Play Like a Girl’s Young Professionals Network began as a way to build connections with early career professionals who want to serve and make an impact but haven’t had board experience.
What started as a simple idea at a board retreat several years ago has become the work of a handful of people including our newest Young Professionals Network Co-Chairs, Channing Moreland and Aqiyla Reed.
Since starting this project, however, we’ve unearthed a world of research that points to a very big opportunity: Young professionals are looking for meaningful ways to build their networks while engaging in social good.
So we’ve designed a community that aims to help young professionals in Nashville accomplish just that.
Connect. Do Good. Have Fun!
We’re working with our team of emerging young leaders, STEM professionals and passionate sports enthusiasts to understand how we can build a network uniquely designed to enhance connections while advancing our mission.
We know from first-hand experience that virtual meetups, professional development opportunities, speed networking events and engagements that connect volunteers with the girls we serve can be magical experiences where you really connect with our mission and the people around you.
In order to deliver more of these experiences, we officially launched the new Young Professionals Network last September. Our goal is to help young women and men across Nashville connect and build their networks.
Whether you connect with someone over a shared skill or professional interest, a hobby, volunteer activity or a favorite TV show like The Bachelor or Game of Thrones, we want you to know that our network is the perfect way to meet up, network and make a difference!
We’re confident that the connections you build at Play Like a Girl can strengthen and expand your network – and will help you with your professional goals.
We’re also pretty sure that a lot of the feelings of isolation and disconnectedness being felt in the middle of the pandemic and in the modern workplace can be solved with a supportive network of new friends and colleagues connected by a shared commitment to do good in their community.
We want to strengthen networks and build this kind of social capital!
If you are interested in helping us leverage social networks to deliver on our mission, please consider joining our Young Professionals Network.
We’d love to have you join us!
What’s In It for You?
Our new Young Professionals Network offers various networking opportunities and socializing incentives as part of the program.
One of the methods we are implementing to facilitate social interaction is virtual speed networking – a networking session where young professionals swap conversational partners every 15 minutes with the aim to meet as many people as possible and exchange information to help enhance their careers, address work challenges and develop new skills and connections.
Event Series Format
Young Professionals Network speed networking events will take place over Zoom. Each event will begin with a 15-minute introductory discussion led by a guest speaker(s). Then, networking participants will be broken into groups of approximately 3-5 young professionals who will rotate through breakout rooms in 15-minute increments.
Each breakout will be facilitated by a senior executive who will provide career advice, answer questions and connect young professionals with people in their network who might be able to help them reach specific professional goals.
After three rotations, all event attendees will reconvene in the main meeting room for closing remarks and announcements.
YP Network Steering Committee members will facilitate breakout rotations so that participants can focus on engaging with one another.
We encourage the exchange of contact information, either during or following the events, to facilitate one-on-one networking afterwards.
What should you talk about during speed networking?
15 minutes doesn’t seem like a long time so it is important that you focus on the essentials. Start by introducing yourself then go into more detail. Are you looking for collaborators? Or maybe a new job or a training/education opportunity?
How can you do that in just 15 minutes?
- Prepare a 30-second blurb about yourself
- Stick to the vitals and exchange contact information
- Take notes of important points so that you can go back to them
- Most importantly, have fun and relax!
- Stay aware of the time – a countdown will appear on your screen 3 minutes before it’s time to rotate again
What if you don’t finish your conversation within the allocated time slot?
- Before the time is up, make sure you suggest the next step
- Message your connections directly with a suggested time for a follow-up meeting
- After the meeting, be sure to exchange emails to schedule future check-ins as appropriate
We hope to see you at our first virtual speed networking event on November 17 at 5:30 pm CDT. To register for this and future Young Professionals events, visit iplaylikeagirl.org/events.
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