Workhaus Attends Collision, A Summer Camp For Techies

Collision was oddly reminiscent of summer camp. I find it nerve-wracking to put myself out to strangers and network, and to my surprise, I wasn’t the only one that felt that way. Everyone I met on the first day admitted, at least once, that it was stressful to introduce themselves to strangers over and over again, and that the vulnerability of sharing that information with each other had bonded everyone over one fact – that we are all in this together. It could be the 6 cups of coffee that it takes to get through an action-packed three days, but on the second day, there was a buzz in the air. Everyone was over the initial awkwardness of the first day. And just like the second day of summer camp, we started to feel more comfortable with each other. We were even sharing secrets with each other, such as where the most inspiring speakers were, most interesting startups, and where to get the free Caesars.

Pro Tip: Learn where all the best swag is, you will be the most popular attendee.

As I walked through the crowd with my new found connections I kept running into familiar faces; Workhaus members. Introductions were made between the members and my group, and our world became smaller and smaller. The more it happened, the more I began to see a community building within Collision. We were all sharing our aspirations and goals while encouraging each other to grow.

Because at the end of the day it’s all about human interaction.

The rhetoric ” it’s all who you know” may be true, but it’s a more positive statement than we make it to be. Collision brings people together through a collaborative networking experience that keeps us all connected.

Collision and community are interchangeable. A community of minds. A community of talent. A community of determination.     

But the biggest takeaway? Ironically enough, while being surrounded by the tech industry which brings us closer and closer to limited human interaction every day, my biggest discovery was the innate need of our face to face connections to grow.