An Accelerator for Community Builders · Story

Build IRL is a five-week accelerator for in-real-life community groups in San Francisco. After interviewing dozens of organizers, they discovered that building in-person community is incredibly hard — and ironically lonely. Their first cohort of 25 clubs culminated in a bazaar where 200+ people discovered new communit…

Colton Heward-Mills grew up in New Jersey among Ghanaian immigrants — he had, as he puts it, an abundance of aunties. People in his life who knew him and cared about him, beyond just his parents. Saumya Gupta grew up in India, moved nine times as a kid, and figured out survival early: the best way to go from new girl to your best friend in a week is to help others make friends.

Neither of them realized they were "community builders" until they started Build IRL in San Francisco. Before launching anything, they spent weeks listening — meeting dozens of people who run in-person community groups focused on everything from science to swing dance to grief processing. They kept hearing the same thing: building in-person community is incredibly hard, and — ironically — it's lonely. Organizers hold space for others to find belonging, but they don't get to enjoy it themselves. The work feels underappreciated and unseen.

At the end of these interviews, organizers would ask who else Saumya and Colton had talked to, then want to be connected. That was the aha moment: what if they created a community of practice where builders could learn from each other and feel supported?

Build IRL became a five-week accelerator for in-real-life community groups. They released an application, dozens of groups applied, and they selected 25 clubs for the first cohort: Children of Diaspora (celebrating cultural commonalities), Noisebridge (a beloved makerspace), The Plenary (art and science engagement), Sommanat (processing grief into joy), The Dog House (swing dance with beginner nights), Run Your Life (running and reflection), and more.

Over five weeks, they ran workshops, expert talks, and social gatherings. It culminated in a showcase and club bazaar where 200+ people came to discover and join these communities. After the cohort ended, builders didn't stop — they hosted five or six events on their own within weeks. Members started joining each other's communities. The Dog House's beginner night became a gathering point for builders across the cohort.

One of Saumya's key moves was reframing the money conversation. Most community builders were deeply uncomfortable talking about funding. But when she shifted from "How do you make money?" to "How do you create resources for resilience?" people engaged seriously. By the end, builders were saying things like, "I would feel better if I was paid for this work. It would make me feel like I'm valued." The mindset change — that community-building is valuable enough to invest in — was as important as any tactical learning.

Build IRL already has 40 clubs on the waitlist for the next cohort. Their advice for the "community curious": start with your eyes and ears open. Go to local events. Find people already doing the work. Then do something yourself. The worst case scenario is two people show up to your dinner and you make two new friends.