On this week's episode of After the Jump, Grace Bonney is discussing the importance of real-life connections among the online community with two special guests. Morgan Evans is the community strategist for Etsy, and she's in the studio talking about some of Etsy's initiatives to get craft-makers together in their neighborhoods, collaborating, and building businesses. Joining Grace and Morgan over the phone is Rena Tom of Makeshift Society, an upstart company that aims to bring together creative professionals of all types. Tune in to this episode to hear about the Etsy Craft Party, why creative types in big cities are often isolated from their peers, and how meetups can foster the growth of independent and small businesses. This episode has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

"When you're in a smaller town you bump into like minded people more often. The choices are endless in a city - people go into their own micro groups...it's easy to silo your self away and not run into new people."

-- Rena Tom on After the Jump

"We've been experimenting with lots of ways to create the perfect event model and empower people to get together in their neighborhood. On August 24th we are celebrating Etsy Craft Party, a global event happening on a local scale. [http://www.etsy.com/craftparty2012 for more information.]"

"As things get bigger and bigger, wanting to get back in touch with singularity and one-to-one connections will become more necessary to us."

-- Morgan Evans on After the Jump

Hear from Grace Bonney's mentor and friend, Rena Tom, on this week's installment of After the Jump. Rena is a California native who has been involved in everything from consulting, to jewelry design, to founding the collaboration-minded Makeshift Society. Tune into this episode to hear Rena talk about her upbringing, and how her family pushed her to start her own business. Learn about Rena's time in Park Slope, and her experiences owning the jewelry design store, Rare Device. How do small businesses and creative circles differ in San Francisco and Brooklyn? Also in the studio is architect Bryan Boyer. Listen in to hear Rena and Bryan talk about her newest venture, Makeshift Society, and how it has grown and expanded to the East Coast. This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market.

"It's been a lot of fun dreaming and trying to bring the vision of Makeshift to more people." [18:10]

-- Rena Tom on After the Jump

This week Hot Grease gets saucy with Brooklyn's own Saucy By Nature. Co-owner Pzermek Adolf joins Nicole Taylor in studio to talk about his international influences in his delicious artisnal sauces and dips. Tune later for Monica Luczak and The Hot 5: Gift Edition to find the perfect present for the food lover you know. This episode is sponsored by Whole Foods Market.