Monthly Innovation eXchange

MIX: The Heart & Science of Building Community

Join us for MIX, a monthly gathering designed to spark collaboration, share ideas, and strengthen our regional innovation ecosystem. Each month, founders, researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, creatives, and community builders come together to explore a timely theme through lightning talks, small-group conversations, and informal networking.

This month’s theme: The Heart & Science of Building Community

What does it actually take to bring people together and keep them coming back? Behind every thriving community is someone who shows up early, stays late, and does the invisible work of convening, connecting, educating, and holding space. This month’s MIX celebrates and examines that work.

We’re bringing together practitioners who build community across different contexts from research networks and innovation ecosystems to neighborhood organizations, cultural spaces, and learning communities to share what they’ve learned about what makes people feel like they belong somewhere, and what makes community stick.

Expect honest conversation, practical insight, and a room full of people who care deeply about the places and people they serve.

Enjoy happy hour bites, meaningful dialogue, and the chance to get inspired by others working at the intersection of innovation, policy, and community impact in and around our region.

Agenda

Arrive early, beat the traffic & work from the space!

5:00 – 5:30 PM | Arrival & Open Networking

5:30 – 6:30 PM | Facilitated Idea Exchange

• Brief framing on the theme: the art and science of community-building
• Expert Lightning Talks from practitioners who convene, connect, support, and educate across different kinds of communities
• Roundtable conversations: what does community mean in your work, and what have you learned about building it?

6:30 – 6:45 PM | Reflections & Wrap-Up