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Next event · Thursday 5 November

Speed Networking & The Hive Gives Back

5:30 – 8:30 PM Heist Brewery, NoDa Free no membership

Fast, structured rounds so you meet more of the room in one night, plus a community giveback. Bring a contribution for this month’s cause (announced closer to the night) and a clear one-line intro of what you do.

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4.8

out of 5 on Meetup

60+ ratings and growing

197

founders through the door

Sep 2025 to Aug 2026

2,000+

in the network

Meetup, Facebook, the room

14

months, none missed

First Thursday, every time

$0

to walk in

Free, and it stays free

Your hosts

Five people who greet every single person

Every first Thursday, these five are at the door. If you walk in alone you will not be alone for long. Find any one of them and they will introduce you to the room.

Wendell Butler

Founder

Catelin Vargas

Organizer

Brian Wolf

Organizer

Brielle Wolf

Organizer

Adam Cozzolino

Organizer

What to expect

Your first Hive night, start to finish

Most networking events leave you standing near the door wondering who to talk to. Here is exactly how ours runs, so you never have to guess.

  • 5:30 Doors openGrab a drink at the bar. Nobody is on stage yet, so 5:30 is the easiest way in.
  • 6:00 Live pitchesThree people from the room take the mic to share what they are building. Open to anyone on the night.
  • 6:30 The workshopA structured session that rotates each month: speed networking, hot seats, or a focused topic.
  • 7:15 Open networkingThe part that matters. You already know who to talk to, because you heard them introduce themselves.
  • 8:30 Winding downThings wind down from 8:30 and the room usually clears by 9.

What does it cost?

Nothing. Buy your own drink if you want one.

Do I need to be a member?

No. RSVP and show up. No application, no commitment.

Where exactly is it?

The event space is on the back left side of the building. Look for the string lights and The Hive sign at the entrance.

What should I wear?

Whatever you wore to work. This is a brewery, not a ballroom.

Is it just startups?

No. Founders, operators, investors, service businesses, trades. If you are building something, you fit.

Can I bring someone?

Yes, and it is encouraged. Bring one person who should be in the room.

Why people come back

Same room, same night, compounding

One good conversation is luck. Fourteen months in the same room is a network.

Warm introductions

You will not be handed a stack of business cards. You get introduced to the two or three people who can actually help, by someone who knows you both.

A room that remembers you

Same venue, same night, every month. Show up twice and people know your business. Show up four times and they refer to it.

Deals before they are public

Partnerships, acquisitions and hires get mentioned here first, in conversation, before they reach a listing or a job board.

Fourteen months. Not one missed.

First Thursday, every time, since September 2025.

What members say

4.8 out of 5, across sixty-plus ratings and growing

This was my first time attending … I left with a blueprint for an issue I’ve had for months.

Pami C. · Hot Seats & Cold Drinks, July 2026

If you come willing to be vulnerable, this is a place for constructive critique and insight on how to improve. People really want to help you.

John Snyder · April 2026

It was aligned with what I’m building. I took notes, learned a lot.

Matt · April 2026
What members tagged most Engaging 29 Welcoming host 28 Met new people 27 Inclusive attendees 24

Upcoming events

Where the magic happens

First Thursday of every month at Heist Brewery. Doors at 5:30 pm. Always free.

The 2027 season

Past events

Fourteen straight months of putting Charlotte founders, operators and investors in the same room.

  • 1 OCT 2026Hot Seats & Cold DrinksListing
  • 3 SEP 2026Partnerships & Strategic GrowthListing
  • 6 AUG 2026Speed NetworkingListing
  • 9 JUL 2026Hot Seats & Cold DrinksListing
  • 4 JUN 2026Operations & SystemsListing
  • 7 MAY 2026Mental Health, Hiring & Team BuildingListing
  • 2 APR 2026Sales & SystemsListing
  • 5 MAR 2026MarketingListing
  • 5 FEB 2026Speed Networking & Relationship StrategyListing
  • 8 JAN 2026Goal SettingListing
  • 4 DEC 2025Holiday Party & Year-End CelebrationListing

See it before you come

What a Hive night actually looks like

Same room, same bar, first Thursday of every month. This is what you are walking into.

Open networking, before the topic starts
Open networking, before the topic starts
A Hot Seat in progress, July 2026
A Hot Seat in progress, July 2026
Speaker panel night, May 2026
Speaker panel night, May 2026

Thanks to our sponsors

Tell us the truth What would make you come back? Six short questions, about two minutes. Your name is optional and there is no login.

We would rather hear that a night missed than hear nothing. In July a member told us a few voices had dominated the Q&A and suggested smaller rotations. August was rebuilt as speed networking. Two minutes, anonymous if you want it to be, and it changes the following month.

  • 2 minSix short questions, no login.
  • AnonymousYour name is optional.
  • It landsThe Hive team reads every response before the next first Thursday.
Request a topic instead
Was tonight your first Hive?
How likely are you to come back?

Goes straight to the organizers. Nothing is published.

Shape the room Tell us what to cover next Pick your topics and formats. No account, no Google login.

The Hive is built by the community. Pick the topics you actually want, tell us the format that works, and name the operator you want to hear from. Requests get read out at intros.

  • No accountNo Google login, no sign up, nothing to install.
  • Pick manyChoose as many topics as you like.
  • It countsThese answers shape what the next first Thursday looks like.
What should we cover? Pick as many as you like
Which format works best for you?

Read out at intros. No account needed.

I will be making this a regular event on my calendar. Loved the speed rounds to connect with people in businesses I would otherwise never have crossed paths with.

John Snyder · February 2026

Join The Hive

Come to one. Decide after.

No application, no membership fee, no long-term commitment. Show up on a first Thursday and see whether this is your room.

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