Forbes Council: Building Community: Lessons from the Field

Panelists: Deepti Sharma, Ann Shoket, S. Mona Sinha, Laura Mignott, Catherine Connors

Moderator: Paige Williams

Strong communities are not engineered — they are tended. That was the central truth reinforced during a Forbes Business Council conversation moderated by Paige Williams, bringing together community builders across industries to reflect on what truly makes communities strong.

As a panelist alongside Ann Shoket, S. Mona Sinha, Laura Mignott, and Catherine Connors, Deepti Sharma joined the discussion to explore trust, authenticity, shared purpose, and the deeply human practices that sustain meaningful communities. From fighting loneliness and leading with kindness to choosing purpose over scale, the conversation highlighted that trust is not a tactic — it is the foundation.