'DINNER WITH STRANGERS' AT NADOZ CAFE LEADS TO INSPIRING ACT OF KINDNESS

In May 2007, students in Adjunct Professor Ron Rubin's 'Selected Topics in Entrepreneurship' course at Saint Louis University read the book, The First Thirty by Jillip Naysinthe Paxson.

The First Thirty is based on the true story of educator, artist and philanthropist Greg Forbes Siegman, his efforts to team up with the food and beverage industry to bring people of different backgrounds together.

In addition to having students read The First Thirty, Rubin (who also serves as Chairman aka 'Minister of Tea' for The Republic of Tea), sponsored a surprise visit by Siegman to guest lecture his course on the final day of class in May 2007.

The night before the event, Siegman hosted a dinner for complete strangers at Nadoz Cafe, located in the Grand Lobby of the former Coronado Hotel. Steven Becker, Alexa Goins and their team at Nadoz Cafe put together a special prepared menu just for the occasion - featuring items like Mediterranean Panini, Coronado Chicken Caesar Salad and Chocolate Eclairs.

The attendees included students and adults from the corporate, nonprofit and education sectors of St. Louis.

These dinners have become something of a tradition on Siegman's book signing trips. He has co-hosted similar dinners in New York and California -- calling them "Dinners with Friends, except nobody knows each other."

Rubin, his wife Pam, and Leonard Johnson (Harris-Stowe State University Student Government Association President) were among the twenty people who attended the dinner at Nadoz Cafe.

A few days earlier, the Student Government Associations at Harris-Stowe and Saint Louis University announced plans to partner in raising $10,000 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Project in Washington, D.C.

The Rubin's were so impressed by Johnson's efforts after learning about them during the dinner that they have decided to make an unsolicited $1,000 donation.

Johnson said, "This [donation] was so unexpected...I want to thank Greg again for inviting me to [come to] dinner...and the Rubin's for the support...[it just shows] when you place a group of productive people in the same room on any given day, the end product will be achievement..."

Siegman said, "It was very gratifying to hear about Ron and Pam's support for Leonard's efforts to support the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Project in Washington DC. To me, the legacy of Dr. King is about getting beyond who and what you already know, and being open to meeting people of other ages, cultures and backgrounds, and then seeing all the great things that happen when those dots are connected. Ron and Pam's donation for the Memorial in honor of the new friend they met at the Nadoz Cafe dinner is a great example of that."

The First Thirty is available at Borders in Brentwood, Sunset Hills, and Creve Coeur