As more organizations turn to Slack as the backbone for collaboration, support, and community, one question rises to the top: how do you build a Slack community that actually lasts?

At the joint Q2 Silicon Valley–SF Slack Community Meetup, we’ll explore the theme of “Engagement-based Communities”—highlighting real-world approaches to building, growing, and sustaining vibrant Slack communities across companies, user groups, and customer ecosystems. This event brings together experienced community leaders and platform builders who are redefining what community means in the era of async work, AI-enhanced tooling, and digital-first engagement.

We’re thrilled to feature a stellar panel of speakers:

• Jacob Gross, Senior Community Marketing Manager at Slack, will share how Slack itself builds for connection—internally and externally—and what they’ve learned from supporting thousands of global communities on their own platform.
• Elizabeth Kinsey, Senior Director of Community at Braze and former Slack community lead, brings deep experience scaling customer and developer communities with intention and authenticity.
• Zach Hawtof, Founder & CEO of Tightknit, is helping the next generation of Slack-based communities manage access, membership, and moderation with ease—and will share learnings from supporting community-first startups and creators.
• Jeremie Gluckman, Community Lead at Dovetail, will discuss how Dovetail uses Slack as a connective layer for their customer research community and the balance between product support, peer learning, and authentic engagement.

Moderated by Kevin Cox, SF Slack Community Leader, the panel will discuss topics designed to spark practical takeaways and shared insight:

• Strategies for Community Engagement – Rituals, structure, and programs that spark conversation and drive repeat participation.
• Creating a Culture of Advocacy – Tactics to turn employees, customers, or partners into genuine champions.

• Sustaining a Member-led Community – Lessons on decentralization, leadership turnover, and scaling without burnout.
• Ask Me Anything (AMA) – A live, open Q&A with attendees to tackle your biggest challenges and ideas.

You’ll also hear from our featured sponsors:

• Tightknit, a platform purpose-built for managing Slack communities at scale
• Slalom, a leader in community-centric consulting and a long-time Slack power user

Whether you’re running an internal team hub, a customer support community, or an external user group, this event will give you practical strategies, inspiration from peers, and the chance to connect with others solving similar challenges.