The chamber’s Young Professionals Group (YPG) events are not your standard business networking mixers. At networking “happy hours” typically held the second Wednesday of every month, attendees (generally between the ages of 21 and 40) gather to build professional relationships and to take advantage of the great member venues in our communities. The series is sponsored by The Bulfinch Group and The Street in Chestnut Hill.

A 2019 highlight? “The June Networking Crawl at The Street! [at Del Frisco’s, Tender Greens and Davio’s in Chestnut Hill]” says committee member Alysa Melo of Homewood Suites – Needham.“It was a chance not only to sample three different restaurants but also network with different people at each location.” The group has also coordinated trivia nights, wine tastings, outdoor events and other activities.

“As a natural introvert, I have always found networking a bit intimidating,” says Sam Bohmiller of The Bulfinch Group. “The thought of meeting new people, promoting myself personally/professionally, and getting outside my comfort zone is daunting.”

After nearly two years of attending chamber events and six months of being on the YPG committee, Sam says he truly looks forward to NN/YPG events: “The group is friendly, welcoming and strives to make networking a positive experience for everyone, whether it's your first event or 21st event.”

Bohmiller echoes a key goal for the member volunteer committee which works with chamber staff to coordinate YPG programming: to make networking approachable to those just starting out in their careers, and to provide pathways for lasting business connections.

“Networking is about building a professional friendship with people over time and really learning about their business rather than trying to make an instant connection in order to get a quick referral,” says committee member Tim Rodden of Upper Charles Law Group.

In addition to social events, periodically the group will sprinkle in a professional development topic or interactive workshop – like getting a professional headshot, building out your LinkedIn profile or most recently, crafting the perfect elevator pitch.

“The YPG Elevator Pitch event was amazing!” adds Nicole Kelman of Fusion Academy.“I learned so much about how I can communicate what I do professionally in an effective and confident way while interacting and practicing with other professionals.”

The committee is hard at work thinking up fresh ideas for the fall. To make sure you (or your millennial employees) receive notifications of upcoming events sign up for our e-newsletter by going to our homepage and click "Subscribe".