Atlanta’s Best Networking Opportunities

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Creative Mornings

We always run into people we know at this free monthly lecture series for the creative community. Creative Mornings has been around for more than a decade, with chapters in over 200 cities around the world. Fortunately for us, the Atlanta chapter is one of the longest-standing and most active groups. Events are held at unexpected venues; recent hosts have included Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Woodruff Arts Center, and Monday Night Brewing Garage. A free breakfast is always included, and it’s always delicious (we’ve eaten our fair share of Revolution Doughnuts, Callie’s biscuits, and Little Tart pastries at these events). Each month, after some casual networking, a different speaker takes the stage to present an inspirational lecture about their work. 

Switchyards Downtown Club

Switchyards is a coworking space downtown that we’ve fallen head over heels for. Membership is just $50 per month – a steal compared to some of the other coworking spots around town. That price gives members access to bottomless coffee (in their own personalized mug!), a laid-back networking space, and a network of unbelievably cool Atlantans. Their new Inman Park outpost opened just days ago, Westside is opening soon, and more locations are in the works!

Ladies, Wine & Design

Ladies, Wine & Design is another global networking community for creatives. Their goal is to empower women and non-binary creatives through meet-ups, mentoring, and more. The Atlanta chapter hosts intimate “salon” gatherings every other month. Due to the small size and cozy venue choices like City Winery, this group feel more like a dinner with your girlfriends than a networking event. 

Freelancer’s Union

Membership in the Freelancer’s Union is free, and this organization offers a slew of resources for independent workers. Since it began in 1995, Freelancers Union has successfully fought for protections for freelance workers, – including its recent Freelance Isn’t Free campaign, which helped pass laws in New York City giving freelancers unprecedented protection from nonpayment. The Atlanta chapter of this group is unique in that it seems to attract freelancers from all walks of life and a wide variety of age groups, giving conversations lots of dimension and substance. 

Ladies Get Paid

This organization provides the tools, resources, and community to help women negotiate for equal pay and power in the workplace. In Atlanta, their free Ladies Get Coffee meetups are held at General Assembly in Ponce City Market. Virtually, they offer webinars, a podcast, a private Slack group (Slack is a chatting app and it’s one of our favorite work tools!), and more. While a lot of their content is geared toward nine-to-fivers, their tools are valuable for freelancers and entrepreneurs as well.