Today we’d like to introduce you to Esther Deutsch.
Hi Esther, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story starts in a tiny town in Pennsylvania, where I grew up in poverty with six siblings, a brother who literally slept in a closet, and a childhood shaped by food stamps, instability, and constant bullying. Those early years forced me to develop resilience fast – and they also gave me a deep well of empathy for people’s struggles and the stories they carry.
At 16, I moved to New York City alone to finish high school, determined to create a different life. The city became my reset button. I threw myself into volunteering – anywhere and everywhere – because suddenly I had access to opportunities I never knew existed. I connected with anyone I could, built community from scratch, and at 18, I unexpectedly found myself running events and programs for hundreds of young professionals under my first 501(c)3, including a nonprofit initiative bringing joy to homebound individuals across NYC. All while living in my first tiny basement apartment and supporting myself fully.
At 19, I lost most of my hair to alopecia. By 20, I had gone almost completely bald. That chapter taught me vulnerability, self‑acceptance, and what it means to rebuild yourself on the inside when the outside changes overnight.
I earned my BS in Business because I dreamed of making it in corporate NYC. I tried everything- two law firms (quickly learned the “suits” life wasn’t for me), a private equity company, and eventually… Craigslist. A random Craigslist ad led me into IT and procurement while I was in grad school for social work. They offered more money than my current role, so I said yes. That yes changed my entire trajectory.
Fast forward 10+ years, and that twist of fate became the foundation of my tech career – and later, Sunset Connect, my networking and community-building venture in Miami, and now my current role as a senior enterprise manager at Visa. Along the way, I discovered a genuine love for public speaking, storytelling, and helping people build confidence in their own voice. One of my big goals now is to give a TED Talk and use my journey to inspire others who are rebuilding their lives from hard beginnings.
Every chapter – from poverty to NYC at 16 to losing my hair to rebuilding my career from scratch – taught me resilience, empathy, and the belief that connection can change someone’s entire path. Those lessons fuel everything I do today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. My journey has been shaped by challenges that forced me to grow up quickly and rebuild myself more than once.
I grew up in a very religious, sheltered household in a small town in Pennsylvania. We lived in poverty, relied on food stamps, and my siblings and I often shared incredibly tight spaces – my brother even slept in a closet. The bullying I experienced was so relentless that I dropped out of school in the middle of 8th grade. I never graduated middle school. Those early experiences left deep marks but also sparked a lifelong commitment to empathy, understanding, and advocating for people who feel unseen.
When I moved to NYC alone at 16 to restart high school, the transition was both hopeful and difficult. I lived with my grandmother for the first year and a half, and it was one of the warmest, most meaningful periods of my life. But everything changed when I realized she was developing Alzheimer’s. I was the one who had to alert the family, and shortly after, I had to move out and begin fully supporting myself. Being a teenager navigating New York City with no roadmap, no safety net, and very few life skills was overwhelming. College wasn’t a given for me – I had to make it happen through sheer determination.
Financial independence from 18 onward meant working constantly, figuring out how to survive in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and teaching myself how to build friendships, advocate for myself, and create stability from nothing.
One of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through was losing my hair to alopecia. Between ages 19 and 21, I lost almost everything. It shattered my confidence and forced a very raw journey of rebuilding my identity. In the same years, I was dealing with PCOS and endometriosis – conditions that have shaped my energy, my physical capacity, and my relationship with my own body. In many ways, the life I live now – full career, community-building, public speaking – is me slowing down compared to the intensity of what I used to push through.
During grad school for social work, I faced another layer of challenge and growth. I found my own internship on Google -literally cold‑searched until something felt right – and convinced my school to approve it. The role became a hybrid of backing our work in renewal schools with science‑based research and data while also helping bring social‑emotional learning (SEL) into NYC schools. Part of my week was deeply analytical and research-driven; the other part was intensely human. I led therapeutic sessions for middle school students, many of whom were navigating homelessness, involvement with the correctional system, unstable families, and trauma that no child should ever face. It was one of the hardest, most emotionally demanding chapters of my life – but also one of the most rewarding. It reinforced everything I believe about resilience, compassion, and the power of showing up consistently for others.
Every struggle – poverty, bullying, leaving home young, supporting myself, health battles – taught me resilience, compassion, and emotional intelligence. I had to unlearn survival mode and build an entirely new life from scratch. Those lessons shape everything I do today, from how I lead and build community to how I show up for others who are fighting battles no one sees.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Sunset Connect is a community-first networking experience designed to help people build real relationships – not just collect business cards. We bring together founders, professionals, creatives, and innovators across Miami who crave depth, authenticity, and meaningful connection. What started as a small idea has now grown into one of the city’s most recognizable community-building brands.
How it began:
Sunset Connect was born from a virtual weekly support group I started during COVID called the *In This Together Roundtable*. (www.inthistogetherroundtable.com) During a time of fear, uncertainty, and isolation, I wanted to create a space where people could process, connect, and support one another. That group is still active today and continues to help people, even though I’m less involved now due to time constraints. It became the seed for what Sunset Connect is today – a reminder that community and connection matter most when life feels unpredictable.
The brand also grew out of my lifelong history of running events – everything from nonprofit programming to young‑professional gatherings to corporate events at my previous tech job. Event planning is deeply in my DNA. But Sunset Connect is the first time I’ve built a community and event series *for my own business and my own vision*, not someone else’s- and that makes it incredibly meaningful.
What we do:
Sunset Connect hosts curated networking events and community gatherings designed to spark genuine conversations, collaboration, and human connection. Our events are intentionally structured – no awkward small talk, no transactional energy, and no business-card exchanges as a personality.” Instead, we focus on creating experiences where people feel welcomed, supported, and fully themselves.
What we specialize in/ what we’re known for:
• Highly curated, warm, inclusive networking environments
• Interactive but loose structures that make connection feel effortless
• A consistent culture of kindness, authenticity, and generosity
• Attracting professionals who genuinely want to connect – no ego, no clout-chasing
• Events that leave people feeling uplifted, inspired, and part of something meaningful
People often tell me, “This feels different,” and that’s exactly what we aim for.
What sets Sunset Connect apart:
Most networking spaces prioritize quantity. We prioritize quality.
Most communities celebrate status. We celebrate character.
Most events feel transactional. Ours feel transformational.
Because of my personal journey – growing up with very little, rebuilding my life multiple times, and knowing how powerful a single connection can be – this work is deeply personal. Sunset Connect is built on empathy, belonging, and the belief that connections should feel human first, professional second.
What I’m most proud of:
I’m proud of the culture we’ve built warm, inclusive, welcoming, and deeply human. People come to Sunset Connect as strangers and often leave with collaborators, friends, and new opportunities. That sense of belonging is the heart of the brand.
What I want readers to know:
Sunset Connect is more than an event series – it’s a movement.
We’re creating a Miami where people collaborate generously, support one another, and build opportunities through real connection – not competition.
Our offerings include:
• Quarterly connection-based networking events
• Curated community gatherings
• Partnerships with mission-aligned brands and organizations
• A growing network of leaders, creators, and professionals who want to grow through community
At the end of the day, Sunset Connect exists for one purpose: to help people find their people. And in a world where connection has never felt more needed, that mission matters more than ever.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that people are at the heart of every successful venture. Human capital is the most valuable capital there is. You can have strategy, funding, talent, ideas – but without people who feel seen, supported, and connected, nothing truly thrives. My entire journey- from growing up with very little to building community-driven spaces today- has taught me that relationships are the real currency of life and business.
The second lesson is just as important: opportunities and talent are useless unless you use them for good. Having gifts, connections, or success means very little if it’s only serving you. Our purpose is fulfilled when we lift others, create impact, and use what we’ve been given to make life better for the people around us. The more I’ve leaned into that philosophy, the more aligned and meaningful my work has become.
Together, these lessons guide everything I do: people first, purpose always.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.estherdeutsch.com
- Instagram: @esther_deutsch, @alopeciaangel @sunsetconnectco @Jcajustclowningaround
- Facebook: https://Www.Facebook.com/esther.deutsch.37
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12423066
- Other: www.sunsetconnectco.com and www.inthistogetherroundtable.com
