Baltimore Chamber of Connection
A City Shaped by Place and Possibility
Baltimore is one of America's oldest and most storied port cities—a place of deep history. With more than 250 neighborhoods, Baltimore offers a richness of local identity and belonging. Yet for all its size and history, Baltimore has an unmistakable closeness to it—a "Smalltimore" quality where communities overlap, familiar faces reappear, and connections form more naturally. Our city is filled with people who care, who are warm and welcoming, quirky and down to earth, who care about community. Baltimore has always been a city that builds things, and today it has an extraordinary opportunity to build the social fabric that helps people truly belong. Baltimore is on its way to being the most welcoming, well-connected city in America.
The Missing Infrastructure: Connection
Baltimore is so rich in relationships. We have extraordinary organizations and leaders building community. But these efforts are rarely aligned. They often miss people at the moments when connection matters most—during major life transitions like moving, changing jobs, becoming a parent, navigating health changes, or entering retirement.
We lack the infrastructure for social connection. We have built world-class systems for work, health, and education. We now have the opportunity to do the same with connection, by bringing coherence to all the incredible efforts in Baltimore that already exist. For Baltimore, strengthening connection is not just a social good; it is an investment in the city’s long-term vitality.
Our Vision
As a Founding Chapter of the United States Chamber of Connection, we are working to make social connection a core part of Baltimore’s civic infrastructure.
Our goal is to bring together leaders, organizations, and residents to strengthen relationships across communities and make it easier for people to build meaningful connections. Our role is not to replace the work already happening across the region. It is to align leaders, amplify what works, and help build the shared infrastructure and resources needed for connection to thrive at scale.
We are focused on four initial efforts:
1. Launching a State of Connection Report
A regional assessment based on the Six Points of Connection framework to understand where connection is strong, where it is breaking down, and for whom. This will provide a shared baseline for the city and help guide collective action—informing priorities, investment, and coordination across sectors for 2027 and beyond.
2. Building a Connection Council
A cross-sector group of leaders from business, government, nonprofits, healthcare, education, art & culture, and community organizations. The Council will develop a shared regional agenda and coordinate efforts to strengthen connection across systems, while elevating and resourcing the organizations already doing the work.
3. Welcoming Newcomers
Events like Welcome Days and Welcome Week (Sept 26 to Oct 3) for people who are new or looking to make new connections, as well as a Club & Activities Fair for clubs and organizations to showcase the amazing things to do in Baltimore.
4. Growing the Community Builders Ecosystem
A network of people across Baltimore who are already creating spaces for connection, from neighborhood organizers to cultural leaders to social club hosts. This network provides support, tools, visibility, and pathways for collaboration across communities.
Community builders need a community, too.
Join 100+ leaders who run clubs and communities in the Baltimore area. Join us at our monthly convening to meet, collaborate, learn new skills, and get the support you need.
We are recruiting volunteers from every neighborhood in the region to help steward opportunities to reconnect neighbors and strengthen communities.
Chapter Founder
Alex Zhu
Let’s Connect
We would love to have you join us. We are currently looking for sponsors, volunteers, and partners. To stay connected and receive our latest updates, please subscribe and join our community.