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Have you ever moved to a new city for a fresh start or career move and struggled to meet friends? You aren’t alone! Gabrielle Troyer, Founder of Rooftop Collective, understands that experience and is helping others in the same boat. Continue reading to learn more about Gabrielle’s story, how Rooftop Collective came to be and how you snag a seat at her next New Girls in Town Brunch.
Get to Know Gabrielle Troyer
Career Moves
Gabrielle studied broadcasting in college with a vision of being the next Giuliana Rancic! She loved telling stories, being creative, had an outgoing personality and didn’t mind being on camera. But, as we sometimes set out to study something in college, only then to learn a clearer picture of what it really means to get there - we broaden our scope. At a crossroads, she pivoted her career into digital marketing.
Falling in Love with St. Pete
When Gabrielle and her partner Tyler moved from Sarasota to St. Pete in 2017 for Tyler’s grad school, they immediately fell in love with the area. St. Pete was a vibrant community with a small town feel and had something for everyone. The downside was that they didn’t know many people at the time. They started chatting with people in coffee shops, getting involved with different events and checking out the great restaurants. Gabrielle felt inspired by the energy of the new people she was meeting and the thriving entrepreneurial scene. She wanted to use this inspiration to create content and help showcase the growing area. So on her after hours and weekends she began writing about and taking great pictures of the restaurants or bars they were going to anyway. She started building relationships with local restaurant owners and other content creators in the area. Outside of her digital marketing 9-5, this was fueling her creative passions.
Cue Rooftop Collective
Before she knew it her blogs, posts and stories became what is now Rooftop Collective. It became the place people can check for new restaurants, bars and venues opening up. A place to find out what’s happening in town over the weekend. A collective place for new or current residents in town to get inspiration and truly take advantage of all the unique things happening in the area. A place to bring people together in a social vs professional networking way so they feel they can be their weekend selves. Rooftop Collective facilitates a welcoming space for people to get to know all wonderful things about the St. Pete/Tampa Bay area and the opportunity to build a community for themselves (without feeling like an awkward adult trying to make new friends)!
New Girls in Town Brunch
Gabrielle met another content creator and Tampa Bay makeup artist, Megan Panwar, who had a shared idea of creating an event for girls who are looking to make new friends. They wanted an event that could be casual, but still glamorous and allow people to connect with each other. The New Girls in Town Brunch was born! They put the word out and made a reservation. Two simple actions like that can create a big opportunity to bring local people together. The inaugural event went so well they decided to make it a recurring event. If you would like to attend the next brunch submit your contact information here. You will be contacted with the next opportunity and RSVPs are on a first come first serve basis.
Volunteer with Rooftop Collective
Gabrielle leads Rooftop Collective with the mindset of making an intentional impact and giving back to the community. While the area continues to grow, she knows that creates even more of an opportunity to give back. It can be intimidating to show up as a newbie to an event in town or even a restaurant alone, but it can feel the same way attending volunteer events without knowing anyone. Her newest initiative sets out to bridge that gap. Meet new friends and help support your community by volunteering with Rooftop Collective.
If you also know of any organizations that could use volunteers, please email Gabrielle@Rooftop-Collective.com.
What’s Next for Rooftop Collective?
Gabrielle’s favorite part about founding Rooftop Collective is the collaborative opportunities it has created. As her brand gains traction, she wants to use the relationships she has built to create more positive opportunities in the St. Pete community ecosystem. She would love to collaborate with local photographers to help new restaurants showcase their menu and build hype before it opens. She’d love to host and plan more events.
It can be difficult to manage all of the moving pieces - think event coordination, outreach, posting, writing, engaging etc…- in addition to her digital marketing 9-5, but she truly loves it. In the future she hopes that Rooftop Collective can turn into just that - a growing collective of people building community and finding new ways to make an impact locally.
To stay up to date with Gabrielle and all fun things St. Pete/Tampa Bay, follow Rooftop Collective on Instagram or visit her website to learn more.
Listen to our full conversation on my podcast St. Pete Soul that goes into more detail about overcoming imposter syndrome, navigating the pros and cons of social media and tips about prioritizing your mental health while running a social platform.