How to go to something alone without it being weird
The hardest part of any event is the ten feet before the door. Here is what the research says about that moment, and what to actually do with your hands.
The people you haven't met yet
We're reconnecting people, one real conversation at a time.
We've never been more connected online — or less connected in person. 5 Degrees is a movement to fix that, bringing people together face to face to build real relationships. And it's just getting started.
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Why this matters
We didn't stop wanting connection. We stopped bumping into each other.
Work moved home. The places people used to meet without trying — the office, the gym, the sidelines — got quieter, and social media filled the gap with something that only looks like connection. Meeting people takes intent now. That's what 5 Degrees is for.
20 hrs
less time with friends in person every month than in 2003
25 min
is all it takes to meet your next best friend, or business partner
All ages
because the need to belong doesn't stop at any age
What 5 Degrees is
A simple idea with a big mission.
5 Degrees hosts small, guided in-person events where people actually connect — not swipe, not scroll, not small-talk. A little structure, a little technology, and real relationships form. Every event grows the web a degree wider.
Upcoming
Come to the next one.
None of these work?
Get on the list and we'll tell you the moment something opens near you. New dates go to the list first.
Guides
Notes on meeting people.
Read
Making friends when you work from home
Proximity, repeated unplanned contact, and time with your guard down. Remote work removed all three at once, and nothing automatically replaced them.
Where to meet people in South Jersey
A practical list of the kinds of places that actually put the same people in front of each other, across South Jersey and over the bridge in Philadelphia.
The person behind 5 Degrees
Meet Anne Casey
Spend five minutes with Anne and one thing is clear: she's a doer. Where most people simply notice how hard it's become to meet someone new, she's out there doing something about it — bringing real people together and creating opportunities for strangers to become friends.
She believes some of the best things in life happen when people get together, put their phones down, and actually talk. She took her vision, built the foundation, and is now getting the right people in the room. The members are what bring it to life — the ideas, the energy, and the people they bring with them.
Read her storyBe part of it
Join the movement
Whether you want to invest, partner, help spread the word, or just come to an event when one lands near you — the first step is the same. Get on the list, and we'll keep you close to what's next.
Invest
Help fund the next phase and grow with us early.
Partner
Bring us to your business, campus, or community.
Champion it
Know people who'd love this? Help us reach them.
Just come
Get a heads-up when an event opens in your area.
Get on the list
One email now and then — talks, ways to get involved, and events near you. Nothing more.
The next real connection could start with you.
Movements are built by the people who show up early. If any part of this resonates, we'd love to have you in the room.
Join the movement5 Degrees — a movement built on REAL connection