The Match Up: New Faces, Fresh Perspectives and 15 Connections
Speed dating for entrepreneurs, creatives and small business owners — just without the dating part.
On October 14, we hosted the first edition of The Matchup at Mola Cafe in Toronto, bringing together 22 business owners, creatives and builders for an evening of meeting someone new.
Each guest had 15 one-on-one matches, followed by time to keep conversations going over food and drinks. For everyone in the room, it was their first time trying something like this. The energy made it clear we were onto something.
Different industries, shared mindset
One of our biggest takeaways? Connecting with people outside your industry can be just as valuable as meeting people within it.
Someone with a different business, background or creative practice can offer a fresh perspective on a decision you’ve been sitting with. You might approach your work differently, but there’s common ground in the experience of building something: taking risks, figuring things out and deciding what comes next.
That shared mindset gave people plenty to talk about. So did cooking, tennis and travel.
More than a business connection
The Matchup was designed to help people meet potential collaborators, clients and creative partners, but it was also about making friends with people who understand the experience of working for yourself.
Some conversations centred on business. Others started with a shared passion and grew from there. Both were exactly what we hoped for.
The feedback from our first evening was overwhelmingly positive, with guests leaving having met people they might never have crossed paths with otherwise.
Thank you to everyone who came out and made the first Match Up such a success. We’re looking forward to bringing it back in the new year, with January on our radar.
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