VoyageATL: Meet Ryan Wilson of The Gathering Spot

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Wilson.

TGS was born in a Washington, DC apartment by co-founders Ryan Wilson and TK Petersen in 2014. Frustrated with an inability to find “space and community”, the two partners came up with a concept that would “gather” people from all walks of life under one roof with a unique mix of activities. The two immediately went into a search for the right market and settled on Atlanta. Fast forward two years of raising capital, planning and real estate searches, Ryan and TK found a perfect home in the Northyards Business Park, which was once known as the Southern Railway North Avenue Yards. The Southern Railways company first established the complex in 1911, as a turntable rail yard. Now housed inside of a historical railroad landmark, The Gathering Spot opened its doors March 2016 and quickly established itself as a home for Atlanta’s creators, disruptors, entrepreneurs, executives, artists and forward thinkers who want to elevate their professional and social lives.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, there were several challenges to get the business established. We had to raise over $3million and completely design the space from top to bottom. We thought that the project could be completed for $1million but as the price of the project increased so do the amount of money we had to raise.

Please tell us about The Gathering Spot.
The Gathering Spot is an innovative, private, members-only city club that brings together a motivated and diverse community of professionals, creatives and entrepreneurs. Members will benefit from a 24/7 alternative work and social environment, complete with stimulating events, concierge services, integrated technology and a full-service restaurant and bar.

We are known for our unique approach to programming. Each month we build over 20 member events that appeal to our members professional and social interests. We also are known for the unique group of people that utilize the club every day. Our club is very diverse and what sets us apart from others is how intentional our team is in curating our membership community. We don’t invite everyone to become a part of the community and it is part of what sets us apart. As a result, some of our members are some of the most influential people in Atlanta. Our community is 1/3 corporate, 1/3 creative, and 1/3 entrepreneurial.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I moved a lot as a child but one memory that sticks out is when we first moved back to Atlanta in 1996. The Olympics were going on when we moved and I remember going to several of the events with my family. Awesome time.

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