Why did you see a need for a networking hub like the Gathering Spot, and have you seen success stories emerge from it that have validated the concept?
When we started The Gathering Spot, we believed there was a need for a different kind of community. Traditional networking can be very transactional: you meet someone, exchange information, and hope something happens afterward. We wanted to build a place where connection was part of the infrastructure: a creative could sit next to an attorney, an entrepreneur could meet an investor, or someone with an idea could meet the person who helps turn it into something real.
One of the clearest validations has been watching that idea grow beyond a single clubhouse in Atlanta. We expanded physically to Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles and built membership communities in cities including New York, Detroit, Charlotte, Houston, and Chicago.
There are countless individual relationships and collaborations that have come from people meeting at The Gathering Spot, but what validates the original vision most for me is that people continue to see value in intentionally being in community with one another.
According to 2025 Nielsen data, the U.S. Black community packs $2.1 trillion in spending power. Brands obviously know that on some level, and yet we still see examples of marketing that fails to reach that community effectively—and sometimes offends them. What do brand marketers misunderstand or consistently get wrong about Black consumers?
One of the biggest mistakes is trying to manufacture authenticity at the end of the process.
You can’t develop a campaign without meaningful Black perspectives in the room and then add cultural references at the end and expect that to create an authentic connection. Representation has to exist upstream. Who is helping develop the strategy? Who has decision-making authority? Who are your partners? Who are you listening to before the campaign ever reaches the public?
