Problem statement

The 2016 election presented an opportunity to connect with members of our NY queer community who want to help other vulnerable groups but just weren’t sure how to. Queer Soup Night’s success depends on a model of recurrent, active participation from members of the community.

How might we design our event series so that attendees are inspired to show up, share about, and increase support for vulnerable groups?

Product solution

We threw a party. A lot of parties.

Chef and author, Liz Alpern founded Queer Soup Night and I have been thrilled to iterate and refine the event each time we host it. I also support our growing number of chapters with new tools and features to help them develop successful events to support organizations that are meaningful to their locations.

QSN utilizes Facebook and Instagram to carry the message without spending a cent on advertising or web hosting (thanks to a generous platform donation from SquareSpace).

Metrics

Queer Soup Night has seen explosive growth over since it’s Jan 2017 start. We are now 13 active chapters across the country, with an international presence in Canada and New Zealand. QSN has gotten the attention of NYT, NY Magazine, Condé Nast and collaborated with some of the world’s most innovative brands including: Airbnb, Chobani and Showtime. We’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local organizations doing the incredible front-line work of political resistance and change.

As one guest said, “If you’re not Queer Souping, you’re wasting your Sunday night.”