Networking is a process that entrepreneurs and business professionals use almost daily to help grow their careers, businesses, and reputations. As our nation continues in this form of networking to grow ourselves, it seems that our nation has also grown more isolated and more stressed. The missing component: connection. Renowned author and poet, Leslé Honoré, challenges us to think of the many opportunities we may have missed because we chose to network rather than connect. Leslé Honoré is a Blaxican Poet, artivist, and author of Fist & Fire, a collection of powerful, unflinching poems that confront issues of social justice through the lens of real human lives and voices, and dive into the flames of love within the context of a relationship. In her poetry and life she works to empower youth to find their voices through the arts, and inspire people to stand in the gaps that social, economic, and racial inequities create. Leslé challenges readers, inviting them to think, feel, and consider how to create spaces where everyone can thrive. She hopes that through her work she can help give voices to people who are often silenced, unheard, and feel invisible. Her pieces about Serena Williams and Doria Roberts went viral on social media and expanded the reach of her work to an international audience. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx