I usually find conferences pretty soul-sucking: hotel conference rooms, fluorescent lighting, bad food. Trying to snatch a few moments of conversation with friends or colleagues while organizers remind you to clear the hallway and join the official sessions. Sitting in the back of a large ballroom, laptop out, sneaking in a little work while people disguise their own mini-talks as questions for the speaker.
Produced by The Legaltech Fund, the first venture capital firm devoted exclusively to legal tech, it is a conference I previously dubbed the Davos of legal tech for the fact that it brings together leaders from across disciplines to engage in open and unfettered dialogue about the state and future of legal innovation. As someone who has attended all four summits, I've had a front-row seat to its evolution.
As a young associate in what my son likes to call "the last Century," every time I would walk into a courtroom with the great litigator (and one of my mentors) Marty London, the presiding judge would ask Marty a bunch of questions about his boat and how the fishing had been lately. (Marty was an avid deep-sea fisherman.) I have to admit that it seemed kind of unfair to me at the time -
The event brought together 36 professionals and over 100 Columbia students to explore the skills, roles and projects driving sustainability today. In recent years, sustainability has become embedded in nearly every field; cities have become major climate employers and investors look for green portfolios. Across sectors, collaboration is essential and requires people who can translate between engineering and policy, finance and community needs. Events like the Sustainability Careers Reception create those connections in real time.
We live in a world moving at the speed of AI, where everything is changing all at once. As we streamline every aspect of life to be faster and more efficient, it only makes sense to modernize how we network. Before you overhaul your networking style, it's important to remember the fundamentals, then build on them with new skills. Networking is everywhere, all the time
The venture capital industry has long operated on a transactional model: evaluate the science, assess the team, write the check, and monitor progress through quarterly board meetings. This approach may work for software startups, but it fundamentally misaligns with biotechnology development realities. The path from laboratory breakthrough to FDA-approved therapy involves navigating regulatory mazes, recruiting specialized talent, and building relationships across interconnected scientific communities-challenges that capital alone cannot solve.
In the bright, brand-new lobby of a Back Bay advertising agency, a step-and-repeat bearing the city of Boston's seal is set up like a Fashion Week photo wall. Mayor Michelle Wu, cradling her infant daughter, leans in for snapshots with a steady stream of visitors: a woman in a crimson corduroy coat, another in a cardigan dotted with three-dimensional flowers.
Over the last two years, Cursor has grown from a cult hit to one of the most popular AI code editors in software development. The tool's developer, Anysphere, has raised over $1 billion and was recently valued at $9.9 billion, per PitchBook. On Tuesday, Cursor hosted a one-day café at The Lost Draft in SoHo. It's one of several in-person events that AI companies have created to satisfy loyal customers and increase their social media hype.
For as long as I can remember, I have found small talk problematic. It was boring at best and stressful at worst. A colleague commenting on the weather, when I could see for myself that it was raining. The postman asking: How are you today? An impossibly broad question to answer briefly. I worked in book publishing for years, where networking was essential. I could discuss authors, print runs or marketing budgets with ease.
In a world obsessed with titles, deadlines and success metrics, it's easy to lose sight of who we are and why we work. After 25 years as a lawyer, mentor and leader, I've seen how small acts of courage, kindness and self-belief can be far more "legendary" than any promotion. Here are five lessons I've learned along the way - all inspired by the legends, lessons and light-bulb moments shared in my book.
You send 50 connection requests a week on LinkedIn. You personalize each one. You follow up diligently. Yet premium clients remain elusive while coaches with half your experience sign five-figure contracts. They don't have more credentials or experience. You win on that front. But they understand LinkedIn's unspoken rules for attracting high-value relationships. Clients that pay your premium rates operate differently on LinkedIn. They don't respond to standard outreach tactics because they receive dozens of similar requests daily.
When it comes to finance, Palm Beach has long been a playground for billionaires, investors, and family offices. In the middle of this evolving landscape is Eric McNeil, a fund manager whose innovative approach is redefining wealth and influence. Through The Onyx Reserve and his exclusive Onyx House, McNeil has positioned himself as one of the most powerful figures in the intersection of finance, culture, and lifestyle.
In a previous career, I served as director of a professional association, called the Administrative Management Society, which produced events, publications, and research for its 12,000 members across North America. The membership consisted of IT, HR, and finance managers, who joined to advance their knowledge and connect with colleagues. It is here I learned how networking -- the human-to-human kind -- is the key to career advancement in this world. And this holds true more than ever as we journey into the digital age.
It's the definitive startup event where what's next in tech takes the stage, and where early access, first-mover insight, and game-changing introductions all happen in one place. Investors discover the next breakout startups. Founders meet the backers, builders, and customers who can take them from idea to scale. And tech leaders from companies like OpenAI, Google Cloud, Meta, Amazon,Salesforce, and Replika share hard-won lessons, unfiltered insight, and a clear look at what's coming.
Now in its fourth year, the event aims to help bring together creative and entrepreneurial minds together in the Bronx. There are people who have come to the Summit, literally met there, and now they're doing long-term work together. I know some people found their photographers and videographers from the summit, said Brooks. We've also been able to see really strong partnerships build through the networking at the Summit because there's panels and workshops, but there's also the networking piece which is really invaluable.
And there is certainly truth to that, but it is only part of the picture. The real value of connecting with others does not lie in how many business cards you collect or how many LinkedIn connections you can boast about. It lies in the depth of those relationships, in the human bonds you create when you meet someone without a hidden agenda.
Gen Z is facing a dire labor market-and it's forced young professionals on the job hunt to stealthily promote their resumes with boxes of donuts, or to take up waitressing gigs at conferences just to get a foot in the door. But Suzy Welch, professor of management practice at New York University, believes the key to success is a lot simpler than that.
Happy Birthday: Take control and make things happen this year. If you crave change or greater security, it's up to you to put a plan on the table and promote what you want to pursue. Waiting for things to come to you will lead to disappointment, but hustling, networking and marketing your ideas, skills and perspective on how things unfold will connect you with people who can help you bring your dreams to life. Your numbers are 8, 13, 17, 24, 31, 38, 42.
Just think about it: you've got a shared interest, so there's no risk of small talk. You know you're going to see them again, but in a neutral environment. There will be other people there, so you can easily find someone else to talk to if the conversation runs cold, and if it all goes belly up you've got an easy way out you can just stop going to meet-ups and never have to see them again.
Happy Birthday: Take care of personal, financial and emotional matters promptly. Refuse to let the changes unfolding around you deter you from doing what's best for you. Disconnect from those traveling in the opposite direction, and you'll find it easier to make your way forward without conflicts or interference. Be specific about what you want to achieve to ensure you don't waste valuable time and money on nonproductive plans and people. Your numbers are 5, 12, 23, 33, 37, 39, 48.
But here's the twist. While a predictable formula might ruin a good show, it's really the secret weapon for lawyers looking to grow their books of business. At the heart of every successful rainmaker is a formula, something they created, borrowed, or straight-up stole. For me, it started with wasting an absurd amount of time networking. I had no direction and no results, so I had to develop a formula out of pure necessity to reclaim my time and drive real business.
He advised candidates to use their résumés to highlight the impact and results of past work. As a former interviewer, Anderson said he would often scan résumés looking for an "icebreaker" to spark conversation at the start of an interview. For that reason, applicants should view their résumés as a way to "control all of the different variables" an interviewer might draw on. In terms of length, he recommended keeping it to one page per decade of experience.
Brewbound's annual business conference for beverage-alcohol professionals returns to Marina del Rey, California, on December 10 and 11. Tickets are available now for the two-day gathering of founders, entrepreneurs, c-suite executives, retailers, distributors and suppliers from across the industry. The event will include on-stage conversations with industry leaders, networking and pre-arranged one-to-one conversations with retailers and distributors. Brewbound is excited to announce the following speakers for the event: Sophia D'Angelo, founder and CEO, Boston Experiential Group; Kaleigh Theriault, director of bev-alc thought leadership, NIQ;
