Building Deep Connections: Insights from Dinner with Strangers Founder Jess Janz

In this Conversations with Your Chinese Auntie episode, my guest is Jess Janz. Jess is a writer, community facilitator, and founder of Dinner with Strangers. Jess shares her journey from working in a band and restaurants to starting Dinner with Strangers in 2017. The conversation covers her challenges, like being an introvert in a social role, and the successes of her community-building project. They also discuss Jess's new ventures like 'Single with Strangers' and an upcoming book 'The Table Where We Meet', which reflects on her experiences and insights into fostering deep connections.

Bio:

Jess Janz is a writer, community facilitator, and the creator of Dinner With Strangers, which brings people from different walks of life to share their stories over a meal - all while omitting what anyone does for work. Her work examines identity, connection, and what binds us all together.

Jess has hosted events for Wealthsimple, lululemon, Altea Active Club, The W Hotel, Staub, and Writers Collective of Canada, and runs monthly writing workshops and Poetry Club for her writing community of over 70k people. Her forthcoming book, 'The Table Where We Meet,' will be published by Source Books in March 2026. 

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