Introducing SF Joiners Week: April 21 - 25th

BuildIRL x The Commons present "SF Joiners Week"

and

Apr 14, 2025

Before social media, we had social clubs — bowling leagues, Rotary clubs, and bridge nights. We nurtured hobbies alongside our neighbors, creating rituals that formed the social fabric of American life. In the recent decades, club membership has plummeted as we’ve been seduced by the illusion of connection that social media promised. In partnership with BuildIRL (an accelerator for IRL community organizers), The Commons is hosting SF Joiners Week: a week dedicated to celebrating modern day clubs. From climate communities to Athletic Clubs to poker nights to accountability crews, we're spotlighting a new wave of IRL communities. Join us April 21st – 25th at The Commons: https://lu.ma/SFjoinersweek -

Cissy Hu

In our last post, we shared that we were experimenting with new ways to transform our space into a community meeting house by night. After brainstorming various forms our experiments could take, we’re excited to announce a new experience.

In partnership with our friends at Build IRL, we’re hosting the first themed week at The Commons, SF Joiners Week: a week-long celebration of IRL connectors and club organizers in San Francisco.

The intention is to provide opportunities for folks to discover amazing clubs and meet their SF neighbors ✨ BuildIRL’s motto is: Join a Club. Build a Club. Let's hang IRL again.

Build IRL runs a one-of-a-kind accelerator for IRL community builders, empowering folks creating the next wave of in-person social clubs in San Francisco. Founded by Colton and Saum (who met at The Commons), they asked: what would it take to cultivate thousands more social clubs that bring connection, creativity, play, and community back in the REAL world?

Build IRL is on a mission to make it 10x easier to start, fund, and run a social club through their accelerator program, tech platform, and educational content.

They’ve backed 50+ clubs across two cohorts so far. From the country’s oldest Go Club to discussion salons (AI Salon, Hardcover) to meditation and meditative clubs (Community Village, The SF Contemplarium) to cookbook clubs.

IRL social is back — and SF is setting the culture, one club at a time.

At The Commons, we believe conversations with our neighbors and those who share our values serve as mirrors and portals, reflecting who we are and inviting us to explore who we might become. One pathway for that exploration is through engaging with local social clubs: communities that welcome us in cultivating new hobbies, shared rituals, and deeper connection.

Joiner Week is designed to celebrate and spotlight these communities and those who are building the next wave of generational clubs. It’s an invitation to discover new interests or rediscover old ones, meet kindred spirits, and explore what’s possible when we gather with purpose.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 📅

We’re kicking off Joiners Week with a “Join or Die” screening, a documentary based on Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone that explores the importance of social bonds, how they shape our lives, and why they matter more than ever.

For the rest of the week, we’re hosting clubs from:

🧐 Ur Accountability Club: an accountability ecosystem so you can make *serious* progress towards your goals
🃏 SF Poker Club: a group of kick-ass people who want to learn how to play poker in a judgment-free zone
🌎 Climate Action Club: a vibrant community for young climate changemakers who aim to spark bold ideas, collective action, and lasting impact
🏃‍♀️ Mission Athletic Club: a tennis community that hosts social tennis games, helps you rally together, and make friends along the way
🧪 Cellsius Biopunk Club: a community focused on creating accessible opportunities to learn about and explore biology
🍃 The Collabyrinth: a community centered around the notion that labyrinths support transformation, growth, and transition – helping guide individuals and communities through profound shifts in their lives