Making friends in Vancouver just became more fun.
The name may feel "a bit flirty and date-y," admits Zuki Majuqwana, but the co-founder assures that Mix and Mingle is all about fostering friendships and platonic connections.
The friend-making event organizer hosts fun and unique social activities that not only help meet new people but can also help folks try something new. From beach parties and yoga picnics to "beerlympics" and Mix and Mingle's signature Secret Soirées (but shh... the first rule of the Secret Soirée is to not talk about the Secret Soirée), Vancouverites can expect a new event every two weeks.
Mix and Mingle was founded by friend trio Majuqwana and Kousha Talebian with a shared goal of helping locals connect and expand their social circles.
The formula for making friends in Vancouver
Making friends isn't a mystery. Rather, it's a simple equation and one that is at the core of every Mix and Mingle gathering (making it nearly impossible to leave an event without finding a new pal).
This formula is tested and proven to work, attests Majuqwana, who has taken to studying the psychology of friendship during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
"I started doing loads of reading and research and hypothesizing about where friendships come from and how friendships form," he explains. "As part of that, I landed on this formula."
"Friendships are formed through shared experiences repeatedly in groups."
This same equation answers why we meet a lot of our friends through school and work, rather than at one-off events or parties.
What makes Vancouver seem so unfriendly?
Vancouver has earned a reputation as a very unfriendly city, with locals and newcomers claiming that making friends is a real challenge here -- including Majuqwana who has moved to Vancouver twice and encountered the same struggle each time.
Talebian sees a different side to Vancouver's unamiable demeanour, and says he doesn't think unfriendly is an "accurate description of Vancouver," adding: "It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you set the expectation, it's more powerful than the reality itself. You think people are going to be unfriendly towards you so you don't go say hi to them."
To tackle this problem (and hopefully resolve one of the friend-making obstacles Vancouver faces), Mix and Mingle aims to create an expectation that each event is a safe place for people to step out of their comfort zones and be the first person to say hello. In fact, attendees are expected to say hi.
"It's funny that the one thing that connects everyone in Vancouver is that we all believe that Vancouver is a hard place to connect with other people," points out Majuqwana.
Each Mix and Mingle event is equally split between experience and social time, and the co-founders have a few themed Halloween and Christmas events planned before the year wraps up.
Follow Mix and Mingle on Instagram to keep up with new events and check out their website to learn more.
