Six Months Later, the Seeds Are Still Growing

By: Shannon Vyvijal, F4SC Associate Director of Communications

Last October, more than 300 researchers, innovators, and community leaders gathered in Atlanta for our 2025 Social Connection Conference, co-hosted with Healthy Places by Design. The theme – Seeds of Connection – focused on intentional relationship-building, and the hope was that the connections cultivated over our three days together would continue to grow long after we convened.

Six months later, we wanted to find out: what had taken root?

To mark this milestone, we launched a campaign inviting attendees to share stories of connections that have carried on — and we were thrilled to read what blossomed. New friendships. Expanded networks. Cross-sector collaborations.

From all the stories submitted, we selected two to celebrate through our campaign raffle.

🌱 Amanda Krisher & Victoria O’Neil

Amanda and Victoria met during our site visits on the final day of the conference. They ended up on the same bus to the airport and talked the whole way — about work, kids, books, and the impact the conference had on them. They exchanged numbers before parting ways.

Six months later, they’re still texting. They’ve started an informal book club together, working through the Times 100 Books of 2025 list, and checking in on each other when life gets busy. “Her messages always come at just the right time,” Amanda wrote. What started as a chance conversation has become a genuine, sustaining friendship.

Amanda is looking forward to celebrating their reading goal together at the end of the year and hopes that they’ll find a way to meet up in person before our next conference.

We’re sending them each a bookstore gift card to support their next book club pick and the friendship that continues to grow alongside it.

🌱 Laila Kabongi & Nnennia Mazagwu

Laila and Nnennia connected at the conference, where Nnennia was showcasing her Resonance chairs — public seating designed to invite people to pause, reflect, and connect with one another in shared spaces. They kept the conversation going, and are now turning to action. Back in Phoenix, Laila and her community are bringing Resonance chairs to a Juneteenth event this summer, where she looks forward to telling people the story of how they met and why urban design matters for fostering connection.

The collaboration has opened up bigger questions they’re both eager to explore: How can we build more structures that encourage connection? How do we partner with local businesses and organizations to bring these projects to more communities? They’re determined to find out before we gather again.

We’re sending them each a coffeehouse gift card to fuel this collaboration and the learning still ahead.

These two stories offer just a small glimpse into what this community has cultivated since October. We hope they inspire you to plant your own seeds of connection and see what grows. 🌱

Revisit moments from our time together with our conference session recordings and impact report here.