Agenda

5:00 PM - Early Arrival Perks

Kick off your summit experience early! Explore Fabrik’s curated social spaces, meet fellow attendees, and get your copy of The Connection Cure signed by award-winning author and journalist Julia Hotz.

5:15 PM - 6:00 PM | Panel Discussion

Building Social Connection in Our Neighborhoods
Discover how local leaders can turn neighborhoods into vibrant, welcoming communities. The panelists will share actionable advice on how to foster meaningful connections where you live.

Moderator:
Lenny An, Founder of Dumpling Dude NYC and Locally Sourced NYC

Panelists:

• Laís de Oliveira, Entrepreneur & Community Builder
• Daniel Stillman, Executive Coach, Facilitator, and Author of Good Talk
• Tony Bacigalupo, Community Organizer and Host of You Are Invited Radio Show
• Elisa Richou, U.S. Head of Partnerships & Brand Growth at Cohabs

Key Takeaways:

• Learn frameworks to cultivate connection on a neighborhood scale.
• Hear innovative tactics for sparking friendships with neighbors.
• Discover how small changes can create a more connected, welcoming community.

6:00 PM - 6:15 PM | Connect IRL

Take a moment to network and connect with fellow attendees in real life. Share your thoughts, learn from others, and start building meaningful relationships.

6:15 PM - 6:45 PM | Fireside Chat

Meet the Author: Julia Hotz on Social Prescribing
Join Julia Hotz for an exclusive chat about her revolutionary book, The Connection Cure. Julia will introduce you to the concept of social prescribing, showing how community activities like nature walks or group hobbies can enhance wellness.

Moderator:

Gwen Wiscount, Co-Founder + COO of Fabrik

Key Points:

• Understand how social prescribing reduces loneliness and improves health outcomes.
• Explore real-world examples of its success in the UK and elsewhere.
• Learn why connection is a key pillar of overall health and resilience.

7:00 PM - 7:45 PM | Panel Discussion

Your Social Prescription: What It Looks Like and Why It Matters
What if doctors could prescribe human connection? This panel dives into the science of social wellness and provides practical tools to create your own personalized “social prescription.”

Moderator:

Gwen Wiscount, Co-Founder + COO of Fabrik

Panelists:

• Julia Hotz, Author of The Connection Cure and Social Prescribing Pioneer
• Larissa W. Trinder, Assistant Vice President for Arts in Medicine, New York City Health + Hospitals
• Prachir Pasricha, Associate Program Manager, The Foundation for Social Connection
• Jaclyn Pascocello, Co-Founder + CEO of Fabrik

Highlights:

• Uncover the elements of a healthy social prescription tailored to your needs.
• Learn how quality relationships influence mental and physical health.
• Gain frameworks for identifying and enhancing your social well-being.

7:45 PM - 8:30 PM | Connection + Reflection

End the evening with an inspiring session of shared reflections and deeper connections. This is your chance to bond with other attendees, share what you’ve learned, and feel part of a growing community dedicated to social wellness.

• Speaker, Panelist, and Moderator Bios

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• Julia Hotz

  Author of The Connection Cure and Social Prescribing Pioneer
  Julia Hotz is a solutions-focused journalist and award-winning author of The Connection Cure—the first book chronicling the science, stories, and spread of social prescribing. She helps other journalists report on evidence-backed ideas at the Solutions Journalism Network and advises health organizations like Walk with a Doc and Social Prescribing USA. For her work on social prescribing, she has spoken at TEDx, taught in medical schools and practices, delivered keynote speeches, advised policymakers, and more.

   

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• Larissa W. Trinder, MPA

  Assistant Vice President for Arts in Medicine, New York City Health + Hospitals
  Larissa W. Trinder is the Assistant Vice President for Arts in Medicine at New York City Health + Hospitals. The visual collection is installed throughout the health system to support evidence-based design principles and enhance patient and staff experiences. Additionally, she oversees the development and implementation of evidence-based art and cultural programs for patients, staff, and community members as a strategy to address workforce burnout at the largest municipal health system in the United States. Larissa also leads civic engagement strategies that identify art and cultural assets in communities to connect patients, staff, and families to meaningful activities that reduce loneliness and isolation.

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  Prachir Pasricha

  Associate Program Manager, The Foundation for Social Connection
  Prachir Pasricha (he/him) is an Associate Program Manager at the Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC), supporting its Network and Partnerships and Research and Practice areas. His commitment to fostering a more relational way of life is reflected in his work supporting communities to develop plans and test interventions that foster belonging, scaling a resident-led social infrastructure initiative, and researching how we measure social connection as a 2023 Social Connectedness Fellow with F4SC. Prachir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Honours Business Administration from Western University’s Ivey Business School in Canada.

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  Jaclyn Pascocello

  Co-Founder of Fabrik
  Jaclyn Pascocello is the Co-Founder of Fabrik, an organization dedicated to designing collaborative spaces and fostering connections for dynamic and meaningful human interactions. She applies her expertise to bring people together and champion the importance of building relationships and community resilience.

   

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• Tony Bacigalupo

  Community Organizer and Host of You Are Invited Radio Show
  Tony Bacigalupo is on a mission to inspire communities to make their hometowns more socially connected. Based in Norwalk, CT, Tony organizes local initiatives, such as the New to Town Meetup, a new municipal Club Directory, and Bike Parties. He wrote the 2023 State of Belonging Report and hosts the You Are Invited radio show. By collaborating with the local government and organizing civic programs, Tony aims to transform Norwalk into the most "belongful" city in the world while encouraging other communities to do the same.

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  Elisa Richou

  U.S. Head of Partnerships & Brand Growth, Cohabs
  Elisa Richou is the U.S. Head of Partnerships & Brand Growth at Cohabs, a global coliving company and certified B Corp creating shared living spaces designed for connection. Based in New York, she leads U.S. expansion and community strategy, helping young professionals find belonging in a city where loneliness is common. With a background in media and lifestyle, Elisa is passionate about designing urban experiences that prioritize social wellness, build intentional communities, and make human connection a daily priority.

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  Lenny An

  Founder of Dumpling Dude NYC and Locally Sourced NYC
  Lenny An is the founder of Dumpling Dude NYC and Locally Sourced NYC. His mission is to share his culture and passions with the world, whether it’s making dumplings over intimate dinner conversations, learning the history of mahjong, or engaging in local New York politics. These activities invite neighbors and communities to bond and share meaningful moments of connection.

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  Daniel Stillman

  Executive Coach, Facilitator, and Author of Good Talk
  Daniel Stillman designs conversations for a living and insists that you do, too. As an executive coach and facilitator, he works with leaders of companies of all shapes and sizes on leadership and team dynamics, as well as on product and organizational innovation. He is the host of The Conversation Factory podcast and the author of Good Talk: How to Design Conversations that Matter, a handbook for changemakers and innovators.

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  Laís de Oliveira

  Entrepreneur & Community Builder
  Laís de Oliveira is a community builder and entrepreneur who is deeply passionate about creating spaces where people thrive. She works on fostering collaboration and crafting ecosystems that enable individuals to connect, share, and support one another in meaningful ways.