COmmunity Collaborators (Denver)

WELCOME TO Denver COmmunity Collaborators!

Our Primary Goal is that our Meetups provide interactive group learning & practical experiences. Over time we hope to build valued skills together, support your personal goals, and develop connections with fellow members and our broader community!

COmmunity Collaborators is designed for anyone who's felt the following ways - come check us out if this resonates!

1. I enjoy Meetups but I often leave without speaking with everyone - I'd love it if introductions were easier!

🧊⛏️ We would too! That's why we incorporate on-theme icebreakers & official introduction segments into as many of our events as we can, to help us all loosen up and get to know one another.

2. Having more opportunities to connect with other members usually enhances my Meetup experience.

🔗 Right on! Some (not all) Community Collaborators events will feature a Pre-Events or Post-Event as separate Meetups - we like this format for:

1. a. Flexibility: Members can choose to join multiple events to get more out of the experience or they can join single events as standalone Meetups!

   b. More than One-Off Experiences: This approach requires more planning for our team, but we think it's worth the tradeoff since it creates more opportunities to participate, get to know other members, and focus on different takeaways.

   c. Example: For our upcoming Speed Dating events we'll host…

   ○ Pre-Event = Mock Speed Dating: Meet new people, practice speed dating skills, and gain feedback all in a safe and welcoming environment.
   ○ Local Speed Dating Events: Attend actual speed dating events, hopefully feeling more confident and recognizing acquaintances who came to the Mock Speed Dating pre-event.
   ○ Post-Event = Dating Debrief over Brunch: A post-event hang out to connect more and share how speed dating (and beyond) went!

3. I'd sign up for Meetup events that balance both light- and full-hearted social experiences, and that mix group learning/skills-building with low-key practice opportunities!

☯️ RSVPlease do! We consider entertainment and practicality when selecting events, and since we're still new we look forward to adapting to your feedback and interests!

4. It can be hard in our current polarized environment to know when to fully open up, even in welcoming Meetups - I feel like more and more topics are becoming unsafe to discuss.

👐 We feel you on that. We'll be offering formats that are designed to avoid common pitfalls of charged conversations and turn them into exercises in practicing curiosity, finding common ground, and focusing on resolving conflict for win-win outcomes.
We'll also use a mix of moderating and open discussions to "spread the wealth" during conversational Meetups, and our activities are selected to encourage broad participation.

WHAT TYPES OF EVENTS DO YOU PROMOTE?

For our Main Meetups we'll be highlighting local activities and hosting our own Community Collaboration events - some of our topics will include:

• Developing New Relationships
  • Real Talk with New Acquaintances! (ex: Skip the Small Talk)
  • Support Each Other's Dating Lives! (Mock Speed Dating & "Dating Debriefs over Brunch" Events)
• Discussion Formats for Diving Deeper
  • Test out different approaches for managing complex convos and practice communication strategies
  • Book & Media Clubs
• Civics & Journalism
  • Unique discussions and Local events encouraging civic engagement (ex: Denver Press Club)
• "Rec Room"
  • Recreational activities like Archery Dodgeball and our Beginners-Friendly Running Club