How to meet cool people

Listen, I love networking, but even for this superfan it can feel like a lot of effort sometimes. I recently moved from Sydney to NYC, where it “feels like -19°C” and actually is about -15°C every day. Beyond questioning my life decisions (jumping from Australian summer to American winter wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had), I’ve been getting to know some fabulous people in the city. It’s not easy to drag myself out of my apartment in the snow to meet strangers, even after graduating from Uniqlo’s normal Heat Tech thermals to their Ultra Warm Heat Tech thermals, but it’s been more than worth it every time. One question came up the other day: how do you actually meet cool people?

We’ve supposedly collectively decided that 2026 is the year of the analogue, where we spend our time doing arts and crafts and meeting people the old fashioned way, but meeting cool people out and about still requires a degree of strategising. So, with that said, this edition of Social Currency is dedicated to the art of meeting cool people in 2026. A small caveat: cool is subjective. For myself, I use the very broad definition of ‘interesting people doing interesting things’ (in the arts, NGOs, creative industries, VC, entrepreneurship, pretty much anything as long as you’re not a [redacted]), and you are free to define cool in whichever way is relevant to you.

We’re likely to get on with people who have similar interests to us, so start by thinking about your hobbies. These days, and especially given we’re all going crazy for analogue experiences, there’s a club for everything. In Sydney, I joined an amazing community called Arts Matter, which hosted regular panel talks and private gallery viewings, and I met some great people at their events. Friends are in book clubs, cooking clubs, sports clubs… Instagram and platforms like The Offline Club are good places to start.

This is probably the most organic way to meet people. I love introducing people to each other (so much so that I made it my career…), and so when I have two friends I think would get along, but who have never met before, I offer to set them up over a coffee. I don’t always have to join myself, and it’s honestly the best feeling when real friendships pop up from an intro you’ve made. If you’re actively looking to meet new people this year, it’s worth telling your friends you want to get out there and grow your circle. They can then think about who you might click with, and set something up. A few years ago, I had recently moved to Paris, and wanted to quickly meet some people. I threw a ‘friend of a friend’ drinks party, where I invited a bunch of people and asked them all to bring a friend with them. It worked surprisingly well, not least because one friend brought her neighbour who happened to be a chef, and who gladly took over kitchen duties to the great relief of everyone there (especially me). People who met that night still hang out regularly in Paris, and I also got to meet a bunch of really great people.

People often ask me how to meet new people when they live somewhere remote, and the answer is online communities. While it’s always great to meet people in person as well, online communities are a godsend for those of us who aren’t based in one place, or who live far from cities or towns where events tend to happen. I recently joined The Old Girls’ Club on recommendation of a great friend in NYC, and it’s already given me so much value. There are tons of options: Found and Flourish for purpose-led businesses, TEN for entrepreneurial women in Amsterdam, Discords for specific interests… give them a go and see what works for you.

It’s more effort than sitting on the couch at home and messaging someone in an online community, but the payoff of attending IRL events is great. I’ve been to so many great events over the years, from startup demo days and brand pop-ups, to dinners and drinks. I find that if you’re the kind of person who’ll go to an event on their own, you’re also probably the kind of person who’ll chat to anyone, and so these events tend to gather chatty, welcoming people who won’t let you stand awkwardly on your own. I also like to take a friend with me to events — it makes everything less daunting, and you can divide and conquer to meet double the number of people.

Quick tip — Spend an hour every so often looking up events in your neighbourhood. I like to try:

• Bookstores for author events and readings

• Museums for guided tours and talks (often free!)

• Local craft stores

• Hotels - the Hoxton often has events like jazz performances, talks etc

• Startup hubs for mixers, hackathons and talks by entrepreneurs (often free)

• Wellness studios who sometimes do one-off events and classes

Getting together over a common cause is always a good conversation starter. I’ve been a part of the Global Shapers community for a few years, and while I originally joined in Amsterdam, I’ve met people from the wider network in cities like Sydney and Paris, too. We’re all interested in similar topics, and get together for things like Christmas gift drives and civic projects. Other friends do things like volunteering in care homes, animal shelters, and soup kitchens — all great options that mean you’re doing something valuable with your time, helping others, and meeting new and interesting people.

Every time I watch Sex and The City (which is most days because I’m lacking in imagination when it comes to TV shows) I’m always impressed at how they manage to meet people out and about. I miss the pre-digital age, despite barely remembering it. There’s just something so classy about striking up a conversation in a gallery or store and making a new friend. Maybe now that we’re all analogue everything, we’ll see a resurgence of IRL connections. There’s no harm in trying.

On the Social Currency Substack, we unpack the art (and science) of connection: from who to meet and how to meet them, to building your own ecosystem and creating those right-place-right-time moments that spark opportunity, whatever your goals in work of life. Expect interviews with people who do it best, practical hacks you can put to work immediately, and recommendations on tools, events, and strategies to grow your own network. You can find Phoebe at the imaginatively named phoebedodds.com.