SLC’s Young Professionals host first speed-friending event
Jan 29, 2019 02:08PM ● By Lindsey Baxter
The speed-friending event is set and ready to begin. (Lindsey Baxter/City Journals)
By Lindsey Baxter | [email protected]
The Young Professionals of Salt Lake City (YPSLC) is a strong community that continues to show support and a heart of service, connect people and help people put roots in Salt Lake City and surrounding cities. Friday, Jan. 4 was a special event held at the Impact Hub in downtown Salt Lake City. The event was one of a kind and the first event the YPSLC has provided for its members and new people looking to meet new friends.
Nchopi Nwokoma, the president for over four years, and Alex Watson, a previous board member, looked for ways to refresh their friends lists. This led to the idea of speed-dating, but for friends. “The diversity of people here is my favorite part of the evening so far,” Nwokoma said.
Scott Jackson, a first-time event goer, said, “Over time my friends have moved away, gotten married and are having families, and I needed an excuse to meet new people without church. I heard about it through Meetup from a couple of friends and I’ve never done anything like this before and was scrolling through the events and saw this and thought it would be a good way to meet people. I am part of the group Young Professionals of Salt Lake City on Meetup.”
Carrie Minerich and Jayme Weber met during the event, which was a first-time event for both of them. “We made connections and even if it was a small amount out of the whole group, that was the whole point,” Minerich said. Both Minerich and Weber said they will be looking for upcoming events by the YPSLC.
“We go out and volunteer in the community,” Nwokoma said. “We really want people who move here to connect them and give back to the community whether it’s by planting a tree or building that roof.”
Nwokoma said YPSLC, which also raises money for nonprofits, wants to attract and retain young professionals to Salt Lake City and Utah, even transplants who “moved here reluctantly for a job.”
“We are going to show you that this is an amazing place to live, we are going to connect you with new friends, we are going to connect you with community leaders so now you have mentors in the community, we are going to connect you with the community at large where you give back and feel connected,” Nwokoma said. “So really just trying to cultivate that spirit of loving where you live, to where if you have friends here, if you feel connected to powerful people and you feel connected to the community in the sense that you have given back, we think you’ll be more likely to stay here.”
If you are interested in getting to know more about the YPSLC, visit their website at www.ypslc.com
