Mind The Community Gaps | Allison McEntee | TEDxWilmette

Gaps in communities can be functional or social, and belonging is something people build rather than find. After moving to a new town, Allison McEntee looked for ways to build her community and identified the overlooked role of "Builders": people who make change, take risks, keep going through criticism, and create connections. The talk argues for starting to build what is missing instead of waiting for someone else to do it. It draws on her founding of the Kenilworth Cookbook Club, which has grown into what the speaker describes as the nation's largest network of cookbook clubs, and on her more than two decades of work in advertising and revenue leadership.

• Community gaps can be functional or social
• The role of 'Builders' who create change and connection
• How the Kenilworth Cookbook Club grew from a kitchen table
• Why human connection matters in a data-driven world

Gaps in communities exist. Some gaps are functional, while others are social. After moving to a new town, Allison McEntee was eager to build her community and discovered that belonging wasn't something you find—it was something you build. Through discovering gaps in her community, she explores the overlooked roles of "Builders": the people who make change, take risks, persevere through criticism, and create the connections that bring communities together. In an era of increasing isolation and division, this talk is a call to stop waiting for someone else to fix what's missing and start building it yourself. In a world powered by data, AI, and endless scrolling, Allison believes human connection still matters most. Nine years ago, she founded the Kenilworth Cookbook Club to bring people together around food and conversation. What began at her kitchen table has grown into the nation’s largest network of Cookbook Clubs — creating spaces where strangers become friends and neighbors build lasting bonds. Alongside building community in real life, Allison has spent more than two decades driving growth in the digital world. A seasoned advertising and revenue leader, she has led brand and sales strategy for companies including Nextdoor, Bustle Digital Group, Walmart Connect, Tasting Table, and Food Network. Across both chapters of her career, one belief guides her: meaningful growth — in business and in life — happens because someone chooses to build it. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx