Meet The Team

Alyse, our founder, grew up in Denver and is lucky for the strong, large family and community that raised her! Her first job out of college had her living in some new city every 4 months. The reason she enjoyed each place was community. She connected with like-minded people, that remain important in her life today.

This inspired Alyse to understand and build powerful communities. Working with organizations like Food & Water Watch, Environment America, WeWork and the New Zealand Government, Alyse learned how to create lasting communities.

During her time running a co-working space, she saw that people want good friends and a community. Millennials have the highest rate of loneliness, attributed to shallow online relationships.

Alyse struggled with depression and loneliness herself. She was hitting her goals and reaching the American Dream and was the most unhappy. She started making changes. She realized that being able to talk about her struggles and deepen her relationships and community mattered most to her. She wanted to change isolation and lack of real life relationships.

She heard about a Wired article where you put your phones away and don’t have small talk. She started hosting these parties at her house. It was so powerful she asked her two good friends, Waverly and Amanda to help her start this movement. This was the first time she felt that people could quickly form community and connection.

Want to hear the whole story? Check it out here.

Waverly comes from a multicultural home, the daughter of an immigrant, and understands the value and importance of fostering an inclusive community. Growing up in Denver, where the majority of the population is white and affluent, she never felt like she fit in and struggled to find her community while growing up. She often found herself the only person of color in the room and yearned to have honest conversations about accessibility and inclusivity for other women of color.

Not finding what she was looking for she set out to create the space with her best friend, Alyse, and co-founded We Talk Real Talk. It is through this community she strives to strengthen the pathway for a more just and accessible society where all people, regardless of income, race, language or orientation feel heard and accepted.

Amanda

Want to hear the whole story? Check it out here.