Business Education
Inviting the boss to dinner, hoping for a gig
By Denzel Massaley
Inside the lounge of BoxGroup’s office, college students mingled with employees from an investment fund during a private dinner organized by Chelsea Commons, a group of 12 college students who are bringing businesses to themselves and their peers — instead of cold-calling, blind-emailing or otherwise waiting to hear back from job recruiters.
The June gathering was the organization’s second networking event, said Sachin Sashti, a Pennsylvania State University student and KPMG intern. One of 12 students, he created Chelsea Commons.
According to Sashti, a summer in New York is a time to grow and explore interests. “I’m trying to really understand what it is that I want to do after college, [and] why it is that I want to do it,” said Sashti
Chelsea Commons was a project Sashti had started working on in January. Now, he was witnessing his work.
As he reflected on the dinner he helped plan, Sashti said, “It honestly feels kind of surreal.”
Sashti founded Chelsea Commons to help local interns build a network. The organization provides an avenue for interns to participate in sponsored professional and social events. For Sashti, Chelsea Commons is a launchpad where young professionals can kickstart the relationships necessary to support their careers.
Networking helps young professionals bridge the employment gap. The people that students meet at Chelsea Commons events could potentially end up being employers, employees, or coworkers.
In 2026, the number of college graduates working in a job that typically does not require a college degree sits at 41.5%. The number of unemployed recent graduates holding a bachelor’s degree or higher across the United States sits at 5.7%.
In describing mistakes young professionals make while developing their careers, investor and entrepreneur Coyne Lloyd explained, “I think the main thing that people get wrong about networking is that they try to just attach themselves to people that they think vaguely can help them.”
Lloyd followed up by adding, “throw away the idea of just trying to connect with people for the sake of connecting with them, but really actually think about connecting with people around your interests.”
When asked why networking matters, Sashti responded that it was important for finding a job.
The Economic Policy Institute identified a three-year decline in hiring as a point of concern for young professionals in the labor market. The number of people hired closely resembles levels seen in 2013 and 2014— a period during the drawn-out recovery from the Great Recession when the unemployment rate was three percentage points higher than it is today.
Disha Karale, an investor at BoxGroup, feels that providing a space for students to network is a way to support their early careers. It’s also a chance for the students to get some insight into what their futures could look like. The relationships are mutually beneficial.
“Maybe some of them start companies, and maybe some of them end up working at our portfolio companies,” said Karale.
In a labor market that has challenges for young professionals — with hiring lags, fewer people leaving their jobs, and degrees not holding the same value in the public eye —Chelsea Commons finds a way to flip the script.
While the future may be uncertain Sashti and his peers are putting in the work to develop their performance, image, and exposure. By leveraging their combined networks and experience, the members of Chelsea Commons are establishing a foundation for their future.