If you want to network it can be challenging to figure out where to start. There's a ton of information out there for dozens of different events that are happening every month in LA. In this article, we'll share the best websites to turn to see what's going on so you can start getting involved in an organization.
Facebook Groups have been growing in popularity over time and are a huge tool that can be leveraged for freelancers and digital nomads. There are many different facebook groups that are LA specific and focus on networking, but we'll focus on the two most relevant - Freelancing Females LA and Los Angeles Entrepreneurs & Startup Network (LAESN). Although freelancing females is one of a myriad of different organizations focused solely on women, if you are a female (cis or trans) it's a great place to find other female freelancers and see the different events for networking for women in LA.
LAESN is a group that is available to all and if you join their facebook group they have a whole event section for different events for entrepreneurs and startups. As freelancers are a version of entrepreneurs and often work with startups, it's an excellent way of getting additional insights into networking events.
Facebook Events is another area to find networking events. Simply click on the events section on your homepage and you can easily search or filter for different types of events.
Events Websites
There are several different event websites that are worth checking out. EventBrite has a whole section focused on Los Angeles networking events. There are a robust amount of events listed and is a great way to see a larger number and variety of different events in LA.
Another option that is good to consider is MeetUps. One popular group, Network After Work, is specifically focused on bringing people together to network. Searching for other groups that more specifically relate to your skills, like design, photography, etc, is another way to use the platform to your advantage.
Coworking Spaces
One of the perks of coworking spaces is that some offer networking events for members. These are particularly valuable because you have the added bonus of being able to build a relationship more easily with people at these events. Because you both work at a coworking space, it's more likely that you can build upon the relationship by simply existing there together. Seeing the same people at networking events, at coffee, etc, can help strengthen these relationships. If you're someone who has trouble motivating to go to networking events, joining a coworking space known for their events can help with the motivation.
We've written an entire neighborhood guide to coworking spaces in LA to help you better get started.
Female Only Events
The theme of female-only networks and events is growing in popularity. As mentioned earlier in the article, Freelancing Females Los Angeles is one example. In doing my research from this article I came across another blog, getcroissant.com, that had an extensive list of female-only networking in LA. If you're interested in learning more about this specific segment, click here for more information.
