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Playful Connections: Safi Aziz, Founder, Joust Society
Description
Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst of the US Chamber of Connection discuss Charlotte’s weekend sorting childhood boxes and finding old party invitations and Aaron’s excitement about the New York Knicks championship, a Pittsburgh chapter launch, and a team retreat.
This week's interview is with Safi Aziz founder of Joust, a “play club” that uses curated, fast, easy-to-learn games and carefully designed ambiance to spark conversation. Missing pre-pandemic Sunday game nights inspired Safi to launch Joust after a year of hesitation, and the club has now hosted 2,000+ players in two years. Joust partners with hotels by driving weekday traffic and shares game staples like Codenames, Flip Seven, and Wavelength.
00:00 Show Intro and Check-In
02:27 Weekend Plans
12:17 Introducing Safi Aziz and Joust
12:36 Origin Story: Sunday Game Nights
15:09 Joust Philosophy: Play Club, Not Board Game Club
16:53 The Secret Sauce
24:21 From Idea to Sold-Out First Event
27:23 Hotel Partnerships and the Business Model
31:13 Expanding Joust and the Loneliness Epidemic
33:00 Co-Designing the Art of Invitation
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How We Connected explores the conversations that power communities across the United States. Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey share what they’re building at the US Chamber of Connection and speak with leaders whose work strengthens local connection. Episodes offer human stories, practical insights, and ideas you can use in your own community.
Aaron Hurst, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, is a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy.
Charlotte Massey, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship.
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Safi Aziz, Joust
Safi founded Joust, a play club where fun-loving people meet to compete. The idea came to him during the pandemic, out on a run, when he realized how much he missed the Sunday game nights he used to host in his apartment building's lounge. He kept the idea to himself for 12 months before deciding to go for it, booking the back of a bar in Williamsburg. Two years later, Joust has welcomed more than 2,000 players to roving game nights at some of New York City's best hotels and lounges. Safi is quick to point out that Joust isn't a board game club. It's a play club that happens to play board games, with fast, easy-to-learn picks chosen to spark conversation and camaraderie.
Joust
Heylo
Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms.
Photo credit: Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet
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