About
What is Big Talk?
Skip the small talk, and make more meaningful connections.
Big Talk is a communication movement dedicated to fighting loneliness and building empathy through meaningful conversation. Founded by Kalina Silverman in 2014, Big Talk helps people move beyond small talk and engage in authentic discussions about life’s biggest questions—love, purpose, resilience, identity, loss, hope, and what it means to be human.
From viral street interviews to workshops, classrooms, workplaces, and community gatherings around the world, Big Talk demonstrates that a single meaningful conversation can transform relationships, challenge assumptions, and remind us that we are far less alone than we think.
Why make Big Talk?
We are more connected than ever through technology, yet many people feel increasingly lonely and disconnected from those around them. Big Talk was created to help bridge that gap through meaningful conversation.
By using powerful questions and intentional listening, Big Talk helps strangers, friends, families, students, and coworkers connect on a deeper level. These conversations reveal the stories and experiences that unite us, fostering empathy, strengthening relationships, and building a greater sense of belonging.
Whether at work, home, school, or in our communities, learning to make Big Talk helps combat loneliness and reminds us that meaningful human connection is one of our most fundamental needs.
Big Talk’s Purpose
Big Talk is a global movement dedicated to combating loneliness, building community, and fostering empathy through meaningful conversation. Through video series, question games, a book, educational programs, workshops, and events, Big Talk encourages people to share their stories, listen with curiosity, and connect on a deeper level.
By creating opportunities for authentic conversations across backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences, Big Talk helps people discover common humanity, strengthen relationships, and cultivate a greater sense of belonging. Ultimately, Big Talk’s purpose is to bring people closer together and to their humanity, creating a more connected, compassionate world—one meaningful conversation at a time.
History
Big Talk began as one woman’s quest to skip the small talk and make more meaningful connections with the people we see every day.
In 2014, Kalina Silverman created Big Talk as a social experiment to combat loneliness and disconnection. Instead of making small talk with strangers, she asked deeper questions such as, “What are you proud of in life?” and “What do you want to do before you die?” The responses were unexpectedly profound, revealing the power of meaningful conversation to create connection, empathy, and compassionate understanding.
After the videos went viral, people around the world began sharing stories of how Big Talk inspired them to reconnect with loved ones, form new friendships, navigate grief, find hope during difficult times, and have conversations that changed their lives. What began as a simple experiment quickly grew into a global movement dedicated to fostering human connection through authentic conversation.
Today, Big Talk reaches millions through viral videos viewed hundreds of millions of times, a TEDx talk viewed nearly 7 million times, workshops, educational programs, question games, events, and a new book.
Beyond sparking meaningful conversations, the platform has generated real-world impact, including helping raise millions of dollars for disaster relief and community recovery efforts. Big Talk has been featured by major media outlets and used in schools, workplaces, prisons, community organizations, and government programs worldwide. From improving workplace culture to bridging divides across cultures and backgrounds, Big Talk continues to help people connect more openly, listen more deeply, and discover the humanity they share.
Meet the Founder
Kalina Silverman
Creator of Big Talk
Kalina created Big Talk / @makebigtalk and is the author of “Big Talk: How to Skip Small Talk, Make Meaningful Connections, and Enrich Your Life.” She travels globally to create videos, deliver workshops and lectures, and help teach people how to “make Big Talk” in various environments and cultures. Kalina received her degree in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University and spent a year working as a Fulbright Research Scholar in Singapore studying ways to use Big Talk to establish empathy across cultures. She is now a U.S. Fulbright Ambassador.
Skip the small talk:
What do you want to do before you die?
Before I die, I want to build an eco resort that rescues animals and employs people in need, whether refugees fleeing conflict zones, veterans, or vulnerable populations, and provides engaging cultural and educational opportunities for visitors. I also hope to raise a family, paint a mural, and compose music!
It's your turn to
© 2025 Big Talk. All Rights Reserved.