Hard to believe that it's been two years since I left NYC for this lovely place called Austin, Texas. I am grateful for the new neighbors, colleagues and life-long friends I have made along the way to make this journey special. In the spirit of community, I invite you to take part in the Living Room Exchange, a project close to my heart that I hope will deliver value and rewards for you as well.
What is the Living Room Exchange?
The Living Room Exchange is an intimate and informal quarterly event for early-stage professionals interested in making quality connections, exchanging meaningful ideas and providing fresh energy to a community dedicated to social impact. Each gathering featured a notable guest speaker who provided a blueprint on how they navigated career decisions and advice on pursuing a range of professional paths. The non-hierarchical setting encourages a free flow of questions and ideas.
During my time in the New York Living Room Exchange, I hosted incredible leaders like Erin Viraldi, Founder of Vote Run Lead, an organization that helps women run for office; Amber Stryker, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for Estee Lauder MAC Aids Fund, and Miss Ethiopia, runway model turned social entrepreneur and founder of Seeds of Africa.
It is my goal to bring this project to Austin and in addition to the gathering, provide the group with a monthly email that includes action-oriented campaigns, events, and opportunities right here in our community. Each month we will rotate as hosts so you will have the opportunity to offer your home as shared space.
How does it work?
Every quarter, I will invite a guest speaker to talk about their work, career and current projects. I will prioritize women speakers, especially women of color and women in science, technology, and social impact spaces. Men are always welcome and encouraged to attend. If you already have someone in mind who would be a good fit, please contact me right away.
Our first guest speaker was the incredible, Becky Bui, UT McCombs Grad, former EMEA Facebook Director, current tech startup founder of Social Native and creator of She’s A Boss podcast.
Becky Bui, UT McCombs, Facebook, Social Native
What am I asking of you?
Please email me (nereyesparza@gmail.com) for access to a private email directory to add your credentials and share with your network. Use the email you most frequently check/are most comfortable sharing (e.g. Gmail). The more we crowdsource this list, the better our attendance will become.
Your participation is much encouraged and appreciated. I will send out an email invite with details of the next event with confirming time, location and details.
I hope you will join me in this small celebration and I look forward to a great summer with you!
Nereyda