In November, Spoon University chapters from Boston University, Emerson, Harvard, and Northeastern came together around our favorite thing: food. Spoon co-founder and CEO Mackenzie and Community Growth Manager Britney were in our great city of Boston for Harvard’s Social Innovation Summit, where Mackenzie participated on a panel about starting your own social venture #girlpower. Before they caught their bus back to NYC, Mackenzie and Britney hosted a Spoon meetup brunch at Stephanie’s on Newbury.
Photo by Victoria Romulo
As a very new Spoon member, I’ll admit I was a little nervous attending the brunch with basically-famous veteran members of the Spooniverse. But there was really nothing to be nervous about; the Spoon family is so welcoming and I learned a lot much more than just the fact that monkey bread is the best pre-brunch appetizer ever — see above.
There are real people behind the computers at SpoonHQ.
Photo courtesy of images.google.com
And they’re pretty awesome. Yeah, we communicate with them via email about articles, follow their Instagrams, and wish we could party with Brooke on #5oclockfridays, but sometimes it’s easy to forget that HQ is a team full of people just like us. That’s why meetups are really important and effective events that are able to bridge the gap and connect HQ with chapters.
Here’s what I took away from the Boston meetup:
Reach out to your local Spoon chapters.
Photo by Victoria Romulo
The meetup brunch not only connected us with Mackenzie and Britney, but also with our fellow Boston Spoon University chapters! It was great to see contributors from each of the different schools meeting each other, sharing ideas (and food), and finding common interests. Spoon University as a network will only grow larger and stronger when our chapters connect and work together. We’re a family, so let’s act like one! As a member of Spoon, reach out to the Spoon chapters in your area to collaborate on articles, videos, and events. You might just make some awesome new friends in the process.
I’ve finally found my people.
Photo by Victoria Romulo
I’m that friend that needs to pause to take a picture before eating anything, simply to document the beauty of a delicious meal so I can remember it in the future. Usually I’m the only one at the table doing so, but this was not the case at the Boston meetup brunch. In fact, there was a designated and universally-accepted photo-taking period prior to eating, giving everyone the chance to get the perfect shot of their plate and the plates around them. No longer was I the weird food photographer delaying everyone’s enjoyment of their meals. I have learned, not only through the meetup but also through being a part of Spoon, that it feels really great to be with other people who enjoy the same things that you do.
You’ve got to show off your Spoon swag.
Photo by Kaely Gallagher
Mackenzie and Britney had A LOT of Spoon-related goodies that they needed to get rid of before heading out of Beantown. So we decided we could help them out and take some of it off of their hands. We filled our tote bags with handfuls of stickers, pens and bottle openers and instantly became walking Spoon advertisements. I grabbed so much that I had to share with my roommates, whose computers now proudly sport Spoon University stickers. Spoon swag is just another way we can show how passionate about and proud we are of Spoon University.
SpoonHQ really wants our feedback.
Photo by Victoria Romulo
Just like us, SpoonHQ is passionate about Spoon University and works hard to make it the best it can be. A great way to improve Spoon is to use the ideas and suggestions of the Spoon chapters, because the chapters are able to provide a unique perspective on what works, what doesn’t work, and why. During brunch, Mackenzie and Britney encouraged us to share any comments we had about the site, article writing, and campus events because they are really interested in our opinions and experiences. So, if you have any helpful feedback, cool ideas, or unique insight about how to make Spoon even better, drop ’em in the suggestion box (AKA share them with HQ!).
On behalf of the Boston Spoon chapters, I’d like to thank Mackenzie and Britney for an enjoyable, informative, and delicious meetup brunch. Spoon chapters: Look out for information about upcoming Spoon meetups in your area, you won’t want to miss them!