Building Community at Bond Conference 2018

On March 9th and 10th we hosted our first conference in San Francisco called Bond. While we often collaborate with the crowdfunding community, we wanted Bond to reflect the creator’s journey as they bring their ideas to life. What unites our audience is the desire to focus on independence, to build a strong community, and to make a living doing what you love. At Bond, we wanted to encourage a cross-discipline conversation and help connect people leading to a broader network of creative professionals.

Erica Baker at Bond 2018

On March 9th at Gray Area Grand Theatre, we featured an eclectic lineup of speakers who all had a unique perspective on what it takes to build community and establish your creative practice as a sustainable, independent business. This was a great opportunity for attendees to hear a wide variety of stories from a diverse group of people about what it takes to follow your passions. We heard from artists, writers, filmmakers, designers, podcasters, teachers, and more. The unifying thread was the desire to follow a passion no matter how high the hurdle. It was inspiring to hear all the different paths our speakers took on their individual journey.

Austin Kleon at Bond 2018

There were some truly powerful talks at the Bond conference that we knew would spark a desire to take action. In anticipation of attendees wanting to roll up their sleeves, we reserved the next day to be all about conversation, advice, and building connections with each other. We opened our office doors for an all day event hosting small talks from knowledgable experts and experienced independent creators. We also encouraged attendees to take the lead giving them the opportunity to host their own mini-talks about anything from building a strong community to running a successful business and everything in-between. It was amazing to see creators, makers, and entrepreneurs take control sharing their experience and wisdom with one another.

Lillian Karabaic (Oh My Dollar!) Hosting an Office Hours Discussion

Now that Bond has come and gone, we can look back at all the people we met, consider all the conversations that took place, and move forward as we continue our journey through the creative space together. It’s important to remember we are not alone, and there are many individuals and communities out there eager to share knowledge and experiences. You have an idea, you can follow your passions until they become a reality, and there are networks of people eager to collaborate and help all over the world. It’s time to embark on your first adventure or continue on the path you’ve already paved.

Jesse Genet (Lumi) Mini-Talk at Bond Office Hours

To connect more people and bring together communities, we’ve created a few spaces to keep the conversations started at Bond going well beyond the event. We encourage anyone reading to join our new BackerKit Bond Facebook Group where we can share projects we are working on, trade advice, and get connected. You can also subscribe to our BackerKit Bond Twitter List and receive our weekly Community Newsletter featuring guides & best practices, creator interviews, and upcoming event announcements.

Gary Chou (Orbital) at Bond 2018

Special thanks to our friend Andy McMillan (XOXO Festival) for doing a wonderful job organizing Bond and to Mike Rugnetta (Idea Channel) who tied all the featured talks together as our MC. Thanks to all our featured speakers at the conference, our office hours guests, and each and every attendee. And we could not have made it all happen without our patrons and community sponsors including MailChimp, WordPress, Dropbox, Intercom Brand Studio, Ingram Micro, Creative Mornings, and Making Ways podcast. We’d also like to thank Patreon for hosting our opening reception and Kickstarter for hosting our after party.