Why We Do Ice Breakers In Our Mixers

After our first speed networking event, I felt great but also a little unsatisfied. Something was missing. The kind of connection I had pictured people having just wasn’t there. There was so much room for improvement.

A few weeks later, I attended a Toastmasters public speaking workshop in Cambridge. It was a two-hour session where almost nobody knew each other — except for a few faces. The tension in the room was palpable.

But then, the workshop started with everyone giving a 60-second introduction: their name, what they do, and something they’re passionate about.

And just like that, I saw the tension drop.

Why? Because everyone was now part of the same shared activity.

What’s more, this happened right when I was planning our second mixer at NSA Boston (more on that in the next blog). While everyone was giving their intros, one guy caught my attention — he said he was an event planner for Harvard Graduate School.

During the break, after hearing everyone’s intros, he was the first person I went over to chat with. And the next thing I knew, he showed up at our event and gave valuable feedback.

That moment was a game changer for me. It made me realize the true power of ice breakers.

Now, no matter how awkward it might feel at first, I try to include one in every single mixer we host.

Because those first few minutes — where strangers share a bit about themselves — can turn a room full of people into a connected community.

And most importantly, you get to see and acknowledge everyone in the room.
Without that, you might only interact with 5–10 people and never even realize who else was there.

Ice breakers make sure no one’s invisible.