Building Connections and Fostering Growth: Highlights from the First YPN Charlotte Chapter Meetup
The YPN Charlotte Regional Chapter marked a significant milestone with its first in-person event on December 4, 2023.
This chapter meets twice a year, fostering connections among professionals and aspiring individuals in the GIS space. Embracing the community of Esri Young Professional Network (YPN) has been instrumental in expanding my own professional network, leading to invaluable connections that have enhanced my career journey.
I'm Daniel Williams, a YPN Ambassador based in the Charlotte office, and I played a key role in organizing the inaugural YPN Charlotte chapter event.
This exciting event took place at a local taproom in the vibrant Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte, bringing together students and GIS professionals for an evening of networking and friendly trivia competition. As the host of the trivia session, I had the pleasure of witnessing firsthand the enthusiastic networking among the teams as they worked together to solve the trivia questions.
Attendees at the YPN Charlotte chapter meetup were a diverse group of GIS professionals at various career stages. In order to foster networking and facilitate connections, each attendee was provided with a numbered name tag. These numbers corresponded to the trivia groups they were assigned to, making it easier to remember their teammates' names. By randomly assigning attendees to teams, we successfully transformed strangers into colleagues by the end of the event. It was heartening to witness multiple individuals connecting on LinkedIn after the trivia session, further solidifying the bonds formed during the meetup.
This accomplishment would not have come to fruition without the invaluable contributions of @Logan_Stevens from the YPN Advisory Board and my YPN ambassador colleague, @MoeAbdullah.
Their pivotal roles in planning and executing this trivia event were truly indispensable. Being part of the inaugural event has been an enriching experience for me, and I take great pride in having played a role in its success. The execution of this event was made possible by the dedication and hard work of my colleagues, and for that, I am immensely grateful.
What's Next for the YPN Charlotte Chapter
The YPN Charlotte chapter’s next event is on April 24, 2024 and will be a "lunch and learn" that includes demos and hands-on activities. Our mission is to make the YPN Charlotte chapter a resource and network in our local GIS community. Join the YPN Charlotte chapter to get notified of upcoming in-person events.
Esri YPN has regional chapters across the US: Redlands, CA; San Antonio, TX; St. Louis, MO; Denver, CO; Philadelphia, PA; and Washington D.C.
We hope to see you at the next chapter meeting!