Hi, I’m Kat Vellos
I help individuals, neighborhoods, companies, and municipalities build healthy social connection.
In January 2020, I published We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships, an actionable guide for adults who want more friends, closer friendships, and a deeper sense of community. Its findings were later corroborated by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's declaration of the U.S. loneliness crisis in 2024, and by the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Connection report released in Summer 2025, which documented the widespread health and social impacts of loneliness and isolation globally.
I work at the intersection of two urgent problems: the global loneliness crisis and the environments that lead to it. My background is in user experience design and community building, which gives me a uniquely human-centered approach to evaluating places and experiences on their ability to deliver real human connection. The design paradigm that’s been used for the last few generations is leaving millions of people feeling lonely and disconnected. It’s up to us to act now to turn that trend around.
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We should get together
The longest longitudinal study done on human thriving — The Harvard Study of Adult Development — found that the most important factor in our health, happiness, and longevity is the quality of our relationships.
I speak to businesses, civic leaders, architects, landscape architects, urban planners, designers, public health professionals, technologists, philanthropists, trade associations, and educators about what it actually takes to design experiences and places that deliver human connection. My work is applicable whether you're designing a building, a neighborhood, a product, a campus, a company culture, a retreat, or the regulations and policies governing these spaces.
I'd love to bring my expertise to your conference, organization, university, or team to inform, inspire, and upskill your people. My talks are research-grounded, warm, and designed to leave audiences with actionable steps and the motivation to follow through on them.
Check out my recent press appearances
To work with me 1-on-1, hop over here.
New book coming soon
My first book helped you make and keep strong friendships. The next one will help you build a hyperlocal village community. Subscribe to get my Tuesday newsletter and book updates.