What Makes a Vibrant Community?

No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

—”No Man is an Island,” John Donne (excerpt)

When I posted last week about my upside-down adventures, my friend Bryan Abdul Collins left an insightful comment on LinkedIn:

“One thing... doing this around supporting people might be the secret sauce.”

I couldn’t agree more, and I’ll even add to the sentiment:

A supportive community doesn’t just make things easier, it makes the impossible possible.

Last weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of attending Vigilia, a seasonal event hosted by Hybrid Movement Company in Bushwick. Part ritual, part performance, and part dance party, it’s a beautiful celebration of the intentional, movement-based community they’ve built over the last fifteen years.

I dressed up as a mushroom… one of my better costumes if I do say so myself.

The event gave me so much gratitude and energy, and it prompted me to reflect on the communities I’ve been a part of during my life. Here’s a few things I’ve learned along the way.

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Communities form wherever people gather, whether by chance, necessity, or choice. But all of us have experienced some vibrant, thriving groups, and others that miss the mark. What makes the best ones different?

In my experience, great communities share these essential elements: dedicated leadership, a specific focus, and key facilitators.

I’ll go through each in more detail.

1. Dedicated Leadership

After moving to NYC, Jackson Bailey and Monica Kraeger noticed a problem familiar to most NYC natives: a lack of free/low-cost community spaces for people to gather, learn, create art, and generally exist without needing to spend a lot of money. So, alongside a few other people, they founded ThirdSpace, a 501c(3) organization in Bushwick dedicated to providing a, well, third space for local communities to gather.

ThirdSpace in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NYC.

Jackson and Monica are amazing leaders. By living their values of inclusivity, connection, diversity, and accessibility, they’ve created a wonderful space where new connections happen spontaneously and organically. In the background, they work tirelessly on all the logistical details needed to make the space run.

Sometimes, leadership is paid to be there; other times, they’re volunteers—but either way, the leaders always set the tone. Leadership can also be a thankless task (be sure to thank your community leaders!), so leaders need a strong sense of internal drive and a thick skin to succeed.

A community without strong leadership is doomed to meander and ultimately dissolve.

I’ve experienced it firsthand: after volunteering at the 2023 AIGA Conference in NYC, a friend and I started a group of volunteers post-event in hopes of continuing the beautiful community we experienced at the event. Though we had the best of intentions, life intervened, and neither of us were willing to step up to the plate and handle all the planning and logistics required for it to continue. Eventually, it quietly petered out.

2. A Specific Focus

As I noted earlier, communities will form naturally wherever people gather. But really strong communities enjoy a shared sense of identity, usually through common interests, values, or experiences.

I had the pleasure of attending The School of Practical Philosophy for a few semesters (have you seen the subway ads?). Their community is defined by a shared love of philosophy and spirituality, which leads to lively and informative group discussions.

The intro 10-week course, which is offered for only $10 total, usually attracts a large group—when I took the class, our group started with over forty in-person students, with many more attending online.

Over the course of the semester, the group gradually shrunk, with about half of the students completing the semester. I don’t think this is a bad thing—quite the opposite. Students who didn’t like the subject matter, teacher, or discussions felt empowered to leave, while those who found it valuable stuck around.

The best communities balance being inclusive with catering to a specific niche.

The School does a great job of welcoming any and all who walk through its doors. But it won’t change what it offers—if you don’t like it, you don’t have to stay. This approach leads to a stronger community united by shared interests and values.

3. Community Facilitators

Right before graduating from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)'s M.A. in Graphic Design, I was presented with something completely unexpected: a cord to wear at commencement honoring me as a student leader.

Let me tell you, I was genuinely surprised and honored, since I had never held a formal leadership role within the program.

It made me realize there’s an overlooked group of people who make communities function—I call them facilitators.

Facilitators are the people who show up consistently to many community gatherings. They take the time to learn and remember people’s names and stories, greeting old friends and welcoming newcomers in equal measure. They listen, ask questions, and help make large groups feel small.

I’ve heard people call alcohol a “social lubricant,” but I think the friendliness and welcoming nature of facilitators is the true social lubricant. If you run a community, be sure to pay attention to your facilitators and tell them you notice and appreciate their efforts. I can tell you from experience that it goes a long way.

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I encourage you to consider: have you experienced any great (or bad) communities, and what did you learn from them? Feel free to reach out directly and let me know what you think. May your life include amazing communities that are meaningful to you!