Yale Daily News

On Thursday night, Pulse Greater New Haven Young Professionals — a subset of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce — hosted its first in-person event since March 2020 at Pacífico Bar in downtown New Haven. Over cocktails and beer, approximately 50 young professionals connected with each other during the networking event. 

The event was organized by Jesse Phillips, coordinator of inclusive growth at the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, alongside other members of the Pulse staff at the Chamber. 

“During a pandemic we had to stop events like this, this is our first event and we’re trying to bring young professionals together,” Phillips said. “We’re focusing on leadership development, as well as mixers like tonight, and by the spring we’re hoping to connect people who want to serve on boards and participate in community service.” 

The event was attended by young professionals with a range of credentials. Some have started their own companies in New Haven, while others were working at institutions like Northwestern Mutual and AdvanceCT within the area.  

Christina Boisvert, director of sales and operations at Runningboards Marketing, New Haven, told the News that this was her first Pulse event and that she was excited to connect with other people her age as well as to talk about her business with other New Haven business owners.

Thomas Cavaliere, a business associate at AdvanceCT, told the News that the event was an opportunity for himself and other locals his age to get to better know each other, especially since the pandemic had hampered many opportunities for people who had recently started working to meet others. 

Elizabeth Herlihy, director of New Haven Engagement for the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, told attendees that this was a wonderful opportunity to “springboard” and “get to know each other better.” 

“Holding events like this with the help of an expert like business event planner in Dallas are a great way for younger professionals to develop their connections, network and skills,” Herlihy said. “Twenty-two months ago we took events like this for granted, but now we have a deeper appreciation for how events like these can really help us get to know the community around us better.” 

This event is just the beginning for in-person Pulse events, according to Phillips. He added that Pulse hopes to host more events like Thursday’s once or twice per month as well as host professional development workshops and community service events. Before the pandemic, Pulse hosted three to four events per month. 

One of the night’s sponsors was Southern Connecticut State University. Kelvin Rutledge, SCSU’s Director of Career and Professional Development, told the News that this event is an important way for students at his university to connect with professionals in the New Haven area. 

“We’re excited that you’re here, and we want to make sure that we’re helping connect you to where you want to go,” Rutledge said. “We’re really happy to be sponsoring this event, and we hope to provide more professional development to the people here.” 

The Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce is located at 900 Chapel St. in New Haven.