Our biggest learning from Sense Supper Clubs in 2017 was that our members want to network in a the most human way; connecting in person and learning from like minded people who have their own unique experiences, interests, skills and stories to share. To kick off the year we invited some of London’s most diverse, curious and articulate Sensers to connect, inspire and collaborate with each other in the flesh… proving you really don’t need to use a paint brush or photoshop to be creatively intelligent.
Joining HQ team members from Germany, North America, England, France and New Zealand, we welcomed at the Sense Supper Club table:
We know that inviting a bunch of strangers to dinner could be a daunting task; not only for us as hosts but also for those joining us. How do you introduce yourself to 18 people you’ve never met? We had just the thing up our sleeve.
With everyone sat at the table we asked each Sense Supper Club guest to use their placemat to draw three things that represented themselves (with the obligatory Sharpie of course). After three minutes they had the challenge of turning to their neighbour and introducing themselves. Using this introduction, their neighbour then had the (as it turns out, hilarious) task of introducing a now-not-so-stranger’s drawings to the whole table. From tattoo meanings, to immigration stories, to creative leaps and more, the exercise proved the ultimate ice-breaker and the stories shared were honest, funny, touching and remarkable in equal measure.
“I was initially hesitant, having recently taken the plunge to start a business I have had to cut down on expenses. I decided to take a gamble and I am so glad I did. The evening did not disappoint, all the attendees came from different backgrounds, industries, sectors, and the mix made it work. It was obvious we all shared common interests and an appreciation for creative thought and the progression of ideas.” Hena, London
Ice-breakers over, new friends cemented and the starters vanished, we moved to mains. With the remarkable collection of humans in the room we couldn’t not ask a few of our guests to stand up and say a few words about the projects they were working on. And we weren’t disappointed.
Mike Christensen, founder of Stitcht, stood up and shared his creative journey behind setting up the new collaborative video reel app. From the trials of setting up solo and juggling jobs, to the joys of seeing his brainchild become a reality, he candidly took us on his entrepreneurial journey.
Marc Curtis (read his Senser Story here) took to the floor to discuss his creative journey behind his passion project Living Unplugged. A website and lifestyle portal for those that want to reconnect with the world around them through clean eating, mindfulness and digital detoxing (and coming from a background of digital innovation, his journey was certainly a fascinating one to listen to). Might we all suggest trying his homemade Sourdough recipe!
Yassmin Abdel-Magied stood up to tell us about her long journey to London from Australia. Recounting experiences of her previous life as an oil-rig engineer and the creative leaps and challenges she took to move to London to set up her company Mumtaza; the world’s first speakers bureau for Women of Colour (WOC), set up to help normalise the presence of WOC in positions of Power and Influence, aka POPI.
We are the sum of our parts, our members, and our Sense Supper Clubs allow us to change the equation from a one way street of newsletters and brand projects from HQ, to a more dynamic ecosystem of physical member collaborations and network exchanges.
From the first Sense Supper Club of 2018 alone we’ve already lined up discussions around potential peer-to-peer projects with Stuart and Patrick’s AI language tool Kaizen, started thinking about how The Sense Network can help Stitcht become the most creative and versatile video creation and curation tool in the world and are preparing to discuss how we can help Hena and The Content Architects test and build her online content planning platform, as well as working out how we can make bug protein gourmet with Alex from Entocycle.
“Wicked evening thank you so much.” Archie Wilkinson
To a city near you of course. We proven again and again that our Sense Supper Clubs are the perfect place to connect, inspire and collaborate with fellow Network members. We can’t always say what the night will hold but we can promise you’ll enjoy the ride and learn something about yourself and your fellow members.
We are currently talking to a number of global Network members who are set to host their own Sense Supper Club in their cities, so watch this space for one near you soon. If you’d like to register interest in attending future Sense Supper Clubs, or like what you see here and want to host your own, drop us an email and we will get the ball rolling.
In the meantime, enjoy just a few of the references that were discussed on the night – it’s our gift to you as an end of week treat!
135 W 41st St 5th Floor
New York NY 10036
+1 (212) 518-3444
71-91 Aldwych
London WC2B 4HN
+44 (0)20 7025 6040
