The atmosphere was cocktail party-ish at the Capital One 360 Cafe bank branch at 799 Boylston on Tuesday night;  you had to listen closely to realize that rather than idle chatter, the conversations revolved around practical career and money advice.  As part of their “Money, Careers, and You” program, Capital One invited the community in to meet with an impressive line-up of local and national experts in personal finance, career development, and living as a millennial for a night “Speed Dating with a twist”:  rather than timed meetings with potential date prospects, people sat in on educational 1-on-1 sessions with the experts.

Former CNBC anchor and “Rich Bitch” author Nicole Lapin headlined the panel of advice givers, something she genuinely enjoys doing. “I Love making financial education fun and accessible to hardworking, busy people.”, said Lapin.  “There are lots of parallels between relationships and money so gaining knowledge in a speed dating/networking environment is an entertaining & effective way to get the message out!”

Additional advice & tools were provided to attendees by photographer Damian Strohmeyer (free professional headshots), Action for Boston Community Development’s  Angelina Camache (credit score improvement strategies), Northeastern University’s  Ellen Zold Goldman & Diane Ciarletta (navigating the public domain & linkedin advice), and Tiffany Probasco – @BostonFab on twitter – with networking and ice-breaking tips.

Attendees enjoyed a delicious array of passed appetizers and selections from an open bar during the sessions, which got quite lively at times.  As guest Janice Wilbone put it,  “I was really surprised by how much use-able information we came away with….oh, and the food was great!”

Learn more about the Capital One 360 cafe HERE