Cowritten by Erich Wuhrman, Maria Purvis, and Laurie Lapp
Are you interested in expanding your network in Traverse City? Small towns have a reputation for being difficult places to meet people, but in a previous article, our panel of Traverse City newcomers advised community involvement as one way to make valuable new connections.
For more on this, we tapped into the expertise of Erich Wuhrman, Head of Talent Acquisition at 20Fathoms; Maria Purvis, Engagement Manager at 20Fathoms; and Laurie Lapp, Director of Business Development at AXIOS HR. Continue reading for their recommendations for networking in Traverse City.
Note: Many of these networking opportunities may currently be paused or modified due to the pandemic. For the latest updates, subscribe to the organizations’ e-newsletters and follow on social media.
Leadership Lunch Club
This organization provides busy business owners, leaders, and professionals an opportunity to learn new leadership and business practices with minimal time and investment.
“This was one of the first networking events I attended after joining 20Fathoms and I found it to be a valuable opportunity to meet a lot of local leaders in a short amount of time. It was clearly the place to be and I felt a very warm welcome right out of the gate.”
– Erich
Northern Michigan Angels
Through this membership organization, angel investors learn about startup companies and provide accredited investment capital. Members are successful entrepreneurs and business leaders with an impressive range of expertise.
TCNewTech
TCNewTech fosters a culture of innovation, economic growth, and new tech opportunities in the region. Their monthly pitch events are popular networking events for tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders in the local startup scene.
“This monthly event is a remarkable way to meet tech-, investment-, and community-minded people. Pre-COVID, I enjoyed attending these events and always met a ton of great people. Even during COVID they did a remarkable job with their virtual events and were able to create networking and collaboration online.”
– Erich
Traverse City Telecommuting Social Meetup
TC Telecommuters is a group of people from a wide range of professions who work remotely in the Traverse City area and meet up for happy hours.
Traverse Connect and Traverse City Young Professionals
Traverse Connect is the lead economic development organization of the region. They host a wide variety of networking events for leaders in business, politics, and the community.
“As a boomerang with few professional connections in the area, Traverse Connect events are a great way to meet a wide swath of local businesspeople. The Pinot and Politics event is an amazing way to connect with locals running for public office and to get to know them on a level that is rare in modern politics. I felt very welcome and like living in a small town presented an opportunity to actually make an impact.”
– Maria
Notably, Traverse City Young Professionals is a Traverse Connect program for networking, community engagement, and professional development. They host a monthly Morning Brew events featuring local professionals, an annual leadership summit, and numerous social activities.
Women in Tech
Women in Tech is a northern Michigan social group for anyone who identifies as a woman and is working in or interested in the tech industry or tech-related roles. The group typically meets monthly and promotes building local connections, professional growth, and supporting women entering and advancing in the industry. Email womenintech@workwithloop.com for more information and an invite to their Slack community.
Professional Organizations
You can also find a number of industry-specifical professional organizations in Traverse City which offer opportunities to make valuable connections and form new business relationships. These include:
- Cybersecurity: tccyber
- Human Resources: Traverse Area Human Resource Association (TAHRA)
- Information Security: Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)
- Insurance: Bay Area Insurance Agents Association
- Legal: Grand Traverse Leelanau (GTLA) Antrim Bar Association
- Manufacturing: Grand Traverse Manufacturing Council (GTMC)
- Real Estate: Women’s Council of Realtors
- Software development: tccodes
- General business: BNI and Cherry Capital Toastmasters
“For new-to-the-area professionals who would benefit from referrals, joining the BNI group is a great way to make that happen.”
– Maria
Community, Social, and Hobby Organizations
Another great opportunity to meet people is by getting involved with a community organization based on your interests. Traverse City has a lot of options worth exploring.
- Get outside with the Cherry Capital Cycling Club, Grand Traverse Hiking Club, Traverse Area Community Rowing, Traverse Area Paddle Club, Traverse City Track Club, or the Vasa Ski Club
- Give back with Impact100 or find a volunteer opportunity through United Way of Northwest Michigan
- Explore a new sport at the Traverse City Fencing Club, Traverse City Ultimate Frisbee Club, or the Traverse City Curling Club
- Support conservation with Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and Trout Unlimited
- Take a class on anything from ceramics to marine navigation through Northwest Michigan College’s Lifelong Learning program
- Join a service club with Rotary, Kiwanis, or Zonta
20Fathoms
We often hear from 20Fathoms members that the people they’ve met through our programs is one of the biggest benefits of getting involved. This is a community of tech and startup professionals doing big and interesting things, where interactions here can lead to new opportunities, jobs, and investments.
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For more information about living, working, and playing in Traverse City, visit Discover Traverse City (20Fathoms), Michigan’s Creative Coast, Downtown Traverse City, or Traverse City Tourism.
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