New leads, new ways to network. These young professionals go with the FLOW

Tracey Weiss
Mar 14
3 min read

By Tracey Weiss

Editor

Submitted Photos

For the member of FLOW, the second Friday of the month is devoted to networking, without necessarily networking

These are the members of the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce’s Future Leaders of West Hartford’s vibrant young community, for the 40-ish and under crowd. The group is “dedicated to supporting the growth of young professionals through meaningful connections, leadership development, and community engagement,” according to the Chamber’s website.

And at the core of the group is a monthly lunch at a Chamber-member restaurant, where everyone can relax and get to know each other.

At the core of the FLOW group is the monthly lunch at a Chamber-member restaurant, where everyone can relax and get to know each other and network.

“The best part for me is connecting with other young professionals. And having them discuss their experiences and hear from others about their own experiences,” said Allison (Allie) Bellucci. She is the founder of Bellu Jean Creative, a social media, public relations and branding firm and is the head of the committee. “I’m not going to FLOW to rack up business. I’m going to meet people.”

Victor Gonzalez, the manager of NBT Bank, agrees. He’s been a member for about two years. “It’s nice because we have lunches where we support all of the chamber restaurants throughout the year, network with other professionals and hear about what others’ industries are like. Everyone is young, with families, and connecting on a personal level. We lean on each other. Get different perspectives, offer guidance and get some, too. The door is open. It’s a great group of professionals.”

Kate Kobs and Jenn Frontiero from the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce flank Allison Bellucci (seated). Bellucci heads up FLOW, the Future Leaders of West Hartford committee that operates though the chamber.

“You don’t have to be a member if you just want to check it out,” Bellucci said.

FLOW became an official committee in 2018, according to Kate Kobs, Membership & Development Director for the chamber. “Early on, it was challenging,” she said. “I was a member then, and there were lots of starts and stops. There wasn’t a clear understanding of where young professionals fit, how to guide them in development.”

Even then, she said, “the idea was, if you grew up here, you had to go somewhere else to do your career. You can stay here and have all that. It’s amazing here, but the talent would leave.”

That’s changed quite a bit, especially since Covid. At the time, the committee would meet online, and “we did a lot of trivia and speed networking,” she added.

Coming out of Covid, “we talked about what direction we wanted,” Kobs added. “Everyone wanted to get back together. That’s when the lunches started.”

Kobs added that they are sensitive to keeping lunches affordable, “to make sure price isn’t a barrier.”

FLOW also has a Local Leaders Series, where seasoned professionals share their success and provide mentorship, insight and guidance to committee members.

“There’s a lot of value to multi-generational discussion,” said Jenn Frontiero. She is the chamber’s new Events & Communication Manager. “Everyone has something to bring to the table.”

In return, young professionals have a lot to say about the future. “We want to, as young professionals, allow local leaders to pick our brains on how we can show and share our strengths,” Bellucci said.

Allie Bellucci and Vitor Gonzalex enjoy an evening at a Yard Goats game. The FLOW group went as part of a regional Young Professionals night with other like-minded groups.

FLOW has taken on community projects as well. “For Thanksgiving, we partnered with Jewish Family Services and bought big jars of spices and packaged them up to give out to people in need. If you’re going to cook, you need to have spices. And we had fun and did something for the community. I want to continue to see how our group can help non-profits.”

The group also partners with Young Professionals groups in the Greater Hartford area. “It’s fun,” Bellucci said. “We do an event each quarter. We had a UConn night. We went to a Yard Goats game.”

“I wish I had had this kind of connection when I had my business,” Frontiero said about FLOW. “I’m always inspired by the energy and I’m excited to be a part of what the future of Flow will look like. I think it’s great as a concept and an organization.”