Our Mission
The Japanese concept of Ikigai states that an individual is most fulfilled when he or she finds the balance of what they love to do, what they are great at, what pays them well and what is beneficial to society.
Our mission is to create a community that enables members to pursue their growth in any or all of these elements. We encourage members to adopt the mindset of giving over asking and to serve as connectors for their peers.
Group Networking
My name is William Li and I have been living and breathing adtech for 12+ years, with the past 7 focused on brand and product marketing to media buying teams. Since my early 20s, I have organized hundreds of business, social, language and corporate events with the majority of them being of the networking variety.
During my time as an event host, I came to realize that the unstructured format of these events typically require the guests to make numerous social decisions throughout the course of an evening which lead to uncertainty and uncomfortable scenarios. With our group networking structure, we eliminate the following variables.
exclusion
Conversations start simultaneously in a group with no interruptions. There is no scenario where a guest is left alone, hoping to find his/her way into an ongoing chat and likewise, we remove the need for guests to decide whether to include a newcomer into your chat and repeat your bio over again.
Time Management
Each round lasts for 20 minutes which gives the group enough time to get to be introduced to each other without monopolizing an evening. Our guests are guaranteed to meet 12 new people at the mixer without having to worry about spending too much or too little time with others.
Follow ups
Each guest's LinkedIn profile will be shared in a post event email the day following the event. Participants can concentrate on the conversation without concern for how to stay in touch.
event tips & etiquette
1. Topics that bridge
About a dozen years ago, the smartphone became widely adopted into society. While it has moved society forward in limitless ways, it also has shown a capability to be a platform of harm and hatred. As more of our time is spent online, social media has become an ideological battlefield where armies of thought are led by the most extreme viewpoints. Increasingly more often, our first touchpoint with a stranger is online and over an emotionally triggering topic. This is in stark contrast to the way that we would typically introduce ourselves to a stranger in person, which is to put our best foot forward, and make an effort to find common ground.
It goes without saying that you will get the most of networking by being polite and respectful. After a half generation of digital interactions, many of us have grown accustomed to online behavior. With that in mind, I encourage our guests to consciously look for the unifying topics and seek out commonalities.
2. Give first mentality
On those days where nothing seems to go right, when the world is just beating you down, it turns out that perhaps the best remedy is to put our own challenges to the side and to lend our hand to someone we can help. When we assist others, we inherently lift ourselves up, not just in the planting of good karma that inevitably finds its way back but in the reminder that our actions made a difference. We may struggle to make progress for ourselves and in this stretch find ourselves filled with doubt but in the moment that we make even a nudge of positive impact for someone, we slowly replenish the well of self confidence and optimism that we all dearly need to lead a fulfilled life.
Each guest arrives at our event with their own goals and aspirations and there is no better environment to speak freely about your passions and dreams. Share your wisdom, share your curiosity and look to be a bridge, look to be the connector to help others grow.
faq
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At the moment, we are only hosting events in NYC. If you are located outside of NYC metro area, you can join our wait list here.
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Not yet, but soon. Starting in the beginning of 2025, job seekers will be selectively worked into our standard events. Fill in this form to join the wait list.
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Not yet, but soon. Starting in Spring 2025, college seniors and recent graduates will have the option to attend our career matching group networking events. Fill in this form to join the wait list.
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Our standard event has 16 spots, with 1-2 spot per event allocated to in house or external recruiters.
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We are currently implementing the process that will allow us to schedule consistent events for our guests. We expect events to be slowly announced starting in September 2024.
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Our app is currently in development. For the remainder of 2024, our events will not involve usage of an app.
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Are you looking to get closer to the advertising industry? Would you like to be on the frontlines in planning, organizing and hosting a new age, modern networking events? 88 Keys is seeking both volunteers as well as dedicated event managers to meet the demand of our rapidly growing community. Send us an intro and tell us why you want to join us below.