Starting A Chapter In Your City

Local chapters of The Worldwide Supply Chain Federation (#TWSCF)  are run by passionate volunteer organizers and the teams that they bring together to organize the activities of each chapter. We will work closely with every organizer, so we are developing a formal application process to start an official chapter in every new city that is joining our network.

Organizing a local chapter within #TWSCF offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to bring together people in your local community who are enthusiastic about supply chain, innovation, and technology to connect what’s going on in your city with the broader supply chain world, and join a network of organizers who are obsessively enthusiastic about supply chain, innovation, and technology. 

Our network of communities is growing every day. Our biggest and most active community is in New York City. We have an active chapter in Charleston, SC. We also have chapters forming in the following cities - let us know if you’d like to become the organizer in one of these cities;

• Athens,

• Singapore, 

• Vancouver, 

• Chicago, IL,

• Bangalore, and

• San Francisco, CA.

If you want to start a local chapter of #TWSCF in your city, we’d love to hear from you. Please read through the following information to get a better idea of how #TWSCF operates. If this seems like something you’d want to do, fill out this contact form and state that you want to start a chapter.

Becoming a Chapter Organizer

Q: What does it mean to be a #TWSCF Organizer?

A: Each #TWSCF chapter is led by one person who serves as the local organizer This volunteer represents his/her city by leading a team and organizing the chapter with the support of #TWSCF headquarters in New York.

As the primary organizer, you would be in charge of all the details for your local event such as:

— Securing a venue

— Finding a speaker(s) each month for the local chapter’s meetup

— Finding sponsors to cover event costs

— Leading the Chapter team

— Marketing for the event

— Serving as the main point of contact for HQ

Q: Do organizers sign a license agreement?

A: Each organizer signs a license agreement in order to represent the #TWSCF brand and agrees that all content created as a result of a #TWSCF event is property of The New York Supply Chain Meetup LLC. The license agreement lasts for 12 months and is automatically renewable. There’s a license fee at the outset, but there are no additional license fees once the chapter is up and running.

Q: Can there be co-organizers?

A: Yes. We require ONE point of contact for each chapter who serves as the face of that location but we ask that you nominate a co-organizer or co-organizers to support you behind the scenes. This way if illness, travel, or any number of life’s surprises prevents you from performing your duties one month, you have a solid back up. You’re free to organize your team as you see fit, but only one person can be the official organizer for the chapter. The team in NYC has had as many as 10 volunteer co-organizers at various times.

Q: Can my company or group apply to be an organizer?

A: No. #TWSCF chapters are licensed to individuals. In some instances, an organizer’s company can support their employee (e.g.committing to long-term sponsorship/resources). But at the end of the day our official relationship is with the individual, and if that person leaves his/her current company, the chapter would remain with that person.

General expectations

Q: How much time typically goes into being a chapter organizer?

A: On average, an organizer spends about 20 - 40 hours a month building their community and preparing for events. This number may fluctuate a bit as the host becomes more seasoned, but 20 - 40 hours is a good estimate at the outset. With more volunteers on the co-organizing team the amount of time each person devotes to planning and hosting events goes down.

Q: How often are events?

A: Each chapter is expected to host a meetup once a month, at least 9 times a year. At HQ in New York, we skip the summer months of July and August, and we skip December in order for our team to plan for the following year. Ideally, events are held on Wednesday or Thursday evenings. We are growing, and testing this so we may shift to something else in the future. But this should remain for the next year or so.

Q: Are #TWSCF meetups always free?

A: We recommend keeping them free for the first year, if possible. Then we recommend charging a nominal fee, for example in NYC we’d charge no more than about $10.00 - $20.00 for our monthly events. We are working on an annual global summit series, and that would work differently. We held our inaugural global summit in June 2019. Here’s a short video: #SCIT2019 Highlight Reel.

Our ultimate goal is to find a revenue model that enables #TWSCF and each chapter to be self-sustaining. We plan to explore this more vigorously at HQ in 2020, and we will share what we learn with local chapter organizers.

Q: How do the meetups work?

A: #TWSCF monthly meetups are open, multi-disciplinary events organized around a theme. In New York, our team selects themes for each month in December, and then we start planning to recruit speakers and startups to participate. As our network grows to include other chapters we will probably develop a system to create a common thread between all our chapters. Until that happens, we allow chapter organizers to decide what makes sense for their community and to act on that knowledge.

About your city

Q: Can there be more than one #TWSCF chapter per city?

A: No. We recommend that people join forces to build one very strong and very active chapter per city. We suggest thinking in terms of catchment areas that have a population of one million people or more. We believe populations of that size will be able to support a healthy supply chain meetup community.

Q: Can I organize a #TWSCF chapter for my entire country, or my entire state?

A: #TWSCF chapter licenses are limited to one city. However, in cases where a country or a state will probably be unable to support more than one chapter we will consider naming the meetup to reflect that reality. This is a decision that will be made in consultation with HQ since it will affect discussions about the license agreement.

Q: I live in a small city. Can I still apply to start a chapter?

A: You’re welcome to apply, but in the past, we have considered only developing chapters in cities with a population of over five hundred thousand, serving a catchment area of at least a million people or more. However, we realize that there are supply chain communities in smaller cities, so we are open to hearing you out. Just put together a compelling and outstanding case and show us why your city is in need of a #TWSCF chapter.

Q: What if the city I want to apply for is very close to another chapter?

A: You’re welcome to still apply. Just ask yourself since the chapters would be so close, would it make sense objectively to have a #TWSCF chapter in your city as well?

About the application process

Q: What do you ask for in the application?

A: When we develop it, the application will include a few simple questions, and a short essay portion. We may ask for a short video. For now, we have a phone or video interview with potential organizers, and then we proceed from there. Our community is very young, so we’re still building processes and procedures.

Q: If I apply, how long until I hear from you?

A: We currently review requests as they come in, and we try to respond as soon as possible. 

Q: Are you a morning person?

A: I am both. I am that rare person who can burn the candle at both ends. I am famous for sending emails or tweeting at odd hours of the morning. There are people who believe I do not sleep. (This is Brian speaking.)

Q: What are some qualities you look for in a chapter host?

A: Here are four qualities:

— You just make things happen: Organizing a chapter is a big responsibility and involves many moving pieces. We’ve learned that although experience in the industry and event organization is a plus, it can’t make up for a willingness to get started, figure things out, and make it work.

— You’re good at giving away credit: It takes a certain personality to successfully lead a volunteer team, keep sponsors happy, and celebrate members of the local supply chain community. This chapter won’t be about you. It will be about the fantastic people you get to bring together. Our communities are open and multidisciplinary, not everyone has the skills, temperament, or qualities to nurture such communities.

— You’re obsessed with “mixing up” your community: #TWSCF was founded to be entirely open, multidisciplinary and accessible to anyone who considers themselves “obsessively enthusiastic” about supply chain, innovation, and technology. We’re focused on learning how the world’s supply chain networks will be reinvented and refashioned using new technological inventions, and new innovations developed by emerging startups and established companies.  Our chapter organizers are willing to make the extra effort required to gather a diverse group every month from all industries, backgrounds and professional levels.

— You’re flexible: We at HQ do our best to steer the #TWSCF ship with very limited time and resources - often dipping into our meagre savings to nurture the community. If you’re looking to join an organization that has everything laid out for you, we’re definitely not a good fit. This is an exciting time for #TWSCF, and we will ask you to experiment with new initiatives while welcoming feedback you feel HQ should consider. We jumped off the edge of a very high cliff and are assembling our spaceship as we hurtle rapidly towards the ground.

Q: What if I don’t want to apply and would rather start my own event?

A: We think the world could use more supply chain communities. You’re more than welcome to start your own event series or community with a similar model. We just ask that you do not use any intellectual property or trademarks belonging to The New York Supply Chain Meetup and The Worldwide Supply Chain Federation. We prioritize collaborating with communities that belong to our global network, but we’re happy to work with others too, where no local chapter exists.

Q: Is applying for a chapter first come first serve?

A: No, not necessarily. However, we do recommend that you get your application or expression of interest in as soon as you can. If we find an organizer we really like, we’ll grant them the chapter. One of our operating principles is “Optimize for enthusiasm. Optimize for smarts.” We believe the people who fit that mold will recognize the opportunity that becoming a local organizer presents, and that they will act on that insight.

Q: Should I reserve or “park” my city’s social media accounts? (e.g. Twitter)

A: Please do not register social media accounts on behalf of a #TWSCF chapter you are applying for. Other teams may be applying, your priorities may change, and it’s difficult for us to hunt down reserved accounts. When we launch new cities we will take care of registering those accounts and populating them with sample descriptions - when that makes sense.

Q: What’s the answer to the secret question?

A: What’s The Worldwide Supply Chain Federation’s Mantra?

Q: Can I reach out to potential sponsors, venues or speakers before applying?

A: Yes. Committed sponsors, venues and speakers is a great way to strengthen your application. However, please be clear and explain that you do not yet officially represent #TWSCF and that you are applying for a license to start a chapter. You can relay the direction in which any conversations you have had with Brian Aoaeh or Lisa Morales-Hellebo seem to be pointing.

Running a chapter

Q: Do we have to get speakers approved by headquarters?

A: No. Organizers know their local community best. Some times we at HQ will introduce chapter organizers to potential speakers but each chapter organizer has the authority to select speakers for their chapter.

Q: Are there any costs/fees associated with running a chapter?

A: Chapters usually cover their event costs primarily through local sponsors. There is a one-time chapter initiation fee, then after each chapter’s one year anniversary there is an 85/15 split of revenues, with 15% of each chapter’s revenues going to HQ to support activities that support the entire network. 

Q: Do local chapters create LLCs or non-profits?

A: We suggest that chapter organizers establish an organizations/entity to keep finances in order, apply for certain types of funding, and protect themselves from any risks associated with organizing a chapter. We’re happy to offer advice on this topic. If an organizer already has an entity (s)he wishes to use, that’s fine too. In NYC we created an LLC to organize the community.

Q: Are speakers ever paid?

A: No.

Q: What sort of resources does #TWSCF headquarters provide?

A: Each of our chapters receives a large batch of files (e.g. brand assets, slide templates, sample marketing materials). Brian and Lisa will provide a few hours of coaching. As our community grows and we gain resources we plan to build an online portal to serve as the hub for the community. As time goes on we will develop training guides for chapter organizers - but, to be honest enthusiasm for supply chain, innovation, and technology is the most important thing a chapter organizer needs. We have taught ourselves everything we know. Lisa had some prior experience building communities. This is Brian’s first time being a community organizer although, his parents organized communities in Kano, Nigeria when he was a boy. So perhaps he knows more than he realizes. Brian read 15+ books on community organizing and networks. The list of books is made available once a local organizer is identified and licensed to build a chapter.

Q: How long is the commitment for being a chapter organizer?

A: Our licenses are one year long and in most cases we offer organizers the opportunity to renew their agreement each year. Unless something unexpected happens we anticipate that the chapter license agreement will just renew automatically.

Q: What happens if I’m a chapter organizer and I’d like to pass on the role to someone else?

A: We’ll have an exit process setup for our organizers. You will have the option to nominate someone who you strongly endorse to be the next organizer (they will have to complete an abridged application). Perhaps this person is already on the team of co-organizers and wishes to take the reins once you step down. Otherwise, headquarters will open public applications for the chapter.