On Call Café

Post-COVID, rates of loneliness were at an all-time high, several campus traditions had been lost, and most communal gathering spaces closed by 10pm. Students were more isolated than ever. Stanford social life has always been driven by students, for students. We felt that we lacked a central place to connect, meet new friends and build community.

I joined On Call back in 2023 as a freshman. I started as a graphic designer when On Call was still an idea on post-it notes, and worked my way into creatively directing the entire operation for 3 whole years before passing on leadership.

Before leaving, as Senior Creative Captain, I led a team of 9 creatives to produce all of On Call's digital and physical creative assets. I oversaw our Instagram, directed product photoshoots, redesigned our space (stalked FB marketplace), and helped better design the On Call experience. Weekly, I reported to the broader executive team on behalf of creative, coordinating with 5 other executive teams about our website, Figma resources, and our various Notion pipelines.

On top of creative leadership, I worked closely with the executive teams to reform many of each team's processes: operational organization, and a system for meeting notes that we've all since adopted to keep track of everything. Most importantly, I set an example of leadership and execution within my own team. By consistently shipping deliverables on a weekly basis, other teams adopted the way we break apart our meetings (an icebreaker, an agenda, individual updates and questions, a round of "can I help you with anything?", and opening up the floor to hear everyone's ideas), always followed by a recap email sent after the meeting.

This was the initial space we were given: sterile, un-inviting, and usually empty. It was the spot people would eat their TAP at if TAP were full. We kept asking ourselves: how do we transform this into a space people actually want to be in? A third space, which we referred to as our north star: a place between the library and our dorms that felt social, where you could study, and where you could simply exist, and enjoy existing, too.

The transformed space features over 100 student art pieces and thrifted furniture and lighting - transforming the space completely. We built On Call from scratch, using Facebook Marketplace.

Love On Call - our first official pop-up in our permanent space. We successfully launched to a crowd of 2,000 students our first night. Since then, the On Call Café team has served over 88% of Stanford's campus, employing over 70 students, and open M–TH, 7:30PM–12AM.

Introducing On Call Brews - a drink-only prototype. Every Monday and Wednesday during winter quarter, On Call "Brews" served hot drinks, music, and good vibes. This was us testing format, pace, and demand before we committed to the full operation. All photos shot by me.

Meet On Call's '24–'25 cohort of new hires, a process I was heavily involved in. As founding leadership transitions, we're in a new generation of On Call, continuing this legacy for students, by the students.

On opening night of On Call Year Two we had Stanford's President Levin visit On Call and see what it's like to work behind a shift.

We had a mural done to solidify our permanence in our space.

Then came one of On Call's most exciting collaborations I spearheaded: Rocky's Matcha × On Call. Rocky Xu, founder of Rocky's Matcha, came up to Stanford to give a talk about starting his business from the ground up, and what it's like to be a differentiating brand in a saturated industry. In the future, I hope On Call invites more founders to speak about their journeys for us, and the Stanford community to learn more about!

After looking up to - and being mentored by Lucy, I've consistently learned what it means to be a better leader. Be intentional when you speak; present yourself with clarity, even if things aren't; first think big, constraints next, you'll always figure out a way to do it. Because of you, I've learned to be comfortable in my own voice; to not just be a creative, but to be a leader, a team player, and a mentor in the same way you were to me.

Since stepping up into senior leadership, I've been extremely interested in learning how the other executive captains lead. While I've been told the creative team works like a "well-oiled machine", I am constantly thinking of better ways to support my team, to make our momentum sustainable. We're full-time students after all.

On Call was one of the most meaningful things I've built, and handing it off was bittersweet. Alongside my talented team and Jr. Captain Christine, we expanded into the entirety of Old Union's 1st floor, upheld our brand digitally, and curated our space physically. I deeply cared about this project, and my only hope is that that came through in everything I did. Now that I've passed on leadership, I'm fully confident in this team's ability to lead and push On Call into its third year of existence, not just as a startup, but as an institutionalized space, here to stay.