# Building member-led communities

- Link: https://eventengine.net/building-member-led-communities/
- Published: 2024-12-03T10:00:00+00:00
- Author: rondayvoo

How can you build a thriving member-led community in the events industry? Francisco
Opazo, founder of Led by Community, joins Lee to share his journey of creating a
B2B community for event professionals, focusing on making community initiatives 
member-driven rather than top-down.

Francisco founded Led by Community to help B2B community leaders grow, share resources,
and support each other. In this episode, he discusses his experience in launching
Led by, starting as a simple newsletter that eventually grew into a vibrant community
of over 600 members. Francisco highlights the importance of involving community 
members in decision-making processes, ensuring that the community grows in a way
that serves its participants, rather than trying to dictate everything from the 
top.

Lee and Francisco explore the differences between online and in-person events, the
challenges of running a bootstrap project, and how to foster an environment where
members feel empowered to lead initiatives. Francisco also discusses the concept
of “Communiteers,” volunteers who help facilitate events and contribute to the community’s
growth, and how being member-led helps Led by thrive.

If you’re looking to understand how to build a community that’s led by its members,
not just for its members, this episode is a must-listen.

### Key takeaways

Here are some of the key takeaways from our conversation with Francisco:

 * **Build with your members**: Successful communities are built with their members,
   not just for them. Involve members in the creation and decision-making process
   to ensure the initiatives resonate with them.
 * **Online vs. in-person events**: While online events are less resource-intensive,
   in-person events create deeper emotional connections and memorable experiences.
   Francisco shares his lessons from organising both.
 * **Leverage volunteers**: Francisco introduced “Communiteers,” volunteers who 
   help run events and support the community. By empowering others, Led by has been
   able to grow and sustain itself without overwhelming any one person.
 * **Focus on sustainability**: Building a community is about more than rapid growth.
   Francisco’s approach involves creating a model that is sustainable, making use
   of existing resources and allowing room for organic expansion.
 * **Iterative growth**: Start small and build gradually. Led by started as a newsletter,
   expanded to online events, and eventually grew to include in-person gatherings.
   This iterative approach ensured that every step added value to the community.

### Connect with Francisco

 * [Led by Community Website](https://ledby.community)
 * [Francisco Opazo on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankopazo)