No one "is" an introvert. Some people suffer from social impairment to such a degree that they need professional help, but most introverts are just shy and uncomfortable because they don't easily read social cues and situations. Rather than calling yourself an introvert and reinforcing the behavior, practice conversation and acting "not shy" until it becomes natural.
When I was young my teachers told my parents that I was autistic. My mother, to her credit, refused to medicate me and figured I would grow out of it. Some years later, when I was an awkward shy teen, my grandfather, a psychiatrist, told me that I could try acting "not shy" and I would get better at meeting people and handling social situations. He was right, I tried, and it worked. That short talk in my grandfather's car was the equivalent of thousands of dollars of therapy.
Years later when my younger daughter was about five she was too shy to go trick-or-treating or sell cookies door-to-door. She told me how anxious she was talking to people. I told her to try acting "not shy" -- smile big, look people in the eye, talk a little louder than usual, and listen and acknowledge what people say. She did that, it worked, she sold lots of cookies, and she started making friends and feeling more confident. Today, at 21, she says she still feels shy on the inside but no one else knows that, and she comes across as outgoing and charming.
Socializing and conversation are learned behaviors, and almost everyone can improve. Like any other skill it takes determination and practice. Remember that if you try to meet someone or make a friend or professional connection and you fail you are almost always no worse off than if you didn't try at all.
Put yourself into social situations, often. Introduce yourself, talk a little more confidently than you are used to, look people in the eye, smile. Listen when people talk to you and acknowledge what they said, even if it's just a smile or a nod. If you listen and can add something to what was said, great. Listening with interest will get you most of the way there -- don't feel like you have to respond to everything or say something fascinating. Listen and add to the converation when you have something to say. Eye contact and tone of voice are important; people who mumble and avert their eyes come across as shy or even antisocial, and that makes other people uncomfortable.
Try Toastmasters or some other safe venue to overcome shyness and social anxiety. If you can get comfortable speaking to a group you will feel more confident in casual conversation. I once worked with a professional salesman who told me he used to suffer from crippling shyness. I was surprised to hear that, because he was an Alabama good old boy with a bellowing voice, big smile, and vice-grip handshake. He told me he had overcome his anxiety through Toastmasters and practiced his smile, voice, and handshake until those were second nature. I practiced the same things and stopped calling myself "shy" and "introverted" because I learned I could behave any way I chose.
This is an fairly ignorant post - it's well established that introversion has nothing to do with shyness [0] [1].
One common definition of extroversion vs introversion is that an introvert needs time alone to recharge, whereas an extrovert needs time around people to recharge.
I would suggest doing some reading on the topic to prevent undervaluing a large portion of the population. For example, see [2], or Susan Cain's "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" [3].
Although the original author identified as a "super introvert" the problem he or she is asking about does not seem like introversion, but rather shyness and social anxiety. The author describes going to social gatherings and "like[s] hanging out with people," but has problems carrying on a conversation. I didn't read this as a clinical diagnosis of introversion, but as someone asking for help dealing with specific social situtations. As your own sources point out many people conflate introversion with shyness, and based on what the original author actually described I inferred that shyness and anxiety are the actual issues, whether or not he or she is also truly introverted.
My personal anecdotes, as both an introverted personality and (formerly) shyness/social anxiety sufferer, are not meant as professional therapy. Take my stories and advice for what they are. They are presented as personal anecdotes, not psychology or self-help. Whether I know more about introversion and shyness than the distinguished Huffington Post, Psychology Today, or Bustle is left to the reader, but sites that also promote "One Weird Trick" and celebrity diet advice may not be the best sources for psychology information. Since I grew up around practicing psychiatrists and psychologists in my own family I know that basing a diagnosis on a Jungian dualistic principle is out of step with modern psychology.
Introversion and extroversion are not things people are; they are opposite directions on an arbitrary scale of personality types. Likewise social anxiety is a spectrum of behaviors and maladaptations, not a black spot in the brain you can see on a CAT scan. That's what I meant by no one "is" an introvert. Many people have behaviors that are commonly described as introversion, and also shyness and social anxiety. Those behaviors may overlap in an individual, or they may not. More important than the labels you or someone else attaches to your personality and behavior is understanding that how you perceive yourself, and how you present yourself and react to social situations, are things that most people can change. Some people can do it themselves, others may need professional guidance.
There's not enough information in the original article for me or anyone else to say if the author has an introvert personality, or suffers from shyness and social anxiety, or both. I addressed the actual problem the author described: difficulty meeting people and carrying on conversation.
Since the author specifically asks about networking in the SF Bay Area I will reiterate that listening is the best skill to develop, because he or she will be trying to network with many people who love nothing more than an audience so they can talk about themselves.
When I was young my teachers told my parents that I was autistic. My mother, to her credit, refused to medicate me and figured I would grow out of it. Some years later, when I was an awkward shy teen, my grandfather, a psychiatrist, told me that I could try acting "not shy" and I would get better at meeting people and handling social situations. He was right, I tried, and it worked. That short talk in my grandfather's car was the equivalent of thousands of dollars of therapy.
Years later when my younger daughter was about five she was too shy to go trick-or-treating or sell cookies door-to-door. She told me how anxious she was talking to people. I told her to try acting "not shy" -- smile big, look people in the eye, talk a little louder than usual, and listen and acknowledge what people say. She did that, it worked, she sold lots of cookies, and she started making friends and feeling more confident. Today, at 21, she says she still feels shy on the inside but no one else knows that, and she comes across as outgoing and charming.
Socializing and conversation are learned behaviors, and almost everyone can improve. Like any other skill it takes determination and practice. Remember that if you try to meet someone or make a friend or professional connection and you fail you are almost always no worse off than if you didn't try at all.
Put yourself into social situations, often. Introduce yourself, talk a little more confidently than you are used to, look people in the eye, smile. Listen when people talk to you and acknowledge what they said, even if it's just a smile or a nod. If you listen and can add something to what was said, great. Listening with interest will get you most of the way there -- don't feel like you have to respond to everything or say something fascinating. Listen and add to the converation when you have something to say. Eye contact and tone of voice are important; people who mumble and avert their eyes come across as shy or even antisocial, and that makes other people uncomfortable.
Try Toastmasters or some other safe venue to overcome shyness and social anxiety. If you can get comfortable speaking to a group you will feel more confident in casual conversation. I once worked with a professional salesman who told me he used to suffer from crippling shyness. I was surprised to hear that, because he was an Alabama good old boy with a bellowing voice, big smile, and vice-grip handshake. He told me he had overcome his anxiety through Toastmasters and practiced his smile, voice, and handshake until those were second nature. I practiced the same things and stopped calling myself "shy" and "introverted" because I learned I could behave any way I chose.