growth Story

25:14 The Connection Expo

29:20 Building Community Between Events

36:01 Economics and Sustainability

41:34 Reflection and Takeaways

46:44 Closing Thoughts

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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

Pittsburg Social Health

www.instagram.com/pghsocialhealth

Haley Ingersol, Founder, Pittsburg Social Health

Haley Ingersol is the founder of Pittsburgh Social Health, a grassroots initiative dedicated to helping people build meaningful connections in the city. With a background in social work and experience spanning human services, academia, government, start-ups, and hospitality, she brings a cross-sector lens to community building. Haley believes social connectedness is essential to overall well-being. Through social and sightseeing meetups, she creates welcoming spaces for new and returning residents to find belonging. Her work centers on equity, comprehensive wellness, and reducing social isolation. Above all, she is committed to shaping a more connected social future.

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.

In this episode of the US Chamber of Connections podcast, hosts Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey discuss the importance of building connections and the role of repetition in forming strong friendships. They welcome guest Darilys, a community builder who shares her experiences and challenges in creating social groups in Boston. Darilys touches on the cultural differences between Puerto Rico and mainland U.S. and the impact of hostility towards immigrants on her Latino-focused group. She also discusses the strategies she employs to foster connections, including hosting coffee socials and leveraging technology platforms.

00:00 Introduction: The Mission

14:59 Welcome Darilys

16:10 Origin Story: Moving to Boston

20:48 Starting Friends Beyond Boston

23:20 Platform Changes & Moving to Heylo

27:03 Coffee Socials

30:49 Cultural Differences: Puerto Rico vs Boston

35:16 Advice for Community Builders

38:17 Reflection

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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

Raices Latinas / Friends Beyond Boston

raiceslatinas.walthamsocial.com

walthamsocial.com

Darilys, Founder, Raices Latinas/Friends Beyond Boston

Darilys is the Founder of Raíces Latinas and Friends Beyond Boston. A Puerto Rican community leader based in Boston, she focuses on building belonging and cultural pride. Her work centers Latino voices while creating bridges across communities. Through events, storytelling, and partnerships, she strengthens civic connection and mutual support.

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.