A community is composed of people having a particular characteristic, or, in this discussion, a passion in common.
Today, more communities are getting stronger for their causes as the individuals in our society are becoming more driven to act on their passions with the hopes of creating an impact. Some of these are the tech community, the art community, and the literary community, among others.
In this article,** Ashley Uy** shares her insights on why building a community is necessary for each one of us. Ashley is a resident consultant at Symph, a blogger, designer, and a passionate community builder. She has helped organize events like Startup Weekend and Geeks on a Beach.
So, why is building a community important?
The vision itself of doing something that will help the world and the people living in it is a big deal already. You may advocate for the strict respect of the rights of animals, or the lifting of death penalty- either way, it’s no small matter. And when you have vision, a cause you are passionate about, you need resources for it to be realized: manpower, materials, finances, connections, and more. So… you can’t do this all by yourself.
“When you have a community, you therefore have a support group, and that support group will support whatever the community as a whole wants to achieve.” -Ashley Uy
You need people- people who have the same visions and goals as you have. This common denominator will be the propeller that drives you to accomplish your purpose hand-in-hand.
“They make a bigger voice, then they get attention. Having a community will enable you to have a wider reach and be able to have this net where those who want to help will be able to help.”
Two is better than one. But a lot more is always better than one.
With more members in the community, there is a bigger network where there are more connections. According to Ashley, especially for a community composed of millennials who need mentorship, “having a network of people, the experts will know that that demand is available, so they can connect to the community that is established to be able to give that service for those who need it.”
MakeSense Cebu Hotspot: Startup Creation Workshop
“They get to connect with the experienced people so in the future, they’ll know what to do, who to connect with.”
For young members of the community, especially the students, connections are very important. In the process of building a community, you organize seminars, conferences, social work, and more. With this, you get to build relationships with people, both the professionals and the aspirants.
These relationships you have built are helpful especially when you already enter the professional industry. It would not be as hard as it would be if you are a lone wolf trying to make his way in an unfamiliar forest.
Geeks On A Beach (left) and Dribbble Cebu Meetup (right)
“Already successful professionals will be able to have an avenue for giving back to the community that they came from. It’s like a give-and-take sort of thing.”
When you get to grow in your own art especially with the help of fellow passionate individuals, and eventually excel in that area when you learn and experience more and more, you can’t help but feel the desire to give back to the community that catapulted you to where you are now.
When a community exists and is active, professionals are given a chance to help the certain group through giving talks, conducting workshops, managing projects, referring colleagues who could also help, and even offering sponsorship or the like. These are very great contributions that help make the work of the team easier and more encouraging.
For founders, investors, enthusiasts, and aspirants alike, a community should exist and continue growing. This is also why it is important for the members of the society to help these communities in whatever way they can. It not only helps you grow as an individual, it also helps the world evolve. And that is a big deal.
Communities and events like Geeks On A Beach take this to heart by taking the people of tech into a conducive yet fun environment to build strong relations with the community as well as creating a deeper connection with their passions. And this is why we are continuing to actively support its endeavors and many more.
Til then, we’ll see you at the Beach!
