Came here for a book launch and the place did not disappoint. The event I went to had pretty tight…read moresecurity, including a metal detector wand and two dedicated staff. Most of the panels/conversations happen on the top floor, which you'd think it would be big but it's actually quite intimate. Bathrooms were very clean and there was even a reception area right outside of the auditorium where they would serve beverages and allow the crowd to mingle. If you are in SF, I would definitely consider a membership to this group, even if it trends a little bit older.

New, modern, sleek clean venue with some great talks, speakers, hosts, and views…read more The volunteers were wonderful and helpful. Security was kind as well. Great location near the water. Would come back!

What a great group. Supportive, fun, creative people who are all on the same journey to be better…read morecommunicators and public speakers. Super helpful not just with work but outside work too in terms of building relationships and making friends.

My first visit was around February of 2013. I was nervous. Nervous to be there and worried that I…read morewould have to speak. The group was warm and inviting. I did not have to speak on my first visit, other that to introduce myself. Over the following months, I got my courage up. I have completed many short speeches, and my nervousness has gone from a earth shaking roar to a manageable occasional rumble. And it is fun! Not only has my ability to speak in public improved dramatically, but I have learned to be a better listener, I have met new friends, and I have found a creative outlet for writing and storytelling, Meetings are in an art studio in Oakland's Warehouse District, know for its eclectic art studios and nightlife - Only blocks from downtown Oakland with plenty of free parking. I highly recommend that you visit Warehouse Toastmastes. You will be glad you did!

Just follow the fog and it'll take you to the Young Filipino Professional Association. (you know…read morethe joke...why Daly City is so foggy?...'cause of all the steam from the rice cookers.) Their 1st Wed. mixers this month lead me to Faz. Since I am a virgin to this group they wanted to highlight me by giving a star on my name badge...a little childish, but okay, I'll play along. As I scoped the room I realized I wasn't the only realtor, there was an abundance of us. In every cluster of people I spoke with, there was at least ONE other realtor. It was totally cool because we would share "war stories." Overall, they were very welcoming and encouraging, even with competition. Surprisingly they welcomed non-Filipinos, which I thought was pretty cool.

Some of the venues YFPA picks for their mixers are not five star worthy but the company and people…read morethat attend are definitely worth the five stars. I joined the group in hopes of building a more solid professional network. When I first attended one of their events, I did not feel like an outsider at all. I made new friends and business partners and everybody was easy to talk to. I actually noticed some of the members go up to people who are a bit more shy and included them in a conversation. The members are all friendly and approachable. The association also tries to come up with volunteer events for members each month. I think it's a great way to get to know other members and give back to society. They have a professional mixer every first Wednesday of each month. Members of YFPA pay $35 for a year's worth of membership. If you are not a member and just want to drop in at one of the mixers, you have to pay a $5 cover. They only do that to help support the group since it's a non-profit organization that helps connect professionals. I think it's worth the $35 if you plan on attending more than 7 mixers within the year. For each those mixers they pick a different venue and they usually showcase/partner up with another professional association. Just like what another reviewer said, you don't have to be Filipino to attend. If you like networking and meeting new people, you should definitely check out one of their mixers.

Everybody's got a story. Not everybody wants to stand in front of a roomful of people and tell…read moretheir story but that's what those audience chairs are for. When people ask me if Porchlight is good I give my standard line: There's nothing better than a good story well told. At Porchlight, SF's original story-telling venue (12 years running), center stage is reserved for 10-minute, pre-vetted stories told without notes. Pre-vetted doesn't mean that the stories can't jump the rails 8 minutes in but even when they do, it's worth watching and listening to. I've yet to have a bad time at this monthly Verdi Club event. The same goes for Porchlight Open Door, a more recent entry into the Porchlight oeuvre. Hosted by the same hilarious originators as Porchlight the Mothership, Open Door is a smaller event that lets audience members tell 5-minute stories on a pre-selected theme. Even if the story is a bomb (rare) it's 5-minutes max; You can hack it. If you decide to tell a story centered around the monthly theme arrive well before the 7 p.m. start time, find the hostess (Arline), and add your name to the list. Some months story-teller slots fill up early; some months the hosts are begging for more. And even if your story barely fits the theme nobody's going to shut you down. Open Door stories aren't pre-vetted. Anything can happen. A winner, selected by whimsy, is entitled to $50 plus a bag of hot nuts, and every storyteller gets a chit for a free drink. Alcohol makes all stories better, no? Yes. Open Door shows are held in a small back-room at the Hemlock Tavern on the last Monday of the month at 7 p.m. Admission is $5. and it's pretty much the best entertainment out there at that price point. It's an even better value if you get yourself up on stage to work out your issues: Cheaper than a shrink and far more entertaining.

The Francisca Club is gorgeous and a great piece of San Francisco history!…read more We were lucky enough to host our annual mother-daughter event here for Spinsters of San Francisco. I believe that you can only hold event here if you know someone who is a member of this all-ladies club. We enjoyed a high-tea with amazing tea, champagne, and "tea bites." We also had the chance to explore the building a little bit and there seemed to be beauty around every corner; I especially loved the library! If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Francisca Club, I'd recommend saying a resounding "YES!!!"

I've driven past this place countless times and never really paid too much attention to it…read more Apparently it's owned by an elite women's social club that brings in literary giants and does a lot of philanthropic work... so when I went to a holiday party here, it looked like you'd expect. Gorgeous ceilings, tall bookcases, heavy drapes... we even had a little old piano player in the corner. After cocktails we headed upstairs for dinner, and the room seated our 80-person party quite nicely. It'd be a great place to have future events, but I'm sure it costs a pretty penny.

Excellent space to create. Calm, quiet, with plenty of natural light. Brittany and Joey welcomed me…read moreand helped me get set up. I was able to get a lot of art work done in this space and had fun in the process. It is also cool that they're centrally located. Lots of fun restaurants and cafes to visit nearby. Thanks Brittany and Joey!

I used to be a Toastmaster in the East Bay and was looking for a new group to join when I moved…read morecloser to Marin. I visited a couple of groups and landed in this group. From the moment I entered the room, I could feel lots of great energy. everyone was very friendly and I felt very at home. I've been a member now at this club for about 2 years. Toastmasters is a very safe place to improve my speaking skills, learn new skills and become part of larger organization that has tremendous resources for leadership and professional speaking. I highly recommend Toastmasters to anyone who wants to improve their presentation, speaking and communication skills.

Initially I joined this club because its president was someone in my profession and I wanted to…read morelearn from her. Once there, I thought, "Maybe this will help me learn to talk -- to open my mouth and speak in public instead of hiding behind my preferred form of communication -- writing." I'm still here, years later, because club 1441 is one of hundreds of thousands in a worldwide organization that provides a step-by-step program in speaking and leadership that will take you as far as you want to go -- to develop your skills in the local club, or belong to two or three clubs at once and zoom through the program, or work to attain Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM, the highest-level award) and compete in the international competition for Worldwide Champion of Public Speaking. Our DTM advanced to the international competition (eight of the best speakers in the world) three times, and came in second once. She started with us, branched out, and now serves as our secretary and "raise-the-bar-way-up-high" member and mentor. When she speaks, you see the results of years of hard work and training from all the organization's top coaches. When she presents, I watch and listen so hard, to learn from her, that my eyes and ears hurt! The thing is, everyone finds a place, and from there grows and evolves into astonishingly developed versions of themselves. In fact, Toastmasters was founded by Ralph Smedley, in the early 20th century, as a YMCA self-development program for boys. Some clubs are specific to the employees of a company. Some are for advanced speakers. Ours is a community club, which results in a great diversity of personalities and professions, all cross-pollinating. Serious learning in a party atmosphere among people who become like family -- that might be a shorter way to describe Southern Marin Toastmasters, Club 1441, Mill Valley. And, oh yes, I did learn to speak in public, and to really listen!

If you are straight and you do not mind playing softball with gay men, Then give this a try. You do…read morenot have to be gay to play in this leauge. They have divisions for your level of play. I came in to this leauge to play ball, and met some very nice gentlemen along the way. It's fun, and then you get treated to drinks at the bar.

Great experience, minus one star for the catty 'player rating' process. Beer beer and more beer,…read moreJello Shots at fundraisers, It's like college all over again! Seriously, some nice folks, a little 'iffy' politics and outdoor fun.