The event on Thursday 16 April brought together alumni of all ages to relive the joys, friendships, and formative experiences of our time at Christ Church.

The evening, hosted by Duncan Williams (1992, History), began with an inspiring talk by David Silverglide (2003, Business Administration) about his journey into entrepreneurship, which was a particular source of inspiration for the founders in attendance, myself included. Like many others at the dinner, I was drawn to San Francisco by the world of Silicon Valley startups. After finishing my DPhil and a brief stint in law school, I moved back to California to run a legal tech startup with fellow Christ Church alumnus Lucas Hofer (2019, Physics). Our company, Jure, is working to model the decision-making of US judges in order to better understand and predict the outcomes of legal cases.

As we have grown the company, we have been incredibly grateful for the generous guidance and mentorship we have received from so many Christ Church alumni. Lucas and I first met during the first year of our DPhils, so it feels especially fitting that Christ Church continues to play such an important role in our company’s story today.

After David’s speech, conversation continued over dinner, where we shared our favourite stories from our time at ChCh and reflected on the many ways Oxford has shaped our paths since leaving. The evening was a wonderful chance to catch up with old friends, reconnect with alumni we had met previously in the Bay Area, and meet new friends whose paths we will almost certainly cross again.

The dinner was a testament to how fondly we all look back on our time at the House, and to the strength of the Christ Church community far beyond Oxford. I look forward to seeing the San Francisco alumni community continue to flourish and grow.