Want More Adventurous Friends? Try MiTribe
Julie Bitely
| 3 min read
Have you ever wanted to go on an adventure, but couldn’t find the right friends to share it with?
Two Detroit-based young professionals have the solution. It’s called MiTribe and it’s the brainchild of Amanda Knaebel and Carly Getz, who are coworkers in downtown Detroit.
MiTribe founders Carly Getz, left, and Amanda Knaebel. Photo credit: markhoustonphotography.com
“MiTribe is about mixing it up. It’s about meeting new people, exploring new places and experiencing new things,” Getz said.
Aimed at 20- to 30-somethings who live in Michigan, the community plans outings and experiences in the co-founders’ stomping grounds of southeast Michigan and beyond. An upcoming tubing trip on the Au Sable River will take adventurers to the northern Lower Peninsula. Since starting the group in June via a Facebook page, the community has swelled to include almost 1,300 people as of this writing.
It all started as Knaebel was preparing for a solo international trip she had booked through Under 30 Experiences. She was excited to meet other young people who shared her interests and a conversation with Getz planted a seed to bring the idea closer to home.
“We started talking about how cool the concept was and how it would be awesome to have something like that locally,” Knaebel explained. “Not having to convince your friends to do something you want to do, but finding friends who are just as excited and geeked out about it as you are.”
Group outings are designed for single people as well as married, established or new to the area. The ground rules for joining the group? “Be awesome. Be positive. Don’t sell stuff here (but do share if it’s really cool and related).”
MiTribe’s first official outing. (Courtesy photo)
A Detroit Cycle Pub inaugural event sold out quickly and attracted a diverse crowd. As a group, everyone decided on an impromptu dinner and Knaebel remembers a pinch-me moment.
“When you looked around the table, these people who had started as strangers just a few hours earlier were completely engrossed in conversation like they had been friends for years. That was exactly what we wanted,” she said.
It’s been gratifying for the group’s founders to see people make new friends through the community they’ve created and to get excited about everything Michigan has to offer. Knaebel said members are able to break out of their routine and connect with others who share their interests.
“MiTribe gives us the opportunity to find our hiking buddy, find our foodie friend or just find someone that pushes you to try something you never even thought you’d do,” she said.
People in their 20s and 30s are figuring out their careers, getting married and starting families. Life is busy, but Getz hopes MiTribe pushes members to seek out new experiences in their community and around the state.
“We sometimes forget that this is the prime time in our life to get out, to explore and to experience new things,” she said. “For me, MiTribe is helping me get out and do all the things I want to do.”
What’s next for the group? A recent survey sent out to members mentioned ideas such as white water rafting, conquering an ice luge, skydiving, wine tours, music festivals and much, much more. Knaebel is confident they won’t run out of ideas for outings anytime soon.
“One of my pet peeves is when people tell me there’s nothing to do in Michigan,” Knaebel said. “I have lived here my entire life and I still have an entire bucket list of things I want to do and explore.”
Learn more about the MiTribe community and upcoming events here.
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Photo credit (feature image): rawpixel.com
