We are delighted your road has led you to ROME…
ROME is a series of invitation only gatherings designed to create intentional in-person connections. We like to have a good time with good people. We consider ourselves people alchemists and we have witnessed the magic that happens offline. ROME is based in NYC and active in LA, and MEXICO CITY. We are launching soon in LONDON, PARIS and other pop-up locations.STORY
ROME was founded in NYC in 2020 as a clandestine effort to create intentional gatherings. In a world driven by digital interactions we arrived to restore your faith in IRL connection. We are magnets for high frequency humans in high frequency places, who happen to be single. We are committed to creating as many opportunities as we possibly can for great humans to meet.
Philosophy
We believe in the power of intentional connection. Our membership program is designed for discerning individuals who value curated social experiences, meaningful relationships, and access to a community of like-minded individuals.
MISSION
Our mission is simple: to shift relationships from the digital realm to genuine, in-person experiences. We understand that attraction is a powerful force so whether you find a romantic spark, forge a new friendship, or strike up a business convo, we are here to support you with our matchmaking expertise. At the end of the day our goal is bringing extraordinary humans together, who might not have had the chance to meet otherwise, and have the combined potential to leave the world better than they found it.
Founder story
About Anna Shimonis: The Accidental Cupid
They call her a "super connector," but that’s like calling a unicorn “a horse with a horn.” Anna has been orchestrating serendipity long before dating apps made swiping a national pastime.
For two decades, Anna has professionally ping-ponged through industries that read like the chapter titles of an unusually fascinating memoir: fashion styling (where she made people look good—five years on Rihanna’s styling team), entertainment PR (where she made people sound good), climate impact (because the planet comes first), and now, brand-building in psychedelic sciences, AI, and longevity (where she makes people feel good… potentially forever).
Along the way, Anna unintentionally became a real-life Cupid. By casually introducing friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, she somehow set eight separate couples on the path to lifelong partnership. Word got out. Soon, people started approaching her—not just for networking, but for love. Could she help them meet their person?
This organic matchmaking streak led her to a role at Raya in 2019, where she had an epiphany: dating apps had turned romance into a human shopping experience. Where was the magic? The mystery? The delightful messiness of real-life connection?
And then, 2020 happened. While the world baked sourdough and built blanket forts, Anna took the pandemic as a personal challenge. If connection was the cure, she’d be the dealer.
Enter ROME (as in “when in ROME...”)
ROME is intentional connection matchmaking. Based around a dinner series with activities and games. This isn’t your mum’s dinner party. No phones. No swiping. Just exceptional singles, delicious food, and actual conversation. The formula is simple: take interesting humans, add libations, subtract screens, and let chemistry do its thing—IRL.
And the results? ROME’s first wedding happened in 2024—a couple who met at the very first gathering tied the knot. That’s a 100% success rate, if you’re into creative math. But even if you don’t leave with a fiancé(e), you leave with something far rarer: genuine connection that doesn’t require a charging cable.