Jasmine Brand Brings 30 DC-Area Women Together For Intimate ‘CONNECT’ Brunch, Plans Multi-City Expansion

Jasmine Brand Brings 30 DC-Area Women Together For Intimate ‘CONNECT’ Brunch, Plans Multi-City Expansion

Jasmine Brand , founder and CEO of entertainment news platform theJasmineBrand, recently brought together 30 women from across the Washington, D.C. area for an intimate afternoon centered around food, conversation and connection.

The inaugural CONNECT Private Brunch was held Saturday, Aug. 15, at @lydiaonhst , a Black-owned restaurant on H Street in Washington, D.C. Food played an important role in setting the tone for the afternoon, with guests connecting over a brunch spread featuring oxtails, jerk wings, fried fish, jollof rice, waffles, eggs, cabbage, sausage and bacon.

The invite-only gathering brought together 30 entrepreneurs, creatives, content creators, side-hustlers and women who naturally connect and support others. Jasmine was intentional about curating a room of women who are building businesses, brands and communities throughout the D.C. area — including women who may not have previously known one another. What initially started as an idea for a much smaller gathering organically grew as interest in the event increased.

But CONNECT wasn’t designed to feel like a traditional networking event. There were no expectations to pitch a business or leave with an opportunity. Instead, Jasmine wanted to create an intentional space for women to get offline, share a meal and make genuine connections without every conversation having to be transactional.

Following the response to the first event, Jasmine is already planning the next CONNECT gathering in the D.C. area for October, followed by New York City later this fall. She also plans to take the series to multiple cities, while keeping the intimate, intentionally curated atmosphere at the heart of CONNECT.

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