Impact
Communities fray when interaction is mediated by screens and AI. People retreat into like-minded silos and trust declines. The antidote is not more content; rather, it’s scaled human infrastructure: repeated, small, face-to-face encounters that exercise the micro-skills of social life like initiating invitations, turn-taking, perspective-taking, and hosting. Evidence shows that shared meals are particularly effective, as people who eat socially more often report larger dependable networks, higher trust, and greater community engagement (R I M Dunbar, 2017). It makes sense that "breaking bread" is a fundamental building block for human connection.
Deliberately mixed small groups also help people step beyond socio-political silos. Decades of research on the intergroup contact hypothesis finds that structured contact reduces prejudice (Gordon Allport 1954). These encounters lower intergroup anxiety and increase empathy and knowledge about “the other,” laying foundations for stronger, more pluralistic communities.
Institutions have both motive and mandate to facilitate this. In workplaces, for example, employees report forming close friendships primarily through in-person social events and a large majority believe organizations should actively enable such interactions (KPMG, 2024); disengagement, by contrast, carries real economic cost, estimated at $8.8T in lost productivity globally according to Gallup research. The same expectations and stakes extend to churches, clubs, alumni groups, and civic cohorts.
By systematically creating small, intentional, recurring gatherings, and measuring gains in connectedness and relationship depth, leaders can effectively create a people-first culture that bridges differences, fosters empathy and enhances the overall sense of community.
What I'll do with $5,000
With $5,000, we will run a turnkey, 90-day Breaking Bread AI pilot inside one organization (with up to 300 eligible participants) to generate measurable evidence of increased belonging.
The MVP of the app launches September 1, so the technology is ready to go! The project is simple: we'll convert an existing handshake into a signed pilot, create an internal launch kit (email series + Slack/Teams posts, a branded sign-up page with QR posters/intranet banners) and start intelligently matching participants into 3–4 person tables, with automated scheduling and reminders. A concise pre/post survey (three base questions, plus up to two client-selected) will quantify changes in connectedness to the broader community, relationship depth, and hosting confidence.
Funds cover:
1) Creation of a templated legal contract and e-signature
2) A reporting dashboard with weekly snapshots and an end-of-pilot case study
3) An internal client launch kit
4) A credit to subsidize inaugural meals and reduce initial friction
Pilot success is defined as 50% (or more) of allocated seats attending at least one meal, 30% (or more) repeating, and a 10–20% point lift in the connectedness score by day 90.
The deliverables are a signed pilot agreement, a simple operational runbook the client can repeat, and a case study that can be used to begin selling PAID pilots that convert to an annual subscription plan. This single, contained project gives the organization a low-risk path to test “small tables with real talk,” while giving us the proof we need to expand aggressively.
Quick Bio
I'm a 3-time entrepreneur and mom of 2 on a mission to restore human connection. My latest pivot leverages my background as a technology innovator to tackle the loneliness epidemic in a modern way.