would you like to
meet me?
I’m Jess Janz, a tender-hearted writer, community facilitator, and the creator of With Strangers.
I started Dinner With Strangers in 2017 with my friend Ryan at his hair studio; we invited people who didn’t know each other for a meal that only had one rule: no one could say what they did for work.
We quickly discovered that when we take away our usual route to introduce ourselves, we make room for more robust, curious, and inspired conversation.
What began as a simple dinner series grew into a larger body of work (including a book!!!!), and is always rooted in creating conversation, reflection, and intentional connection.
I’ve hosted sixty-four dinners (which is over 1000 people and counting), plus gatherings, workshops, and events for Altea Active Club, Pinterest, lululemon, OpenTable, The W Hotel, Staub, and Wealthsimple.
The point has always been this: How can we create space — in rooms, in relationships, in our own lives — for people to show up more fully?
Today, my work lives in a few different forms:
Public talks & facilitation
Mentorship & guided conversations
Writing that examines what it means to be human
Across all of it, I return to the same questions:
How do we stay present in a distracted world?
How do we build belonging instead of assuming it?
How do we move forward without losing ourselves?
explore my work.
order my book.
bring me to your event.
contact me.
recent features & conversations
find me here too!
Thinking About Podcast with Kirsti McNabney
Conversation in STYLE Canada
Feature in Elle Canada
Book release interview (with video!) at Godmothers Books