Three months ago, Klyde Warren Park quietly launched its first-ever Young Professionals group thinking it would attract maybe 50-70 people in the 21-39 age group. That’s turned out to be a gross underestimate, having quickly added nearly 200 from more than 90 companies to its roster.
“The interest hasn’t just been strong — it’s been instant,” said Kit Sawers, president and CEO of the iconic downtown deck park. “Clearly, there was a gap we did not fully realize we were filling. Companies are starting to use it as a way to plug their employees into the community, and individuals are joining because they are hungry for more than just job connections.”
Many members are 25-35, transplants who don’t have the social connections that they might have developed here in college.
“They are new to the city, eager to find purpose, connection and momentum in both their careers and their communities,” she said. “We are bringing together people who wouldn’t otherwise meet, giving them something that blends social connection, professional development and community involvement — all in one place, right in the middle of the city.”
Individuals pay $150 for a 12-month membership.
(Courtesy of Choctaw Cover to Cov)
The park kicked off its young professionals program in April with a casual happy hour that drew about 300 people who showed up with just two weeks notice. Hey, what better way to get young people to show up than a free bottle of beer, glass of wine or cold Topo Chico before the summer heat wave sets in?
In late May, YPers got complimentary admission to the park’s new Choctaw Cover-to-Cover Music Festival.
But momentum took a quantum leap when the park invited its Corporate Council — executives from companies such as Texas Capital Bank, PwC and Kroger — to send rising stars to its lunch-and-learn series.
“These sessions are a way for members to learn what’s happening in the city — from the history of Klyde Warren Park to the upcoming World Cup to the new Goldman Sachs campus,” Sawers said. “For many, it is the first time they have understood and felt true civic pride.”
The biggest event is slated for Sept. 4, when Klyde Warren partners with the Communities Foundation of Texas to host a citywide mixer promoting North Texas Giving Day, the foundation’s annual 18-hour online fundraising event that supports local nonprofits.
“We are inviting every major YP group in Dallas to set up a table, share their mission and recruit members,” Sawers said. “Our goal is 500-plus attendees, and we are well on our way. It is shaping up to be one of the most all-inclusive, diverse YP gatherings Dallas has seen.
“This story is really about how cities retain talent, how companies invest in their people and how public spaces are quietly becoming the third space where community and career intersect,” she said. “In a city full of new arrivals, YP groups such as ours are providing a home base. That movement is just getting started.”
