At a Chicago board game cafe, I listened to presentations on forgotten Sanrio characters, brain-spotting to process trauma, and cemetery photography, interspersed with interactive quizzes on animal facts and etymology.
That’s Show & Tell for Grown-Ups, where anyone can share their niche interest or current obsession. Founder Mary Doctor likens it to the rabbit holes we fall into on social media, but with the possibility of genuine connection.
How it started
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Doctor’s background is in musical theater, but her startup was inspired by her tech career. She worked at an engineering consultancy where she matched new hires for social events, and an incubator where she met founders and other interesting people.
She learned that fascinating people aren’t always natural public speakers, and that people benefit from social spaces conducive to conversation — not just loud happy hours or mixers.
So, she took a “leap of faith” and founded her company, Tell Me Why It’s Cool, in 2024. Show & Tell for Grown-Ups is its flagship event.
- It happens about four times a month across Chicago at regular venues and one-offs with themed topics, like an upcoming show at the International Museum of Surgical Science focused on historical medicine.
- Past talks have covered gilded-age medical equipment, the “Bulgarian Samurai,” and dissociating with “The Sims.”
- Audiences vote on their favorite presenters, who speak again at a monthly showcase.
“I want to showcase that anybody can be a rockstar. They just need to find their right audience,” Doctor said, noting that the audience Q&A, when speakers often loosen up, is her favorite part.
During intermission and after, people discuss what they’ve learned, share their own passions, and make friends. Many newcomers become regulars.
“People want to get out of the house, but we need different ways to do it. What [Show & Tell] does… is it gives you conversation starters,” she said.
What’s next?
Tell Me Why It’s Cool monetizes through ticket sales, merch sales, and sponsorships from businesses and organizations that book private shows or that want to get in front of its eclectic audience, but Doctor is also looking for podcasts, video series, and brands interested in collaborating.
She also wants to add formats, like Try Something New, where attendees can learn anything from archery to how to play Dungeons & Dragons, or an education arm focused on training.
But, really? She’d love to take the show on the road and find the “coolest nerds” in America and beyond — and we know that includes some of y’all.
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