BRUNCHES (and BASKETBALL) After college, Greg Forbes Siegman spent a year as a substitute teacher (one year eventually turned into eight).  Two months into that first year, Greg witnessed two of his black students treated poorly by a nearby white customer when they went to have milkshakes at a local restaurant.  In response, trying to turn the negative into a positive, Greg created the BrunchBunch.com Mentoring Program.  Each weekend, he hosted a brunch at a local restaurant attended by local students and an equal number of young professionals -- convinced that food (and milkshakes!) can be a common bond that connects people of all ages, races, cultures and backgrounds.   Typically, 10-25 people attended each brunch.  Half were students, half were adults. The students were mostly in 6th grade-12th grade.  They fit three basic criteria:  they were interested in meeting and learning about people of other backgrounds; they were well-behaved; and (of course) they had parent/guardian permission.  The adults were mostly young professionals (but ranged all the way up to 84 years old) and came from virtually every industry imaginable.  The kids' parents/guardians were always welcome to attend as well.  Most of the restaurants generously provided discounts for the groups. (Some even waived the bill altogether). The adults each paid for themselves and one kid.  The kids each paid $1 because 'nothing in life is free.'

After each brunch, the group would take part in an activity - such as volunteering with seniors, rockwall climbing, or (most frequently) playing basketball -- that similarly helped served as common ground (and fun) for all involved.  The goal of the BrunchBunch.com Mentoring Program was to create a forum where people from different races, cultures, religions, ages and socioeconomic classes could get to know each other in an informal setting, while also giving the students a chance to learn about college and career options from the adults who were present.

There was no formal 'group' discussion at the table (or on the court).  Those in attendance simply talked to those around them, as one would normally do when eating brunch or playing basketball with friends. There was no set 'topic' of discussion, either. In addition to talking about college and careers, those in attendance simply talked about whatever was going on at the time -- whether it was the Olympics, or the Bush-Gore ballot debate, the rise of the internet, the release of a popular new movie, or the tragedies of 9-11.  The primary difference was that they were having these conversations with people from diverse ages and backgrounds who might be able to offer much different perspectives on those topics than those they heard on a regular basis. During the first five years, dozens of restaurants were involved, and 700 different people from around the world attended at least one brunch - with many attending on a regular basis.  Greg coordinated, raised the funds and personally attended the first 243 consecutive weeks of brunch - a streak that began with the first brunch when he was 24 years old and lasted every single week without exception until the day he turned 29.

Over the years, BrunchBunch.com was recognized in some unique ways. Some examples include:   Good Morning America buried a Time Capsule which chronicled the first 100 weeks of the program.  In the year 2000, Greg was honored with the Jefferson Award for Public Service - and he was the youngest adult in the country recognized at the National Jefferson Awards that summer.  When the streak of brunches reached the three year mark, then-President Clinton sent a note encouraging those involved to keep up their efforts. Nation's Restaurant News covered the group's efforts a number of times, including an article on the bond with Maggiano's Little Italy (featured in the picture here)

GALAS After the first 70 weeks of brunch, Greg established The 11-10-02 Foundation -- expanding his efforts from taking kids for milkshakes to sending them to college. To benefit The 11-10-02 Foundation, Greg planned and hosted a series of Gala Dinners.  The events incorporated the 'milkshake' theme in a number of ways. Local schoolkids handpainted milkshake glasses which were used as table centerpieces. American Trophy & Award Co. teamed up with Greg to turn unwashed, used milkshake glasses into the scholarship trophies.  At the end of one of the Galas, Greg surprised the audience with the news that there were milkshakes waiting across the street for all of them...and got the nearly 500 people in attendance to stand up, follow him out the hotel and across the street to go gulp them down.    The Galas became memorable shows with all kinds of twists and turns on stage as well. In one case, for instance, a student announced a scholarship on behalf of the Foundation - only to discover she was giving the scholarship to herself.   In another case, a student receiving a scholarship from the Foundation was surprised with the news that his university was matching it.  In another example, two students who co-hosted one of the Galas were surprised with $5,000 scholarships, and then 15 underclassmen students in attendance were surprised with the news of a $75,000 scholarship challenge for which they would be eligible (fittingly, Greg would eventually raise that money by charging people thousands of dollars apiece to meet him for milkshakes).

FILM PREMIERE

The 11-10-02 Foundation was named after a specific date (Greg's 30th birthday -- November 10, 2002).  To coincide with that date, Greg planned and hosted a film premiere -- with all proceeds benefiting The 11-10-02 Foundation.    All kinds of notable corporate and media sponsors supported the event, like Kinko's, Nordstrom, Chicago Sun-Times, and Loews Cineplex Entertainment.  For the event, he also collaborated with the F&B industry -- with Maggiano's Little Italy and Cripple Creek Brewing Co. serving as food and beverage sponsors, respectively, for the Premiere.  The Eli's Cheesecake Co.  provided a giant milkshake-shaped cheesecake for dessert, for the attendees.

MILKSHAKES

Throughout Greg's experiences, one constant has been his love of ice cream and milkshakes.  In fact, The First Thirty (the book based on his story) revolves around his dream to see the entire world come together for milkshakes.  At some point after Greg began getting invited to speak at events around the country, he realized those events provided a forum to begin pursuing that dream.  As a result, he began inviting audiences to literally get up right then and there after the events and go with him for milkshakes.  The groups who have joined him for post-event milkshakes have ranged from a handful of people to hundreds of people, of all different ages and backgrounds, in places like Connecticut, New Jersey, California, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York and Canada.  In one memorable instance in Boston, an auditorium full of people walked with Greg for fifteen minutes through a rainstorm to go get the shakes.

DINNERS  In 2005, Greg and a friend decided to co-host a dinner in New York City when he was there to do a speech.  The guest list was a complete mix of total strangers - people from all walks of the life and ages and backgrounds  - all getting together in an informal way. The dinner was so much fun that Greg and his friend decided to co-host another one when he returned to New York a few months later to do some more speeches and book signings. The guest list quickly grew from 15 people (the first time) to 30. And, in general, none of them knew the others in attendance before arriving.   A few months after that, Greg returned to New York again, and he co-hosted another "Dinner with Friends (except nobody knows each other)".  By then, the group had grown to the point that they had reserved a whole upstairs section of a local bar.

In the months that followed, as speeches and book signings took Greg to other cities, he decided to host similar dinners in those towns - even though it meant inviting total strangers (since they were, in some cases, towns where he'd never been and had never met anybody).   The dinners -- if he could convince complete strangers to attend -- would all follow the same basic theme: People of all different ages - from their 20s to 60s, all different races, cultures, backgrounds, professions, economic classes. It would not be a dinner in anyone's honor.  No speeches would be given.  Nobody would be selling anything, or even passing out business cards. No specific topic would be discussed (or off-limits). Everyone pays for themselves. It would be just like dinner with good friends (except nobody knows each other in advance).

In St. Louis, he hosted a dinner for twenty people.  In Los Angeles, he hosted a dinner for twenty.  In Fresno, it was thirty-five complete strangers gathering together. And on it went...

INTERNATIONAL

It soon spread to Canada, where Greg hosted a dinner for 20 strangers when he was there to deliver some speeches. In 2008, Greg served as American Scholar in Residence for a program in Africa.  During the two week stint, he hosted four of his dinners there -- bringing up to 25 complete strangers together at one time. For more on Greg's experience in Africa, go to www.WorldsGreatestPlaces.com and click South Africa Verity, recording artist in South Africa: "...It was great to meet Greg and get a taste of how he brings people together...His story and vision are incredible. Very few people have the ability to cross divides and unite people and celebrate difference together. It is wonderful that who he is naturally allows that to happen, and sharing dinner with him and everyone he had brought together was quite an experience in a country where we tend to stick to our safe little boxes of who and what we know....May he continue to uplift thousands as he goes."

A French restauranteur in Florida read The First Thirty in a single sitting. That same day, she ordered 100 additional copies to give to staff, clients and local students   In one instance, while delivering a speech as part of a Lecture Series, Greg told the story of his Dinners with Strangers.   On that particular speaking trip, he had already had dinner with complete strangers the night before the speech. After the speech, he simply planned to leave.  But a bunch of attendees in the audience spontaneously decided they wanted to have a Dinner with Strangers right then and there.  And so...they did.  And this particular dinner had a decidedly international flavor...Greg was joined for dinner that evening by people from four different countries:  USA, Canada, China and Sweden.

SPEECHES, BOOKS, MEDIA

The F&B/restaurant/hotel/tourism community has embraced the book (The First Thirty) in much the same way they embraced the story upon which it is based.  Here are a couple examples: The Galesburg,IL Applebee's served as an in-kind sponsor of Greg's visit to the community to speak at several schools there. They also hosted the Dinner (for 20 strangers) that he put together while in town.   Travelodge Hotel Airlane in Canada ordered copies of The First Thirty and companion workbook A Place To Sit for some of its staff.   Nation's Restaurant News and Beverage World have been among the media that did nice articles about the Brunches, Galas and the Milkshakes.

Steak 'n Shake in Galesburg, IL ordered copies of The First Thirty for local students and provided gift certificates for students in the area to have free junior milkshakes - citing the main character in the book's love of milkshakes and his desire to use them to bring people closer together. (They also subsequently ordered copies for some staff on the corporate level).   Greg and his Grandma appeared in a number of print advertisements that highlighted the F&B connection.  One of the advertisements was for O'Briens Restaurant. Another was for a carpet cleaning service, Jonny on the Spot, which featured Greg's Grandma acknowledging that the company did a good job cleaning the carpets - but noting they would not be needed if Greg would sit at the table when drinking the milkshakes.

RIPPLE EFFECTS In every case - the Brunches, the Galas, the Film Premiere, the Milkshake Gatherings and the Dinners with Strangers - the overarching intent was to simply bring people together of different backgrounds and cultures.  Nothing more, nothing less than simply connecting dots.  But as it turned out, almost without exception, even beyond the friendships made, some memorable things have happened.  Greg calls them Ripple Effects. These (below) are just a couple of the hundreds of examples that have occurred:   After one brunch, a student got a job from an adult he met at the table   First Lady Laura Bush sent a letter congratulating students receiving scholarships from The 11-10-02 Foundation and noting that Greg had changed the way she looks at milkshakes.

After a series of brunches, students at a private school convinced the school's leadership to give a scholarship to a need-based student they had met through the brunches who had always dreamed of attending their school. (Fittingly, the school's Principal chose one of the Gala Dinners described above to make the big surprise announcement)   After attending a brunch, a woman quit her job to go to school and become a teacher   A member of the Chicago Cubs provided tickets, completely unsolicited, for Brunch Bunch kids to attend a game.  One of the kids caught a foul ball.  Years later, upon graduating high school, that boy gave the ball to Greg as a gift.  In turn, Greg removed the stitches from the ball, framed them and auctioned them off to benefit The 11-10-02 Foundation.   The item went for $5,000 to a complete stranger.

After attending a Dinner in New York, a woman in her mid-thirties who worked at a major corporation said the nonprofit professionals she met at the dinner, as well as Greg's story in The First Thirty, further convinced her that her calling was in service. She quit her lucrative job and joined the Peace Corps. Her assignment was in Africa. After attending a Dinner in California, a teacher read The First Thirty and subsequently had it - along with the companion workbook A Place To Sit - adopted into their school curriculum

At a Dinner in St. Louis, the head of a well-known company met an African-American college student who wanted to make a difference. The businessman was so inspired by the student that he decided, completely unsolicited, to have his company donate $1000 to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington DC in the student's honor. After a Dinner in New York, one of the attendees went out for lunch with another woman who had just moved to the city. After a Dinner in California, a high school coach was put in touch with a college coach regarding positive summer programs for his student-athletes to be part of

After attending a Dinner in California, a single mother said she was inspired to do something positive and launched a philanthropy project in honor of a late friend -- raising $1000, which was donated to a new public school in her community to help get books for their library. After attending a Dinner in New York, a woman born and raised in New York offered to volunteer her time to show another woman (who had just moved there from Ohio) around the city Restaurant companies such as Maggiano's Little Italy and P.J. Clarke's were so supportive of the brunches that they waived the bill altogether when they hosted brunches.

After Greg spoke in Washington D.C., one student in attendance decided to follow his lead and coordinate a dinner of his own -- for forty complete strangers....the very next night.  Greg was still in town, so he accepted an invite to attend.  Several weeks later, the student received a letter of congratulations from his U.S. Senator for his efforts to follow in Greg's footsteps and bring people together at a young age.   When Greg served as American Scholar in Residence for a program in Africa, a variety of individuals and companies ordered copies of The First Thirty to be given out to people in Africa.  (To see more on this, go to www.WorldsGreatestPlaces.com, click South Africa).  One individual who sponsored the purchase of copies of The First Thirty for this project is the President of a division of a major food company.   One company who purchased copies of The First Thirty for this project is (a Chicago division) of Jamba Juice.

EntrepreneurshipWeek USA 2007 -- presented by Kauffman Foundation; Inc. ; and The New York Times -- named Greg one of today's "Trailblazers". Others on the list, which are described as a "sample of people who have taken on their BIG idea and made it into a reality", include leaders of some of the most popular companies in the F&B industry and related fields like: Lawrence F. Levy (Co-Founder and Chairman, Levy Restaurants; and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Levy Organization), Ron Rubin (Minister of Tea and Owner, Republic of Tea) and Doug Ducey (Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Cold Stone Creamery®).   After observing The Brunch Bunch, a young businessman -  a complete stranger - completely unsolicited, personally paid for an entire brunch, then later inspired his company to donate $5000 to fund a scholarship through The 11-10-02 Foundation.  And then, later, when The First Thirty came out, that same man anonymously purchased 50 copies to be given to people who commit acts of kindness.

After attending a Dinner in Canada, an executive at an organization that works with addiction services offered her time to help a civic-minded student in her community who advocates a tobacco-free society to other kids A magazine hired Greg to write an article about Sanda (his friend with whom he co-hosts the Dinners in New York)   A milkshake shop in Connecticut, Wilma's Scoop du Jour, ordered copies of The First Thirty for local students.    The highly-regarded restauranteurs, Brinker International, ordered copies for its Diversity & Inclusion Steering Team.    After delivering a college commencement, Greg received an honorary degree in Hospitality Management

Charlie Trotter's  provided a special gift certificate for three workers in the F&B segment of the public school system, who had been involved in Greg's efforts, so they could have an unforgettable dinner of their own.   Years later, Charlie Trotter's also was the site of a very special, impromptu Ripple Effect: An attendee at one of Greg's speeches-- an MBA student from Mexico (Luis) -- wrote to Greg and asked if he and his wife (a ballerina named Lily) could come to Greg's town to meet with him for dinner, since they didn't have the chance to take part in the Dinner Greg hosted after speaking at University of Illinois (where Luis was gettin his MBA). Greg happily accepted. The two came to town and they all went for dinner and played pool. Afterwards, the three took an unplanned detour and ended up joining Lily's parents -- who also happened to be in town and who were eating dinner at Charlie Trotter's -- for desserts.  The five of them stayed there past midnight, with the entire conversation taking place in Spanish.

A college well-known for its Culinary Arts program ordered copies of The First Thirty for its Honor Society students in conjunction with MLK Day   After attending one of the Galas, a banker sent an email the next morning, completely unsolicited, to say he and his wife were inspired by the young woman - a complete stranger - sitting next to them at their table and would be funding a college scholarship.  (They subsequently funded two others as well).   General Mills, Inc. booked Greg to speak at an event for some staff, and ordered copies of The First Thirty for some of those in attendance.

FUTURE   For more on Greg, see www.GregForbes.com   To order a copy of The First Thirty, companion workbook A Place To Sit, or posters based on either title, see www.TheFirstThirty.com and click Cart   To order copies of The First Thirty for family, friends, staff, clients, donors, volunteers, members or students, email Books@IdeaListEnterprises.com   To inquire about booking Greg for an event at your school, company, conference, or in your town, email Events@GregForbes.com