Be Professional! Who are the Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals?

All throughout my college career the importance of networking and growing your professional connections was emphasized. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, being relatively shy, and being an ambivert, I did not prioritize networking. At the beginning of my senior year, I switched from a medical major to psychology and committed myself to try to start building my professional network. I learned about Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals (GGFYP) through one of my previous bosses, and figured that was a great place to start.

The Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals have been around for a little over 20 years, with their first ever meeting in September of 2004 at Parrot’s Cay. In 2011, GGFYP officially got over 100 registered members. As of 2024 GGFYP has over 300 registered members, so I can assure you that if you work, volunteer, or network in the Grand Forks region, you have met at least one GGFYP member or more.

Even if you aren’t familiar with Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals, you might have still heard of some of their signature events.

ArtSee: One of GGFYP longest lasting and largest events is ArtSee. Since its conception in 2006, this event has been hosted by the North Dakota Museum of Art to provide local and regional artists, of all experience levels and mediums, with an opportunity to showcase and sell their art in a fun and social atmosphere. GGFYP’s goal via ArtSee has been to provide support for the local arts and connect them to the greater Grand Forks community, newcomers and art enthusiasts alike. The event has amazing artists and unique art and is completely free and open to the public.

Orange Bag Volunteering: In 2015, Becca Cruger had a vision and committed to making it come to fruition. The Orange Bag Project is an annual donation drive that delivers right to your doorstep. Every spring the community involvement committee picks a neighborhood and drops off orange garbage bags on their doorsteps with flyers indicating items of need from local non-profits. GGFYP has collected donations for CVIC, Northland’s Rescue Mission, Circle of Friends, and so many more non-profits. After a few weeks, GGFYP volunteers gather all of the filled orange bags, sort through donations, and redistribute items to participating non-profits.

GGFYP hosts three events every month. The events are on a larger scale, usually attracting anywhere from 20-40 people coming together to learn, socialize, or volunteer in the community. These events are planned out by their respective committees which also meet on a monthly basis. The meetings are free for anyone to attend and provide a smaller more intimate group of people to meet on a more regular basis.

Community Involvement plans events focused on enhancing and connecting with the community. I find that it becomes so easy to connect and network with others when you get together for a common goal. When I was a student at UND, I rarely volunteered. I found there were only a few opportunities that aligned with my personal values and those opportunities were hard to find – especially during the pandemic. GGFYP’s community involvement events are a great way to find these opportunities. They often collaborate to support local nonprofits or take the lead on community initiatives. If the events don’t provide you with enough opportunity, go to the community involvement committee meetings! They are constantly sharing and searching for new opportunities to help out in the community. People at those meetings would love to hear what you’re interested in and can point you in the direction of local establishments that might align perfectly with your idea philanthropy.

Professional Development works to create opportunities for young professionals to broaden their horizons and sharpen their skills. Personally, I did not take networking or public speaking skills as seriously as I should have during my time in college. Now that I want to better those areas, I no longer have access to the sea of resources that a UND student is provided. Professional Development is here to provide at least some of those opportunities outside of a college setting. Their Lunch and Learn topics can range from “Tips on how to Network” to “How to Become a Homeowner 101”. When they are not providing amazing insight on how to adult, they host business tours, providing opportunities for people to connect with the inner workings of local businesses!

Social Events is what you could consider the more traditional type of networking event. But something unique about GGFYP networking events is that the social events committee try to incorporate a different activity every month. Sometimes it is as simple as a coffee time or as extravagant as learning to curl at the Grand Forks Curling Club. I think it helps for people like me to have an additional activity to encourage networking. For me networking feels a lot less intimidating if it has a more relaxed event surrounding it like yoga in the park or a bowling night.

Maybe events aren’t your style. I get it, large group gatherings can be very intimidating, especially if you don’t know anyone. I always try to take at least one emotional support friend to an event when I know that most of the people there are strangers to me. But sometimes that’s not doable and it’s still important to build your independence for situations where you don’t get a plus one. Luckily, GGFYP offers some lowkey and passive programs with smaller groups and more niche topics.

Committee Meetings are always a good place to start if you are still new and unfamiliar with GGFYP. These meetings happen every month and are usually 5-10 people at most. They get together to plan and brainstorm events. They always appreciate a new perspective, no matter who you are and what you do. Each committee has a chair that is also on the Board of Directors, so they know the general happenings in the organization and will be happy to let you know if you ask.

Mentorship Program – If you are interested in one-on-one style networking, GGFYP runs a fall and spring cohort mentorship program. Come with a personal or professional goal and GGFYP does their best to connect you with a local community leader who can best guide you to that goal. Mentors can also help by connecting you with people who might benefit you and your future goals. Whether it’s gaining a better personal brand, learning more about a certain career field, or even learning about the opportunities in the greater Grand Forks region, the GGFYP mentorship program can do amazing things to help you achieve those goals.

Activity Groups – If you have ever tried to get a group of people together to join a sports league or start a weekly activity, you understand that sometimes we just don’t know enough people to achieve that on our own. Don’t worry! GGFYP has got your back. If you are ever interested in starting a weekly gaming session or joining a sports league, this would be the place to do it. GGFYP has created a volleyball team, book club, gaming Discord, and even a summer walking club just because at least one member expressed interest in doing so. When I originally wanted to get involved with GGFYP, I jumped into the deep end and joined their summer sand volleyball team. It was eight weeks of the same 8-10 people working together on a team and I swear it was the easiest time I ever had networking.

Since becoming Executive Director of GGFYP in October of 2024, a common question that I have been asked is, “How do I get more involved in GGFYP?” My immediate response is always, “Just show up!” I just typed away at the many opportunities that we have to offer, big and small gatherings. But as an ambivert (a little heavier on the introvert side), I can understand that {“just showing up” is not an easy thing to do. So I will say this, find an event or topic that really catches your interest, grab a friend if able, and take that big step to try something new. For me it was volleyball, for you it could be a volunteering event with Journey Home Animal Rescue or a tour of Rydell’s Toy Shop. If you are a student at the University of North Dakota or Northland Community & Technical College, there are Young Professional student chapters that are available to join. Connect with fellow students and plan to come to a GGFYP event together!

You can learn more about everything Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals and register as a member on our website at ggfyp.com.