What went down at food + drink + stories San Francisco
San Francisco rounded out our third (and final) This Next Thing satellite dinner last Wednesday in fine style. After three dinners, we’ve really refined and validated our food + drinks + stories format, giving ourselves a solid basis from which to iterate: both for future dinners like this and the social events around the main event itself, not least the warmups.
The venue was Penny Roma, an Italian restaurant in SF’s Mission district. The room was “The Upstairs” above their main restaurant, an intimate space that fit two long tables, with plenty of room around them to get up and move around between courses.
People love stories. Stories allow us to connect with people we haven’t met before in ways that presentations or lectures simply don’t. Stories break down social barriers and form the bedrock of strong relationships. Stories are also infectious, with one story often prompting another and then another.
We heard more wonderful stories on Wednesday. Our host, Michael Lopp, opened the evening with a simple story of vulnerability, admitting how – even at the height of his career, with years of experience – he still experiences imposter syndrome and the feeling of not being the smartest person in the room. It was validating to hear that from someone like him, particularly in a room full of the kind of folks who came on Wednesday.
Dinner started with a selection of family-style salads, with highlights being a highly Californian citrus-and-avocado plate and a savory mozzarella-and-dates salad.
Our first story teller was Jane Ge. Jane’s experience is as a climate VC, but her story was about finding small moments that capture a different perspective, and how sometimes we just need to slow down and enjoy the moment. It was a perfect way to start, given one of our goals of creating memorable, valuable moments for folks.
The pasta course came next, a delicious ravioli.
The next storyteller was Evan Phoenix, who opened by saying he was going to talk about “unintended consequences.” His hilarious, surreal story was about how he discovered via 23andme not just one, but two half-siblings. We learned about how it happened and how his family coped with this new information. We also laughed a lot.
Secondi was roast chicken and a variety of vegetables and side salads.
Serenity Caldwell, our final storyteller of the evening, brought us into the world of immersive theatre, explaining how she designs shows and experiences that deliberately invite participants to be vulnerable, while also ensuring that they are always comfortable in every choice they make, and how important it is to adapt to the needs of each individual. Again, this seemed so fitting for This Next Thing, which is all about creating out-of-the-ordinary backdrops to allow folks to create meaningful connections, while considering each guest’s different needs, goals, and comfort levels.
And there we have it, our first dinner series, food + drinks + stories, has wrapped up after these three very special Wednesdays in March. Thank you so much to everyone who joined us in Berlin, Dublin, and San Francisco. Thank you to our three hosts, and our nine storytellers. We’ve learned so much and have had three wonderful experiences, now firmly setting the scene for our main event in Switzerland.
Speaking of This Next Thing 2024, from today, there will still be one more week to get tickets, but as usual, to guarantee a room in the Kronenhof, it’s better to book in advance of the deadline. We can’t wait to see you there!