Let me hit you with a quick story, friends. I recently went to the dentist for a cleaning and was subsequently referred to an oral surgeon to have my wisdom teeth extracted. After meeting with him and discussing the logistics of the surgery, I realized that essentially all of the questions I had for him were related to insurance and payments. I’m 25 years old and had to ask what deductibles and premiums are.
Though not everybody is in the same boat as me, I’m willing to bet there are plenty others. After all, they didn’t teach much about insurance policies while I pursued my degree in English. But those are exactly the kinds of question Society of Grownups and, its director Nondini Naqui, wants to answer for the people of Greater Boston so that they, we, can truly refer to ourselves as, well, grownups.
Society of Grownups is opening up a brick and mortar space on Beacon Street in Brookline where it’ll operate in a non-traditional classroom setting. Though the launch party is scheduled for October 9, Society of Grownups personnel have been out on the streets trying to help the public and spread awareness, all the while maintaining a rather cryptic mystique. People aren’t really sure what they do, and they’ve afforded passersby the chance to take a look in the keyhole of their new space, offering up a narrow view of what’s to be put, and done, inside.
The gist is this: Society of Grownups is a place where people come with adult questions and take a class that’s really just an open discussion. From insurance, finance and negotiating a salary to planning the perfect vacation, brushing up on what makes for fine wine and why it’s not too early to start thinking about drafting a will.
BostInno spoke with Naqui to find out how Society of Grownups came to be, why she opted to work with the society after stints in finance, the non-profit sector and her own entrepreneurial ventures, and how its goals, more often than not, fall directly in line with those of a younger generation.
“We’re trying to open up conversations,” Naqui said. “The truth is, when it comes to money, that’s somehow when the conversation stops. [Society of Grownups] is based around advocacy for a group of people that I care a lot about.”
Money has seemingly always been a taboo topic but for millennials like myself, those stigmas are increasingly being stripped away. Discussions around student loan debt, apartment rental costs and paychecks are no longer off limits; rather, they’re talking points nearly everyone can relate to.
Naqui joined Society of Grownups after holding a number of bank managerial positions and co-founding a startup incubator in Ethiopia. Her background, coupled with her hopes of making discussions of the monetary variety commonplace to the benefit of those involved, comes to a head at Society of Grownups, which she refers to as “the perfect intersection of all those pieces.”
Under her leadership, Society of Grownups has already come to the aid of Greater Bostonians during one of the more trying times of the year: September move-in. The Society awarded three deserving individuals $2,000 worth of moving services to help them set up shop in a new apartment and has plenty more initiatives up its sleeve.
She’s charged with spearheading the Society’s mission and helping to mold what it’s going to be. From drafting syllabuses to landing headline speakers, Naqui’s daily tasks are to create engaging programming that’ll ultimately benefit the general public.
“I get to work with some of the most talented grownups out there,” she said. “Whether they’re a web developer, planner, etc., we’re all in this together trying to figure out how to navigate this.”
Society of Grownups blazes their own trail and makes it a point to break from the norm. To give you an idea of what I mean, consider that the class about drafting a will is called “In Case of Zombie Apocalypse: Why You Should Think About a Will.”
The people they bring in to lecture aren’t necessarily experts on the financial aspect of the subject matter either. Rather, they’re experts in another field which requires them to familiarize themselves with another disciple. By recruiting them to teach a class, Society of Grownups is able to convey real-world applications for real-world situations.
But that’s not to say Society of Grownups has everything figured out for its curriculum and how they’ll convey their lessons. After plenty of test classes, they’ve determined that they still have a ways to go in outlining best practices for them and their students.
“We’ve done plenty of research but that learning process does not end with the launch,” continued Naqui. “We were able to discover that there are times when you really have to simplify things and make them interesting. But people are having a lot more fun than they probably thought they were going to and they’re excited to come back and find out more.”
The October 9 launch will take place just down the street from the Society of Grownups digs at Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant and will feature comedian, writer, actor, and director Mike Birbiglia who, Naqui told us, is “a perfect fit for our grownups. He’s local, funny, down to earth and most importantly he’s authentic.”
To find out more about what Society of Grownups has to offer, you can check out their list of classes and events at their website here.
Happy learning!
