The first event was 25 people in a park

The first Analyst Connect event was 25 people in a park. I’d moved to New York without knowing anyone and wanted to meet people outside work. So I put something together and asked people to come.

They showed up. People talked, exchanged numbers, and some kept the night going afterward. I’d spent time trying to get everyone there, so seeing them make their own plans felt pretty good.

I also noticed how quickly conversations came back to where people worked and where they’d gone to school. I understood it. Those are easy questions, and we had literally called the event Analyst Connect.

But I wanted to find out who people were once we’d got past the introductions. What they liked doing. What made them laugh. Whether they’d actually want to spend time together again.

That changed how I thought about the next event. I had to give people something to do and talk about once they arrived. The setting mattered. So did how we introduced people and what the invitation made them expect.

We kept going. Analyst Connect eventually became Anchor, and we’ve hosted in New York, LA, and San Francisco. I still come back to that first park gathering when I’m planning something: people are giving us part of their evening. What are we going to do with it?