Our Story
Back in June of 2015, Our Founder, Thomas C Knox, decided to set up a small table and chairs and invited random strangers to sit down for a chat while they waited for their train in New York City. He called it “date while you wait,” but finding a date was not his point. “I just wanted a simple way for people to have a positive social interaction outside of traditional social media. People need to communicate more face to face.” Said Knox.
Within a few months of his connection project “date while you wait” exploded on social media and then into the mainstream media. Every news outlet, from The New York Times to CBS, NBC, NPR, Timeout Magazine, the Philadelphia Enquirer, and beyond were doing stories on him and his project. He was then hired to travel around the country speaking to students and spreading his “Connection Matters” mantra. After these foundational successes he was inspired to create The Connection Collective.
Our Mission
We are a community of initiatives focused on developing and encouraging extraordinary human connections. Our goal is to cultivate impactful experiences while challenging and empowering people to connect in unique ways.
Our Values
Accountability
We hold ourselves and our members highly accountable to our mission, values and goals.
Community
We create and improve our communities to support growth for our people through opportunities that lead to sustainable community building.
Connection
We work together to create a culture that promotes positive connections for all.
Diversity
We seek out unique experiences, ideas and identities to assist us in improving our work and understanding.
Education
We invest in teaching and learning from our team and those around us through observation and shared experiences.
Equity
We work to disrupt any inequities in our communities, more specifically in the context of human connection and interaction.
Innovation
We accept challenges and encourage risk taking, while understanding the importance of maintaining our attention to the details.
Respect
We are actively listening and learning from each other, and are open to sharing feedback in constructive ways.
Team Work
We communicate and support each other, and always remember that we are a collective.