The Eight Connect is a community-powered network and digital platform designed to help Evanston residents, community leaders, entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and institutions find the people, knowledge, opportunities, and resources they need to move good ideas forward.

The Eight Connect combines relationship-centered gatherings with an accessible digital hub where community members can discover resources, share opportunities, identify collaborators, learn about events, and remain connected between in-person convenings.

Evanston is rich in talent, experience, organizations, and opportunity, yet access to those assets is often fragmented and shaped by personal relationships, institutional familiarity, and proximity to power. Black residents and others historically excluded from established networks may be doing important work while remaining disconnected from the information, collaborators, funding, and decision-making spaces that could strengthen their impact.

The Eight Connect makes Evanston’s existing assets more visible, accessible, and connected.