Community Strategy

I grow communities through experiences and programs that are memorable, valuable, and able to transform people into close networks capable of sustaining on their own. 

The Kickstarter Arcade

Beginning in 2012, I worked on a partnership with PAX to develop the Kickstarter Arcade, a 3-day long experience at PAX East in Boston, MA where some of Kickstarter's best indie and established game creators could showcase their finished products and connect directly with fans. In our first year, over 1000 people came through the exhibit, bringing the online magic of backers supporting creators into the real world. We produced the event twice annually as a way to celebrate one of Kickstarter's most successful communities, eventually spinning it out into its own standalone event in Brooklyn. 

Kickstarter: Creator Dinner Series

As part of Kickstarter's strategy to bring our online communities together offline, I developed a creator dinner series held in Boston, LA, Austin, San Diego, and San Francisco. Each dinner included 20-25 guests, bringing together a mix of creators, artists, actors, makers, technologists, and scientists to dine, connect, and learn from each other. Some featured guests included Felicia Day (The Guild), Tim Schafer (Double Fine), and NASA's Mars Rover team. 

Product Hunt: Seeding a New Community

In anticipation of launching their first new vertical in games, Product Hunt brought me on to help seed the early community.  After establishing their needs, I set out to help elevate Product Hunt's visibility within the gaming community and built a strategy centered around  GDC, the world's largest professional conference for game developers. I helped organize a games + tech community meetup, set up a series individual meetings between industry leaders and the Product Hunt team, and worked with influencers to seed content for Product Hunt's gaming vertical launch.