On June 11, 2026, Open Gov Hub hosted a full day of food, learning, wellness, and connection for our Members. Our summer interns and CEE Fellows helped plan and run every part of it. Here's a recap of the day, followed by reflections from the team that made it happen.
Community Day at a glance
INTERN-ational Breakfast. The INTERN-ational Breakfast was the first event of the day: our interns from all over the world shared their hometown breakfasts with the rest of the Hub. This turned out to be a great way for the different members of the Hub to connect with the interns and get a little taste of their countries. The menu and different food items were arranged and created by Joyce and Nelson.
Hub Members and interns gathering for the INTERN-ational Breakfast
Lunch and Learn. The next event was a Lunch and Learn with Jeanne Belmonte about her book "Peace of Mind at Work Guidebook." Hubbers got to enjoy Jeanne's presentation, learning how to more strategically handle perceived offenses in the workplace without letting them hinder their own wellbeing, all while enjoying some tasty pizza.
Tony, Jeanne, and Adam celebrating Jeanne's Peace of Mind at Work Guidebook
Sound bath. Next was a relaxing meditation with Rooting by Nina. Hub members got to participate in meditation exercises while immersed in a sound bath. Participants focused on how they felt before and after the session. The sound bath and breathing exercises contributed to a calming mood.
The sound bath with Rooting by Nina
Ice Cream Social. Hubbers then enjoyed good conversations with each other over delicious ice cream at our Ice Cream Social. This event was put together by Nyle and sponsored by Collective Mind and Ice Cream Jubilee. It was a nice way to socialize and network in a calm and collaborative setting.
Kerstin, CEO of Collective Mind, and Tony celebrating the Ice Cream Social
Lightning Talks and Happy Hour. To end the day, Hubbers took part in a cocktail hour sponsored by Ocean Solutions to wind down and listen to the Intern Geopolitical Lightning Talks. Interns from our internship partner, IREX's Community Engagement Exchange (CEE), provided insight and new perspectives from their home countries. Filip, one of the CEE Fellows, planned and organized this event.
Tim presenting his Lightning Talk on Kosovo
In their own words
Priscila
My favorite part of Community Day was the opportunity to connect with so many people and see firsthand how diverse the Open Gov Hub community truly is. It was inspiring to see individuals from different backgrounds and organizations come together around a shared mission, embodying the values of the Open Gov Hub. Having recently returned from studying abroad, I learned about topics such as foreign aid, transparency, and the challenges that contribute to gaps in economic development. Seeing so many organizations working to address these issues in different ways made the day feel like a full-circle moment.
Priscila, Stanline, Catherine, and Rachel at Community Day
Rachel
Community Day was a great opportunity to connect with the organizations that share this space and better understand the community that makes the Open Gov Hub unique! The day began with an "INTERN-ational Breakfast," where we interns shared breakfast foods from our home countries. One of my favorites was the kimbap from South Korea, which was delicious and a great way to experience a different culture. After breakfast, people spent time networking in the cafe and playing games at the Community Booth. The booth had trivia and interactive games that helped people learn more about Open Gov Hub's partners and mission. However, my favorite part of the day was the sound bath hosted by Rooting by Nina, where we meditated, focused on mindfulness, and relaxed while listening to calming sounds, which created such a peaceful atmosphere. Another highlight was the ice cream social sponsored by Collective Mind, where I enjoyed some strawberry ice cream. Overall, Community Day was a wonderful experience that combined networking and fun while strengthening connections across the Open Gov Hub community.
Nyle
My major contribution to this year's Community Day was securing a partnership with Ice Cream Jubilee and Hub Member Collective Mind for the ice cream social. Working with a local business to support the Hub's programming was a rewarding experience, highlighting the power of partnerships in strengthening our community. It was exciting to see everyone come together, enjoy the ice cream, and take a break to connect with colleagues and neighbors. My favorite part of Community Day was watching people from different organizations interact in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Through a shared commitment to community, and building relationships that extend beyond our individual organizations, the event showcased what makes the Open Gov Hub special.
Billie
Community Day was an eventful day! We started the day off with an INTERN-ational brunch, where my fellow interns and I prepared and plated food as well as drinks from our home countries and/or home states for our Hub members. It was so cool to see it all come together and try new foods from other people's traditional breakfasts. My portion of the breakfast was "broodje hagelslag," which is a slice of buttered bread topped with chocolate sprinkles. I had so much fun meeting new people and introducing them to my home country through food. However, my favourite part of the day was the "lunch and learn," where the wonderful Jeanne Belmonte presented her new book Peace of Mind at Work Guidebook: Tools to Bounce Back in the Midst of Workplace Difficulties and Discord. She discussed strategies for stress management, among other things. Meanwhile, we had pizza and salads for lunch during the presentations. I found the lunch and learn an excellent way to get to know new people in the Hub while also having informative discussions about enabling people to achieve tranquillity at work despite external pressures.
Joyce
I had so much fun setting up Community Day! I love arts and crafts, so I was thrilled to be trusted with organizing the INTERN-ational Breakfast and decorating the dining area. Designing the menus and food tags put my visual art skills to work and gave me a great excuse to play around in Canva. Plus, building the menu was a great opportunity for me to get to know the other interns and their cultures.
I also loved the hands-on work of decorating the kitchen. I encountered a few problems at first, such as figuring out the configuration of the streamers and where exactly to tape everything, but with Becky's help, I eventually figured everything out. We ended up creating two confetti-style streamers swirling around the lights. Climbing up and down to hang everything and watching the design come to life brought me immense joy.
My favorite part of the day was watching the Hub members enjoy the breakfast. Seeing the room filled with decorations and food from different cultures sparked a huge sense of pride within me. And seeing everyone bonding and enjoying themselves made all the effort worthwhile!
Becky
I really enjoyed being part of Community Day. I helped prepare and decorate the event space, and it was exciting to see everything come together as people arrived and started enjoying the day.
One of the most meaningful moments for me was introducing kimbap, a Korean food often enjoyed for breakfast or as a simple meal, to others. I was happy to share a small part of my culture and connect with people through food. This experience reminded me that community is not only built through formal events or conversations, but also through small, friendly moments of sharing and curiosity.
Since many things were happening at the same time during Community Day, I also learned how important it is to pay attention to my surroundings, help where needed, and make people feel welcomed. It was a valuable experience that helped me better understand teamwork, communication, and what it means to create a warm community space.
Becky introducing kimbap at the INTERN-ational Breakfast
Sara
I helped with the balloons and decorations as well as cleaning up and setting up for each event. My favorite part of Community Day was seeing it all play out so well. Watching the preparations by the team come into play and watching the members participate and enjoy the planned events was very fulfilling. I was stationed at the Community Booth for a little bit, but during this small time I had great conversations with our members, who were very interactive with the booth's activities and excited to converse about different aspects of DC and the Hub. Being able to see the different members converse and interact with each other was very insightful, and it was nice to see Community Day in action.
Nelson
Community Day kept me busy. I had a great time setting up for the morning sessions, picking up pizza at noon, and manning the Community Booth in the afternoon. I was meeting new people and enjoying different foods all day. Attending the book talk about defusing work situations taught me a lot that I'm sure will help me as I continue in my career, but that enlightening experience is still the runner-up for best experience. My favorite moment was when I was manning the Community Booth, and I got to meet so many great Hubbers. Of course, I also have to say the ice cream was great and was a strong finish to my day, since I sadly couldn't make it to the intern talks.
Nyle and Nelson playing chessNyle and Nelson playing chess
Filip
As part of Community Day, I had the pleasure of organizing a Geopolitical Lightning Talks session followed by a Community Happy Hour sponsored by Ocean Solutions for the Open Gov Hub community. The event brought together fellows and community members for an evening of conversation, learning, and networking. Four CEE Fellows shared short presentations offering unique perspectives from their respective countries and regions: Celio from Mozambique, Shurabbi from India, Tim from Kosovo, and myself from Poland.
Our lightning talks explored a range of topics shaping today's world, including geopolitics, climate policy, democratic processes, and elections. The diversity of backgrounds and experiences created a fascinating discussion, highlighting both regional differences and common global challenges. After the presentations, participants continued the conversations during a relaxed happy hour.
Adam serving his handcrafted Jamaican spiritless cocktail
Tim
Community Day was a blast from start to finish. Between the INTERN-ational Breakfast and the evening Happy Hour, I had the chance to meet so many Hubbers and partners, swapping stories, debating our favorite coffee machine at the Hub, and sharing which event we look forward to most. For me, the highlight was the Geopolitical Lightning Talks, where four of us CEE Fellows got to bring a piece of our home countries into the room. Presenting on Kosovo, its politics, its people, its stubborn resilience, to such an engaged crowd reminded me exactly why this kind of community matters. Community Day wasn't just a celebration of the work being done here; it was a celebration of the connections that make the work possible. It's rare to be in a room full of people all quietly trying to change the world, and rarer still to get to enjoy ice cream with them.
Thank you to our sponsors
Community Day was made possible by Collective Mind, Ice Cream Jubilee, Ocean Solutions, Peace of Mind at Work, and Rooting by Nina. Thank you for supporting our community!
Want to join us for the next one? See what's coming up on our Hub Events page or reach out at info@opengovhub.org.
