On Monday, March 12, one day into Tech Week at SXSW, Atlanta-based private membership club The Gathering Spot, announced D.C. as the next location for the first outpost of their community-driven collaborative space.
Hosted at the ChooseATL house at Maggie Mae’s in downtown Austin, Ryan Wilson—co-founder of The Gathering Spot—along with rapper/actor Clifford “T.I.” Harris joined ChooseATL’s Ashley Cleveland for a panel discussion about the club’s expansion.
Founders of popular Atlanta-based co-working space The Gathering were joined by rapper/actor Clifford “T.I..” Harris at SXSW in Austin, Texas, where they announced plans for a Washington D.C. expansion. (Courtesy / The Gathering Spot)
Also present at the event were artist/actor Common, actor Jason Mitchell, singer/actor Jacob Latimore, and Wu-Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck.
Before the big announcement, Wilson explained how he and his co-founder TK Petersen saw a need for a common space for creators, disruptors, entrepreneurs, and executives to gather together to share ideas, experiences and drive innovative growth and development.
Ryan Wilson – The Gathering Spot Co-Founder, Clifford “T.I.” Harris, TK Petersen — The Gathering Spot Co-Founder (Courtesy / The Gathering Spot)
hat need birthed The Gathering Spot, an invitation-only private club that fosters community and curated a new narrative for the thriving city of Atlanta.
Harris, who holds membership in the club, provided an explanation as to why he wanted to help expand the club nationally. According to Harris, an expansion to D.C. will enable The Gathering Spot to “replicate the profound culture and influence” that Wilson and Petersen have been able to capture in his native city.
Wilson agreed and also stressed that cultivating a creative space like The Gathering Spot underscores the importance of protecting the creative mind and providing an environment where some of the most groundbreaking ideas can come to fruition.
“Expansion has always been a part of the vision and I could not be more excited to grow our community in such a vibrant city,” Wilson explained. “After looking across the country for our next location, Washington D.C. was a natural choice for us. It is the city where my co-founder (Petersen) and I met while attending Georgetown and a place that we consider a second home.”
“The people of D.C. have the same passion for community and collaborative spaces that we found in Atlanta and we cannot wait to become a part of what makes the city special,” he continued. “We’ve already started building our D.C. community with diverse individuals from many different backgrounds and fields. We are looking forward to continuing our efforts to grow the community and open the club’s third facility in the near future.”
Immediately following the panel discussion, T.I. along with rising star, Tokyo Jetz, and Texas rapper Trae Tha Truth, took to the performance stage for a full-on concert. Grammy award-winning DJ and music executive Kawan “KP The Great” Prather spun classic hip-hop hits as guests danced the night away.
(Courtesy / The Gathering Spot)