The gatherings take place in cities from Atlanta to Los Angeles, giving black professionals a place to network and attend seminars on investment, entrepreneurship, and even health. The networking can range from a simple handshake to a job offer. One woman who ran an employment service regularly came to First Fridays. People have enhanced their own businesses by coming to First Fridays, and we've had a consultant for PaineWebber set up shop there. First Fridays Inc. has been on the scene since the mid-1980s, but not everyone knows about it, and not everyone is invited.
Some cities rely on word of mouth or on mailing lists.
In places like Charlotte, N.C., and Phoenix, Ariz., the details come through the electronic grapevine. At Chicago's May event at E2, an entertainment complex along South Michigan Avenue, men crowded around a table to discuss recent developments at a technology company. Nearby, three women talked about their jobs at the Environmental Protection Agency. As in several cities, the First Fridays event begins in Chicago around 6 p.m. and goes on into the early morning. The evening starts with networking and easy-listening music.