Feeling lonely? Perhaps you’d like to talk to some strangers

Five years and 1,000 “teatimes” later, Mr. Shah, now 27, has turned that personal project into an international movement called Tea With Strangers. It now has hosts in 15 cities to do exactly what Mr. Shah did: invite five strangers to chat for about two hours over tea.

Users can find local teatimes online and sign up for one of five slots. Then, hosts email those users with an introduction, location details and an emphatic ask not to flake. What they’re never asked, though, is to pay — as Mr. Shah firmly believes money shouldn’t stand in the way of social connection.

To sustain that model, Mr. Shah has recruited 450 volunteer hosts who are vetted for “thoughtfulness.” They are not trained to be mental health counselors and might not know how to handle someone who needs intense emotional support. But they are trained to deal with “difficult people” — those who are rude or cynical — and to be “great conversationalists.”