Tori Hanson: Real Connection Needs a Host

Tori Hanson has built her work around a simple but urgent idea: people need help finding each other again. After moving from the UK to New York and leaving a media career that included the New York Times, she found herself without the founder community she needed, so she started hosting co-working days for other entrepreneurs. Eight people showed up to the first one, and that small gathering eventually grew into The Knowledge Shop and the foundation for her event networking platform, Meet in 10. Brian and Tori talk about how real community often starts through shared effort, whether that is working late shifts in a bar, moving overseas, building a company, or simply showing up to a room full of strangers. Tori shares why event hosts do some of the most stressful and underappreciated work, and how better tools can help people walk into events with more confidence, context, and permission to connect. The conversation also explores why in-person experiences feel more valuable in an increasingly digital and AI-shaped world. Tori makes the case that events are becoming a kind of modern luxury: not because they are exclusive, but because choosing to be physically present with other people is becoming one of the most meaningful investments we can make. You can connect with Tori on LinkedIn   / victoriahanson  ](  / victoriahanson  ) And learn more about her work at https://www.meetin10.com](https://www.meetin10.com) https://www.theknowledge.shop](https://www.theknowledge.shop)