Blog
Stories from the lunch table
Meet other researchers for lunch in your city — small groups, real conversations. Here's what we're learning along the way.
21 July 2026Research Community in Boston: Meet Peers Across LabsBoston and Cambridge hold one of the densest research clusters in the world. Here's how to meet researchers outside your own lab or institution.
11 July 2026How to meet other researchers (new, remote, or solo)A practical guide for researchers, PhDs, and postdocs on how to meet other researchers — online, in person, and outside your own lab.
6 July 2026Feeling Isolated in Your PhD? How to Meet PeersPhD isolation is real and common. Here's why it happens, what actually helps, and how small regular groups make it easier to meet peers.
24 June 2026UX Research Conferences 2026: A Practical ShortlistA working shortlist of UX and HCI research conferences in 2026 — what each is good for, how to prep, and what to do between trips.
21 June 2026Research Community London: Where Peers Actually MeetA grounded guide for London-based PhDs and postdocs on finding a research community — seminars, meetups, conferences, and recurring small-group lunches.
18 June 2026Conference Networking Tips for Researchers That WorkPractical conference networking tips for researchers: a calmer pre, during, and after playbook for UX, HCI and design PhDs who hate small talk.
15 June 2026Why postdocs feel isolated — and what helpsPostdoc isolation is real and specific. This post explains why it hits harder than PhD or faculty life, and shares three things that quietly make a difference.
15 June 2026PhD Networking: a guide to making it less awfulMost PhD networking advice feels transactional and gross. Here's how to build a real peer network without the awkward elevator pitches.
8 March 2026What we learned from the first thousand lunchesA year of small-group research lunches across 17 cities. Five things that consistently produced follow-ups, three things that consistently didn't, and what changed.