Birthday bash

Farrah Belizaire has had a busy four years. The Brockton native started the company LiteWork Events in 2012 when she had difficulty finding social events tailored to urban professionals. By partnering with local organizations, Belizaire creates events designed to bring together Boston’s young African American community. At her first event, Belizaire had 30 people attend from a 100-person invite list. Four years later her membership has sky rocketed and she now commands a database of over 2,000 attendees.

Belizaire said, “Outside of networking events I also have themed events so people feel like they can connect with others socially and culturally.” One of her most popular themed events is the “SCHOOLED” series, a biannual party with a college theme. This more casual gathering allows guests to celebrate their alma mater while networking with other local grads. If you’re looking for a more professional vibe, #LiteWorkit is an annual professional development event where seasoned experts in various fields network and offer advice to newcomers.

Celebrate diversity

Cultural connection is an important component in the LiteWork experience. Belizaire explained that in a place like Boston, being black comes in many different forms. She herself is of Haitian descent, but she meets people at LiteWork events from all over the world.

“Even though on the surface we have this shared experience, we’re able to celebrate our differences by bringing together all these cultures,” said Belizaire.

Putting on successful events for a large community isn’t easy, and Belizaire operates LiteWork almost exclusively by herself. By day she works on clinical trials for a pharmaceutical company, by night she’s creating a diverse social scene for an often-neglected population. She says the help of interns and scheduled social media blasts allow her to balance her job and her passion.

Far from slowing down, Belizaire has big plans for the future. “One thing that I’m interested in pursuing is destination events,” she said. “I’d love to get people out of the Boston area to meet professionals in other parts of the country.”

She’s already taking steps towards this goal with LiteWork’s first event on Martha’s Vineyard on July 3. Belizaire said she’s already had RSVPs from California, DC, and New York for the sunset party.

On July 31st, LiteWork will celebrate four years of success with a six-hour rooftop party at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge. The $30 ticket price includes champagne, appetizers, and access to hundreds of urban professionals in one place. LiteWorks takes the hassle out of networking, allowing guests to come to an event tailored to their demographic rather than searching for similar people at bars and clubs. For Belizaire, bringing people together makes it all worth it. She said, “I think there’s a lot to be said in finding that sense of belonging.”