Artificial Intimacy: Who Do We Become When We Talk to Machines?
MIT Alumni Association
MIT Alumni Association
Club of New York
Wednesday, April 30, 6:30pm - 8:30pm (America/New_York)
Event Details
Join us for our annual Members Meeting!
Come meet and mingle with fellow MIT alumni, enjoy all the pizza you can eat, sip some wine and beer, and help us welcome the incoming 2025–26 board members.
Please note: This event is open exclusively to current, dues-paying Club members.
If you’re unable to register, it likely means your membership is not active. Not sure about your status? No problem—just reach out to me and I’ll be happy to check for you.
Not a member yet?
[Join here], activate your membership, and then register for the event. We’d love to have you!
Join here, activate your membership, and then register for the event. We’d love to have you!
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Learn MoreMIT Sloan Club of New York
Thursday, May 1, 6:30pm - 9:00pm (America/New_York)
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Join the MIT Sloan Alumni Club of New York for the 2nd quarterly happy hour of 2025! Meet local alumni while enjoying elevated cocktails and food in the heart of Midtown.
Address
Cost
No cover. Pay for what you consume.
Cheers!
Stephen Gregory Barr
Social Chair
MIT Sloan Club of New York
Learn MoreClub of New York
Saturday, May 10, 9:00am - 11:00am (America/New_York)
Event Details
Join the MIT Club of New York for a guided bird walk in Prospect Park! The spring migration is a prime time of urban birding in New York City and the open oasis of Prospect Park attracts myriad migrant visitors to join its resident birds. Explore the park and discover its wildlife with your fellow alums and naturalist Gabriel Willow.
The walk will last two hours. Participants should bring their own binoculars (highly recommended). Each alum is welcome to register up to three guests; children who can manage the walk are welcome.
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Learn MoreClub of New York
Saturday, May 10, 12:00pm - 2:30pm (America/New_York)
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Join the MIT Club of New York for a private, curated tour of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exceptional collection, exploring fashion through the ages and what garments can tell us about the cultures that created it. This tour explores clothing represented in paint, stone, wood, and other media found across the Museum’s collections.
There will be 2 tours: one starting at 12:00 PM; the second starting at 1:15 PM.
We currently only have space for the tour at 1:15 PM.
After the tour, there will be a hangout at the Met Rooftop bar to chat with fellow alums.
Come join us on Saturday, May 10! Space is limited, to allow a more personal experience – sign up to reserve your spot.
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Learn MoreMIT Sloan Club of New York
Tuesday, May 13, 12:00pm - 1:00pm (America/New_York)
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Club of New York
Saturday, May 17, 11:00am - 1:00pm (America/New_York)
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Learn MoreClub of New York
Sunday, May 18, 10:00am - 12:00pm (America/New_York)
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Dates for additional runs will be announced in upcoming newsletters.
Join us this spring for our 2nd run in Central Park. This run will take place on Sunday, May 18h. We will split into groups by pace. The fast group will run the full loop which is approximately 6 miles at approximately 10 min/mile. Those who prefer to walk a shorter loop can finish early and meet the co-host at the starting point. After the run, the group will mingle over a coffee or smoothie. Rain or shine.
The group will meet at the Columbus Circle statue at W 59th Street and Central Park West.
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Learn MoreClub of New York
Sunday, May 18, 3:00pm - 6:00pm (America/New_York)
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The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, the renowned international touring dance company founded by Chinese American choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, and now led by Artistic Director Greta Campo and Executive Director Andy Chiang (Class of 1980) will perform at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center on Sunday, May 18th. The production celebrates the 2025 Asian American Pacific Islanders Heritage Month, which will showcase Chen’s distinctive cross-cultural style and the diverse influences that informed her work, as well as, new works created for the Company.
The celebration will open with one of Chen’s most powerful dances, Unfolding, which explores the flow of energy and the dynamics in Korean Chan-Go music. The performance will also feature Tiger and Water Lilies, a dance Nai-Ni Chen created for contemporary ballet company, BalletMet in Cleveland, OH. New work in this program will be the most recent work Ninja Under the Umbrella by the Company’s director Ying Shi. In this celebration, the renowned Ahn Trio will join the company to perform one of their most celebrated collaborations: Yuryung.
Following the program, you are invited to join a VIP reception and will have the opportunity to meet the artists over small bites and drinks.
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Learn MoreClub of France
Tuesday, May 20, 7:00pm - 9:30pm (Europe/Paris)
Event Details
Dear Alumni,
We are very honored to welcome MIT Prof Moungi Bawendi 2023 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in Paris https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moungi_Bawendi
Quantum dots, one of the first engineered nanomaterials, have become ubiquitous in displays and other applications. Professor Bawendi's talk will discuss their origin story, their development, and their applications. This is a story of curiosity-based science driving innovation and technological progress.
Moungi Bawendi is the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry at MIT. His lab focuses on the science and applications of nanocrystals, especially semiconductor nanocrystal (aka quantum dots). Born in Paris, Bawendi emigrated to the United States as a child, and earned his bachelor's and master's Degrees from Harvard University. He went on to achieve a PhD in chemistry from the University of Chicago. After conducting postdoctoral research at Bell Labs, he joined the MIT Chemistry faculty in 1990. In 2023, Bawendi was named a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots".
We will have a sitting dinner with a composition of 3 themes to go along with the service - Each theme will have a presentation by the professor to be followed by questions from the assembly
1) Apetizer - the Early life and education
2) Entries - the Researcher life and The Quantum dots
3) Dessert: the Nobel Prize, MIT and the path forward
Frédéric Hannoyer and the MIT CdF Board
Bio:
Professor Moungi Bawendi, born in Paris, France, in 1961, is a distinguished chemist recognized for his groundbreaking work on quantum dots. After spending his early years in France and Tunisia, he moved to the United States, where he pursued higher education. He obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1988 and later conducted postdoctoral research at Bell Labs.
In 1990, Bawendi joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he became a professor in 1996. His most notable scientific contribution is the hot-injection synthesis of quantum dots, a breakthrough that enabled precise control over their size and properties, leading to wide-ranging applications in electronics, photovoltaics, and biomedical imaging.
For his pioneering work, Bawendi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, alongside Louis E. Brus and Alexey Ekimov, for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. These nanomaterials are now essential in high-definition displays, energy-efficient lighting, medical diagnostics, and solar energy technology, revolutionizing modern technology and holding great potential for future innovations in medicine, renewable energy, and quantum computing,
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Club of France
Thursday, May 22, 7:30pm - 7:30pm (Europe/Paris)
Event Details
Dear Alumni,
Invitation to the HumAIn Salon: Exploring AI, People, and the Future of Work
We are pleased to invite you the 4th edition of our NEW AI event : the HumAIn Salon. This is a recurring series of human-size in-person events dedicated to exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, human factors, including the future of work. This intimate gathering (~30p max) will occur every one to two months, bringing together a small group of participants for in-depth discussions on these critical topics.
Theme: “HumAIn Intelligence: AI, People, and the Future of Work”
Format: Serial meetups featuring a blend of expert presentations and interactive exchanges
Salon Host : Léa Peersman, MIT Sloan graduate, researcher, founder of HI Lab,
Guest Speakers: Every session will feature a guest speaker from the fields of AI research, cognitive sciences, sociology, and startups, sparking the discussions and guiding our exploration.
This is a conference where we expect you to participate and share your vision! The HumAIn Salon is a collaborative forum where every voice matters, and your insights are critical to shaping our understanding of the intersection between AI and human experiences.
Join us for an engaging discussion and dinner
We look forward to welcoming you to this enriching and thought-provoking series.
Specific Mar 25th Event Details:
Date: 25 March 2025
Time: 19:30 – 22:30
Venue: Restaurant Vauban, facing Les Invalides, 7th arrondissement, Paris
Guest Speakers:
This session will explore the core question:
“Rethinking Resilience: Fostering Ingenuity in a World of Crises and AI”
In a world facing crises on every level—wars in Europe, climate change — are we, as a Nation, truly prepared to become resilient? Is our generation ready to invent in a world without abundance? To create using only what is available?
In the era of Artificial Intelligence, what is the defining value of humanity? Is it not creativity, the ability to invent, to be ingenious, to think outside the box? We think through our bodies, our space, our emotions. Our perception is the key to our ability to evolve by acting upon the world—it forces us to confront reality and, therefore, compels us to invent.
I deeply believe that, given the current context, we must rethink our societies — from a model of hyper-specialization of skills to a world of well-rounded individuals. This shift has already begun through the widespread adoption of soft skills training for better collective living. Today, it is time to train our future generations of engineers to become modern-day MacGyvers.
Over an informal dinner, Clement and Lea will share their vision and let us exchange and share.
Registration: To attend, you only pay for your dinner (3 course-meal) - please register on the MIT website. Limited Seating the dinner is at 55€ and you pay forward to reserve your seat - We'll refund you if you cannot attend and tell us upfront.
We look forward to your participation in this important discussion.
Best regards,
Lea Peersman and Frédéric Hannoyer
MIT CdF Board member & MIT CdF President
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MIT Sloan Club of New York
Thursday, June 5, 12:00pm - 1:00pm (America/New_York)
Event Details
Join us for a panel discussion hearing from three MIT and MIT Sloan alumni on their experiences on the popular American television show, Shark Tank. Our panel will discuss their ventures, being on the show negotiating with the sharks, and running their businesses after the show.
This is a great opportunity to learn more about this unique experience and support MIT founders.
Hear from a panel of MIT and MIT Sloan alumni:
Mollie (Chung) Cha, Co-Founder of Must Love, MIT Sloan MBA ‘15
Kelly McGee, Co-Founder of Yardsale, MIT ‘17
Amrita Saigal, Founder of Kudos, MIT ‘10
Moderator: Asha Aravindakshan, MIT Sloan Fellow MBA ‘17
Panelists:
Mollie (Chung) Cha, co-founded plant-based food and beverage brand Must Love (formerly known as Hakuna Brands), with her best friend from college. She is based in Los Angeles, CA. Mollie graduated with her M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Mollie appeared on Shark Tank in January 2022. You can watch the 9 mins video clip here.
Kelly McGee, co-founded sports equipment and lifestyle brand Yardsale. He is based in San Francisco, CA. Kelly graduated with his S.B. in Mechanical Engineering and Product Design from MIT.
Kelly appeared on Shark Tank in November 2024. You can watch the 22 mins video clip (with commentary) here.
Amrita Saigal founded sustainable diaper manufacturer Kudos. She is based in Los Angeles, CA. Amrita graduated with her S.B. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Amrita appeared on Shark Tank in January 2023. You can watch a 6 mins video clip here and read this recent Slice of MIT article.
Moderator:
Asha Aravindakshan, MIT Sloan Fellow MBA ‘17
Asha Aravindakshan (@dcasha) is the COO of GlobalGiving and the author of Skills: The Common Denominator, which highlights true stories of transferable skills for career success. Previously, she streamlined business operations to maximize accountability, growth and strategic alignment for public and private stakeholders.
Asha serves on the Board of Directors for MIT Sloan Club of New York, the Alumni Leadership Council for Forté, and as a Venture Partner for Verve Ventures. She’s presented at conferences in the Americas and is the recipient of awards on digital transformation and future of work. Asha studied business at The George Washington University and MIT Sloan School of Management.
She is an avid Shark Tank viewer and purveyor of the show’s products.
Event Agenda
Club of New York
Saturday, June 7, 2:00pm - 5:00pm (America/New_York)
Event Details
Kick off the summer with great company and food! Join us on June 7 at Pig Beach Queens for a Summer BBQ, where you’ll catch up with old friends, connect with fellow alumni, and make the most of a fun-filled day with your family. Enjoy unlimited access to our private buffet featuring flavorful smoked meats, delicious sides, and refreshing soft drinks. Bring your loved ones and celebrate the summer season in a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.
Date: June 7 (2 pm - 5 pm).
Address: Pig Beach BBQ Queens, 35-37 36th St, Astoria, NY 11106 (accessible via the M and R Metro Lines - 7 mins walk from 36th Street Metro Station)
Menu:
Beef Brisket (salt + pepper crust)*
Baby Back Ribs (brown sugar + sticky honey glaze)
Chipotle Rubbed Beer Can Chicken (smoked chicken w/ spicy rub)*
Caesar Salad
Fries*
Soft Drinks (bottled water, sparkling water, fountain soda and juices)
* Gluten free
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