This past Saturday, we set up a small Finjani table at Habibi Tech Summit at Civic Hall in Union Square. The summit brought together founders, engineers, creators, and thinkers for a full day of conversations about AI, business, culture, and what it means to build technology with real values behind it.

We came to share Finjani. We left reminded of why we built it in the first place.

The best conversations started the same way

Again and again, people walked up to our table, read the sign, and said some version of the same thing: "I need this."

The people saying it weren't lonely in the obvious sense. They were accomplished, ambitious, well-connected professionals. They had colleagues, LinkedIn networks, and group chats that never stop buzzing. What many of them were missing was something harder to find in a city of eight million people: a table to sit at with people who get them without explanation.

The friend who understands why you still call your mom every day. The person who laughs at the same jokes your aunties make. The one who knows that "just coffee" can easily turn into three hours.

What we learned about community

Community isn't a feed. It's a table. A day centered on AI made one thing clear: technology is at its best when it brings people into the same room, not when it keeps them scrolling alone. That's the heart of Finjani. The app is only the invitation. The dinner, the coffee, the conversation is the point.

People want to belong, not just network. Summits are full of business cards and quick introductions. But the conversations that stayed with us were about friendship, about feeling at home in New York, and about finding "your people" after moving here for school, work, or a fresh start.

Our diaspora is hungry for intentional spaces. Many people told us that the events they usually find are either too big to connect at or too niche to fit into. Small, curated gatherings, matched around shared interests and backgrounds, hit a nerve.

Showing up in person matters. You can't fully explain the feeling of Finjani on a screen. Standing face to face, sharing why we started this, and hearing people's stories built more trust in a few minutes than any ad ever could.

Welcome to the circle

We're thrilled to share that so many attendees signed up for Finjani at the summit. Every one of those signups is someone who might be sitting across from a new friend at a Finjani dinner in the coming weeks, and we can't wait to make those introductions.

To everyone who stopped by our table, asked questions, shared their story, or downloaded the app on the spot: thank you. You've made the Finjani circle bigger, warmer, and more like home.

And a huge thank you to the Habibi Tech Summit team for building a space where our community can come together, dream big, and connect.

Your seat is waiting

If you met us at the summit, keep an eye out for your first invitation. If you didn't, there's still a seat for you.

Finjani is available on iOS, Android, and the web. Download the app, tell us a little about yourself, and we'll match you with a small group for dinner, coffee, or an activity in NYC.

Because the best things in life start around a table. Ahlan wa sahlan. 🫖