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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dominic-Madori Davis is a reporter at Insider, and Keishel Williams is an editing fellow.</li><li>Together, they attended an invitation-only virtual "<keyword id="1112328" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Influencers">Influencers</keyword> Dinner" salon hosted by behavioral scientist Jon Levy.</li><li>Below is their conversation about what the unique event was like.</li></ul><p>It was a Tuesday night in May when we attended an "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influencers_Dinner">Influencers Dinner</a>" salon - a virtual party hosted by author and behavioral scientist Jon Levy. </p><p>There were games, breakout room trivia, and a musical performance by singer-actress Jihae, who's set to star in the upcoming season of "Succession." The event was co-hosted by actress Nia Vardalos - best known for starring in and writing the hit movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" -  and also counted CEOs, an Oakland Raiders linebacker, a serial entrepreneur, and a film producer in attendance. About 124 people attended the evening, which was actually somewhat of a reunion for past guests of Jon's parties.</p><p>Before the pandemic, these virtual parties were dinner soirées. Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/master-networker-jon-levy-party-2015-1">covered</a> one six years ago when it was held at Levy's New York apartment. (During that one, Bill Nye "The Science Guy" gave a presentation in Levy's living room.) </p><p>The caveat is that the dinners are supposed to be secretive - guests, unaware of who else will be attending, are only given a date and a time. After arrival, no one is supposed to talk about work or boast about achievements. It's a time to connect and understand one another as equals. </p><p>It's a safe space, in a sense, for these high-profile guests to simply exist. </p><p>And then there was us. Guests were told reporters would be there, but our identities were never revealed. In our anonymity, we watched the event unfold.</p><h2>Our 'therapeutic' experience at the salon </h2><p>Levy discussed his new book "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Invited-Science-Cultivating-Influence/dp/0063030977">You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence</a>" and then sent guests into breakout rooms where we had to work together with other strangers to quickly answer trivia questions such as: what came first - Tumblr or Myspace? (Myspace, obviously.) </p><p>Later on, Jihae - who afterward told us she found the night "refreshing" - sang her new single "<a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BgrY8AbFTlk">Utopia</a>" as well as a rendition of Sam Cookes' "A Change is Gonna Come."</p><p>Edited for clarity, here's our post-salon conversation about what else we saw happen during the evening. </p><p><strong>Keishel Williams: </strong>What was your first impression when you logged in?</p><p><strong>Dominic-Madori Davis:</strong> Oh my god, I thought it was going to be him promoting his book for two hours, but it definitely turned into therapy in a sense.<br /><br /><strong>KW:</strong> I'd had a chance to read a bit of excerpt from his book, so I knew that there are specific ways he likes to get things done in order for people to feel like they're connecting with each other. <br /><br /><strong>DD:</strong> That first game where we had to quickly check our phones, then put them down, and try to remember what was on the right of our screen was interesting - it got pretty deep fast.</p><div type="image" title="Dom Davis and Keishel Williams virtual event photo" height="1130" width="2880" msid="83114688" hostid="261"></div> <br /><br /><strong>KW:</strong> One thing that I think we both wanted to know: What about these gatherings makes busy, important people want to attend? <br /><br /><strong>DD:</strong> The artist that performed that night said one reason she really likes going there is because it feels like a "wisdom circle."<p><strong>KW:</strong> That's an interesting way she put it.</p><p><strong>DD:</strong> I agree, it seemed everybody was really into the whole introspective thinking about how they live their lives and how they can better themselves.</p><p><strong>KW:</strong> I felt a bit like that too. I also spoke to someone, South African-Canadian actress Kandyse McClure. She's attended several in-person salons in New York and LA, in addition to a few of the virtual ones, and said one of the reasons she enjoys attending is because Jon himself is very authentic. And that even though she's an accomplished actress, and is usually in a room with other accomplished people, she doesn't feel like they're going there to network. They just go in there to connect on a human level. For you, did you feel a sense of kinship with any of the people, when you had to do the breakout sessions?</p><p><strong>DD:</strong> Oh my gosh, during the breakout session, I was muted right when everyone was introducing themselves, and then the breakout session ended because my group jumped right into the activity. So I didn't really know who I was with the entire time until like the final two seconds when everyone went around, introducing themselves. I was muted, so they didn't know I was a reporter at all. </p><p><strong>KW:</strong> I'm not sure how many people were in your group but it was just five of us in my group, so it started off a little awkward where nobody really wanted to start talking first. But as soon as the ball got rolling we were all speaking and really trying to figure out the answers [to the games]. We were done at an early enough time that we had time to chat after and find out who was who and what they enjoyed about being there. After that, we all decided that we wanted to speak further and I thought that was a really great way to connect.</p><p><strong>DD:</strong> It was really interesting to play all the games and everything. It gave me 'safe space for notable people' vibes.</p><p><strong>KW:</strong> I believe there was a photographer in my group. Indrani [ Pal-Chaudhuri]. There was also a journalist, Joel Stein - he was in my group as well, and a few other people.</p><p><strong>DD:</strong> Yeah, there was also a journalist in my group. I forget if he worked for either the Wall Street Journal or the Washington Post, but he was a journalist and I had heard of him and I think I looked him up on Twitter afterward. We were like six people in my group, and they just jumped right into the activity. Everyone, I mean, I don't know, were we allowed to Google? I'm not gonna say we were Googling.</p><p><em>[Laughter.</em>]</p><p>There were things that, at 23 years old,I'm not sure if I would have known about them. I think the one question I got was 'what was older Tumblr or my space,' and I was like, obviously MySpace. That thing is ancient. But one of the other questions I was like, oh I don't know, I'm gonna need to be like an adult to answer this stuff. What did you think?</p><p><strong>KW:</strong> For me, it was very interesting to see the mix of people. I tried to make sure to keep a count, and there were about 124 people there. There was an Emmy Award winner, Barry Kibrick. And then there were entertainers, there were other stars, there were producers, photographers, musicians, CEOs, medical professionals.  <br /><br /><strong>DD:</strong> Wow.<br /><br /><strong>KW</strong>: What do you think made this particular virtual version work for them? Because when [Levy's] events first started, they were dinners and he brought together these 12 people, strangers, to cook together and get to know each other that way. But now he had to move it virtually. What do you think made this still remain such an intimate experience for them?</p><p><strong>DD:</strong> I don't know, I think they're really just longing to connect with other people. I'm thinking if the dinners were still on, it's kind of like you just go to a stranger's house, in a sense, and meet other strangers. It must be people just really want to connect with each other and other people and probably find a sense of humanity in one another.</p><p><strong>KW:</strong> Yeah. You said you spoke with the musician [Jihae], what was that conversation like?</p><div type="image" title="Several Influencers Dinner alumni participate in a salon hosted by Jon Levy at a 2019 event." height="2400" width="3600" msid="83114695" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>DD:</strong> She told me that she was recommended by one of his guests to be the musical performer. She said that it was great to meet new people, and it reminded her of going to diplomatic receptions with her dad as a teenager, watching diplomats, generals, and politicians maneuver intelligent questions to each other. That's also the vibe I got ... and I guess there's not, like, a superficial vibe to [the parties], which I guess is the recurring theme.</p><p><strong>KW:</strong> Exactly. Authentic, that genuine connection. The fact that these people are so accomplished but they don't seem to be coming there to get something from each other, rather than just be in each other's company. <br /><br /><strong>DD:</strong> Yes. <br /><br /><strong>KW:</strong> I know Jon did mention specifically that was one of his aims when he decided to do these types of events. Even though it's called a <keyword id="6375238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="networking">networking</keyword> event, people don't necessarily come there to network because 'networking' brings a somewhat negative connotation that you go into a room, you carry your business cards, and you pretty much just want to know what someone does, in order to know how you fit into their circle. </p><p><strong>DD:</strong> Yeah, I know that the idea of networking can be so uncomfortable because to the root of it, it's basically, like you said: How does this person fit within my circle and how can we possibly lean on each other to do good? There's an element of using each other and it can be uncomfortable.<br /><br /><strong>KW:</strong> So he really tries to make it more like a vibe where people are coming to create friendships and close connections. And I think just the short time that we've been there, I was able to see some of that taking place.<br /><br /><strong>DD:</strong> Having an influencer circle where it's not necessarily branded straight as networking, but you go to get genuine relationships that can then more organically and authentically bring you together. I think people feel much more comfortable with that type of branding and with that type of setup than just straight networking. </p>

We attended a virtual salon with Emmy award winners, actresses, and athletes. Spending 2 hours playing games with influential strangers was strangely therapeutic.

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>One night at Fat Baby, a comedy club on Manhattan's Lower East Side, Phoebe Robinson was the only female comic in the lineup.</p><p>Right before she went on, the male host introduced her: "Do you guys like p*ssy? Well, great, because our next comedian has one!"</p><p>When you're the "only Black woman in a sea of white male comedians," comments like that happen pretty often, Robinson tells Tech Insider.</p><p>Needless to say, she was fed up with it. So she decided to&#xa0;launch a new podcast: "<a href="http://www.wnyc.org/shows/whiteguys">Sooo Many White Guys</a>," where she can call&#xa0;the shots.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p><span>"</span>A lot of [podcast] shows don't realize how disrespectful they are to non-straight, white men,<span>"</span> she says.&#xa0;<span>"</span>So having a space like this - where that doesn't happen - is really important. I want to have a show that's going to celebrate people like the queens they are.<span>"</span></p><p>Premiering July 13, "Sooo Many White Guys" will feature exclusively women, people of color, and LGBT folks - except for the last episode of each season, when&#xa0;Robinson says she'll interview "one token white dude."</p><p>"He will speak for the entire white race," she jokes.</p><p><span>The first season&#xa0;of&#xa0;the show, which is produced by WNYC Studios with "Broad City's" Ilana Glazer as the executive producer, will include&#xa0;eight 45-minute&#xa0;episodes, released every Tuesday through August 30.</span><span data-term="goog_827458212"><span>&#xa0;</span></span>In each episode, Robinson will interview a&#xa0;musician, actor, author, or other comic. The lineup includes Glazer, writer Janet Mock, and actor Nia Long.&#xa0;Hip-hop artist Lizzo <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/story/so-many-white-guys-podcast-episode-1-phoebe-and-lizzo-get-lit/">kicks things off</a>.</p><p><div>    </div></p><p><span>Robinson&#xa0;says she plans to invite people on the show who inspire her.</span></p><p><span>"I've come across so many talented people in my career, and I'm like 'Why don't more people know about them?'" she&#xa0;says. Robinson is quick to note, however, that she never wants to&#xa0;treat any&#xa0;artist as "other."</span></p><p><span>"We've all been othered. We've all been treated as, oh, you're this weird thing. You're not the standard. You're not the normal," Robinson says, adding,&#xa0;</span><span>"People like to pretend that all women have the same experience or that all gay people have the same experience. But everyone's life is different, and everyone's point of view is valid. I just want to encourage that and step out of the way."</span></p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>Robinson also co-hosts the popular stand-up comedy podcast "<a href="http://www.wnyc.org/shows/dopequeens">2 Dope Queens</a>" with&#xa0;former "Daily Show" correspondent Jessica Williams - it's the only podcast in iTunes'&#xa0;top 50 that's hosted by two women of color. Of the <a href="http://www.itunescharts.net/us/charts/podcasts/">top 100 most-downloaded podcasts</a>,&#xa0;only 11 are hosted solely&#xa0;by women.&#xa0;</p><p>But it doesn't have to be like that, Robinson says.&#xa0;Similar to&#xa0;<span>"</span>2 Dope Queens,<span>"</span>&#xa0;<span>"</span>Sooo Many White Guys<span>"&#xa0;</span>aims to highlight voices&#xa0;that normally aren't given the mic. But in&#xa0;the new show, listeners will see a more serious side of Robinson.</p><p><span>"</span>We're living in hard times,<span>"</span>&#xa0;she says.<span>"</span>Yeah, we legalized gay marriage, but look at Orlando. I can't make changes through legislation, but I can put a mic in front of my LGBTQ friends and have them comment on their lives.<span>"</span></p><p><div>    </div></p><p>The idea behind the new podcast originated a few years ago, when Robinson started&#xa0;a&#xa0;live stand-up series - also called "Sooo Many White Guys"&#xa0;-&#xa0;at the comedy club Riot LA. When WNYC asked if she had any ideas for a new summer show&#xa0;(since "2 Dope Queens" doesn't start again until fall), she&#xa0;suggested&#xa0;transforming the stand-up show into a talk show.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>Though the topics&#xa0;might be less funny, Robinson still wants the show&#xa0;to feel like she's just hanging out with her guests.&#xa0;For example, she plans ask&#xa0;Janet Mock about her work as a transgender activist, but also about hair, music, and their communal love of Oprah.</p><p><span>"</span>On the surface, that might seem like light stuff, but talking about Beyoncé might trigger conversations about feminism, which might lead into talking about Bell Hooks and so on,<span>"&#xa0;</span>she says.</p><p>And, of course, Robinson's&#xa0;personality as a comic will still shine through (with sprinkles of jokes from Glazer as well). Comedy can be a powerful tool to affect change, Robinson says, pointing out that the podcast's name itself pokes fun at mainstream media.&#xa0;</p><p><span>"On our show," she says, "diversity is the standard. It is the norm."</span></p><h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen to the first episode below:</span></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div></div></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-antenna-lines-explained-2016-7">Here's why iPhones have those unattractive lines on the back</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1mcWJpNDE6xtqXDDCfOS5ENP1_Pf_d19" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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We attended a virtual salon with Emmy award winners, actresses, and athletes. Spending 2 hours playing games with influential strangers was strangely therapeutic.

Keishel Williams,Dominic-Mado…

On Phoebe Robinson's new podcast, white guys are the token minority

Leanna Garfield

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