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Media
My work – as a certified parent coach, a mental health activist, a community leader, a speaker, and a writer focused on helping parents realize the power they have to foster healthy family relationships – is featured in national, state, and local media.
Vanessa Elias shares lasting ripple effect of block parties in “Why do block parties matter” in this 57-second video. (12/13/24 Strong Towns)
Vanessa shares her story and how it led to Block Party USA in a PechaKucha-style presentation with 20 slides, 20 seconds on each. (3/5/24 Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute)
Lenore Skenazy, Jonathan Haidt, and Vanessa at The Anxious Generation art installation by artist Dave Cicirelli. (March 2024, New York City)
Vanessa was a host of the inaugural “Find Your People Fair.” (10/3/26)
Vanessa helped build neighborhood connection all across America during Welcome Week 2026. (9/26-10/3/26)
Vanessa attended the New York City premiere of Brotherhood: A Cinematic Musical. (10/1/26)
"Are You Raising Kids in Captivity, then Expecting Them to Survive in the Wild?" (Let Grow)
At DOROT and Weave event, Vanessa presented practical methods to cultivate connection in your community. (9/30/26)
Vanessa was a featured speaker at 2nd Annual Bridging Movement Summit. (9/25/26)
Block Party USA featured in “Block Parties Are Making a Comeback” (9/1/26 Saturday Evening Post)
SXSW featured Vanessa's proposal, "How a Block Party Can Change Your World" for community voting. (8/5-8/23/26)
Vanessa presented “Block Party 101: Building Community One Block at a Time” at the Wilton Library. (8/19/26)
Vanessa presented “Block Party 101: Building Community One Block at a Time” at the Ridgefield Library. (8/18/26)
Vanessa joined Let Grow’s Lenore Skenazy and Holly Moscatiello of The Balance Project for a conversation about friendship, trust, community, and how parents can create more opportunities to connect in real life. (7/29/26)
Wilton Residents Encouraged to Host Neighborhood Block Parties as Part of Nationwide “American Summer” Campaign (7/22/26 Good Morning Wilton)
Vanessa joined other Aspen Institute Weavers to share how she’s shaping America 250. (7/16/26)
Vanessa shared “How to Throw a Block Party” with the US Chamber of Connection’s Welcome Committee members. (6/25/26)
Vanessa was a featured speaker at Aspen Institutes’s “Why We Weave” panel discussion. (5/28/26)
Vanessa gets hosts Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst to publicly commit to throwing neighborhood gatherings this summer! (5/26/26 US Chamber of Connection How We Connected podcast)
Vanessa invites readers to step outside their doors and join Block Party USA American Summer! (5/21/26 Streetsblog USA)
Because of Vanessa's efforts, Gov. Lamont made Good Neighbor Day (Sept. 28th) an official day of recognition. (5/19/26)
The Grand Dame of block parties, Vanessa Elias, joined Katherine Goldstein for a Double Shift Zoom conversation to share block party ideas and advice. (4/22/26)
Vanessa Elias presented "Block Parties – Strengthening Our Social Fabric and Democracy" to Harvard Kennedy School New England Alumni Association. (3/31/26)
Vanessa led a coalition of Wilton organizations to host a “Join or Die” screening as reported in “Combatting Isolation, Fostering Connections in Wilton.” (3/5/26 Good Morning Wilton)
BPUSA featured on the Foundation for Social Connection “US SILC Ecosystem Map” (1/27/26)
Vanessa attended Flourishing Neighborhoods: The Key to Renewing America. (12/7-12/8/25)
Vanessa attended The Corporate Volunteering Collective New York, an invite-only gathering of corporate social impact leaders shaping the future of volunteering. (11/18/25)
Vanessa shares ripple effect of block parties in “Beyond the barricades: Lakewood’s block party culture fosters community, builds traditions” by Matt Bixenstine. (11/12/25 The Land)
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