10 Ways to Make Friends in Indianapolis, IN
Use these tips to start building your community in Indy.
Moving to a big city and learning to navigate it alone can leave you feeling unsettled, lonely and disconnected. And making new friends as an adult? Well, that just seems to get harder with every passing year.
If you follow the deluge of advice available online, making new friends is simple – if you step out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there. While that might be easier said than done, some common tips include:
- Volunteering in your community
- Seeking out people with similar interests
- Bonding with new coworkers
- Taking a yoga class or joining a gym
- Using mobile apps to meet new people
- Connecting with friends of friends
Following his move to Indianapolis, IN, Bunmi Akintomide first tried making friends by bonding with his coworkers at Salesforce. The Nigerian native came to the United States 18 years ago and missed spending time with friends who enjoyed the same interests.
“I go to work, and some of my coworkers have different interests – I’ll just put it that way. It wasn’t a community of Black professionals. There was a gap. I think I was one of the few Black people who worked there,” Akintomide says. “I didn’t really have anybody who I could relate to.”
Enter Indy Black Professionals (IBP), a group formed by Akintomide in 2017.
“The reason why I created Indy Black Professionals in the first place was because I was missing that circle,” says Akintomide, who serves as the organization’s executive director. “A lot of people move to Indiana, and they don’t feel connected. We solved that problem by creating a space where people feel connected, feel welcome and feel heard.”
IBP hosts networking events, social gatherings, professional development opportunities and more each quarter to support and empower one another personally and professionally.
“One thing we’ve noticed in Indianapolis is there are not many spaces where these people can collaborate or get together, so that’s our mission,” Akintomide says. “Our first goal is to get everybody together, and from there, we’re able to connect people to different opportunities like jobs, board members, board of directors for different organizations, and volunteer opportunities, as well.”
Examples of get-togethers include AfroFest – A Celebration of African Culture, Music and Community, networking with La Femme Africaine Network, a happy hour and trivia night, a yoga, stretch and socialize night, and a VIP day at the Indianapolis 500, just to name a few.
“When people come to our events, they’re able to connect with somebody new,” Akintomide says. “From there, they’re able to build that community or circle around them to help them feel connected.”
Akintomide managed to build his own circle of friends and connections through IBP and by serving as a mentor for young boys through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana and volunteering to be a charter school board member at BELIEVE Circle City High School. At IBP, he also helps members by conducting mock job interviews or connecting them with available jobs.
Making new friends in Indy can be as simple as attending the next IBP brunch with food and live music or attending an upcoming event. Check IBP’s LinkedIn or Instagram for updates, or subscribe to the group’s newsletter.
“We’ve done many brunch events because people just love it. It’s food, music and making connections,” Akintomide says. “It’s not a party, but it’s just an experience that when you go to a bigger city, it’s amazing. You meet a lot of people at those events.”
IBP is one of many groups and programs Indy newcomers can join to help build connections, make new friends and feel at home in their new community. Here are nine other ways to make friends in Indianapolis.
- IndyHub – Offers a Meet Indy platform that connects you to a city ambassador based on your interests, then connects you with people, places, organizations and events.
- Young Professionals of Central Indiana – Connects young leaders in their 20s and 30s through professional development and networking.
- DatingIndy – Created by digital content creator Nicole Hernandez, this networking group can be found on various social media sites “helping locals love where they live.”
- Meet Up & Mingle (started by Shay McCoy as part of her website, City of Shay) – Lists events hosted in various locations across the Indy region, and prides itself on being the Indy resource for 20- and 30-somethings to live a full life within their means.
- Fun On Weekdays – Indy! – Indyfluencer Kylie Stine shares fun things to do in Indianapolis for residents in their 20s to connect and create a community. Stine also writes about Indy’s top attractions and amenities for Life in Indy and Indy Maven.
- Circle City Athletics – Offers a variety of adult sports leagues, fun-filled social and corporate events, and adult sports tournaments. Signature events include the Santa Stumble, St. Practice Day and the CCA New Year’s Eve Party.
- Indy Maven – A digital media platform that offers lifestyle content, connections and curated events to delight an audience of “highly engaged, badass women” in the greater Indianapolis area who want to stay informed and be inspired.
- MeetUp.com groups – Offers a variety of ways to meet new people in your local community who share your interests through online and in-person events. Just enter your zip code in the search bar to find your next adventure.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana – Creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships for local adults to pair with more than 1,280 youth ages 8-18 in Hamilton, Johnson and Marion counties.
This article was sponsored by Life in Indy.