The IMA is comprised of mycologists and laypeople from all walks of life who share a common interest in the study of mushrooms. Individual members often have specific areas of interest and expertise, including mushroom foraging, taxonomy, cultivation, mycoremediation, mycorrhizas, medical mycology, yeasts, lichens, food spoilage, fermented foods, plant diseases, symbioses with animals, and edible, poisonous, and entheogenic fungi. If you are new to mushrooming, joining a mushroom club will give …

Engage with other women entrepreneurs in the Chicago Area! Created by Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence to bring together established women business owners, M3 Meetups support post-startup entrepreneurs to grow their businesses to the next level. Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is the leading national not-for-profit provider of resources, business education and community support for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow micro businesses to million dollar enterprises. Coun …

This has been a group for stay-at-home mom and part-time working mom attorneys who would like to sharpen their legal skills while serving the public good by doing pro bono work.  It is in transition/looking for a leader to affirmatively post events, since the original leader is moving out-of-state.  If you are interested in taking on an active organizer role, please contact Anne Greenfield. The original plan was to give attorney-moms a life apart from crying babies, a community of like-minded wo …

This group is an adjunct to the Chicago Professional Photographers Association. CPPA has been an active professional organization providing education and community for professional photographers in greater Chicago. We are adding this meetup group as a way to reach out to aspiring photographers looking for a a resource for learning, and networking. In addition to monthly meeting announcements, this meetup group will be used to offer workshops and seminars on a wide variety of photographic techniq …

Every Thursday night, Chicago Israeli Folk Dance group meets at Temple Judea Mizpah, 8610 Niles Center Road, Skokie, IL. Teaching for beginners is at 7:30PM. General teaching at 8:15. Requests from 9-11:30PM. Cost is $10 and admission is open to all. No partners required. Predominant age range is from 20-50s but we get 'em younger and older too. Also, please be aware that our group has been dancing for a number of years, so most people found us well before Meetup.com existed. People join us from …

Love beer, volunteering, free tee shirts and fun? This is the meet up for you! We're looking to connect Chicago residents who love giving back to their community as much as they love beer!

Are you interesting in creating a positive, eco-friendly change in Chicago, but need a few more people to join your environmental cause? You have come to the right place! This group's aim is to provide a support network, where we can objectively discuss ideas for green living and create an action plan to put these sustainable ideas in motion for our community.

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance-Greater Chicago, a non-profit self help group of lay persons, endeavors to help people whose lives are affected by mood disorders to better their lives: By offering support groups for members, families and friends. By educating those with the illness, their families and friends. By counteracting the isolation caused by such illness, providing a sense of community, sharing the experience of the illness and its management. By restoring self-esteem so …

Unique Transformational Journey into Matrix Why join? To be in this group is to experience a portal into 5D world, integrating and upgrading both your spirit and earth matter at a light speed. Diving into the Quantum Field of all possibilities initiated extraordinary events in my life. I felt inspired to create a meeting, study and practice space for people that want to experience the power of Matrix Energetics and conscious transformation. Join us for: Monday study groups (second Monday of th …

Join our growing network of veg families who live in Chicago and the suburbs. Our community supports vegetarian and vegan families with kids. We also welcome non-veg families who are interested in the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. Here we will build friendships, share advice and support our families' journeys! This group is meant to be a community group that can connect vegan/vegetarian families within their local neighborhoods, where members can host an event such as a local playdate.  We encour …

The Chicago Veggie Club invites you to have fun and make friends, while exploring veggie restaurants and learning from experts about eating a healthy diet and living a healthy lifestyle. A great way to meet people with your same interests and learn more about how to improve your health and thrive! Learn the latest about nutrition from leading experts locally and from around the country.  Educational programs will include: different vegetarian and healthy diets such as raw, vegan, ayurvedic, ph …

Who ever said not to mix business with pleasure?! We are a group of lively young professionals (under 40) located on Chicago's North Shore that want to truly build relationships with our community. If you're tired of the same old 'sit and exchange business cards' networking events, why not try our group? Have a family to tend to after work? No worries, we have family-friendly events too! We are the NEW way to network... INFUSEd with our spirit, our knowledge, our drive, and our passion to see th …

The Chicago Zen Center was founded in 1974 by a small group of people who were interested in practicing Zen as taught by Philip Kapleau in the Harada-Yasutani tradition. Since then it has grown into a complete practice center, under the guidance of established teachers, offering the full spectrum of Zen training and practice opportunities: daily sittings (most with dokusan or daisan), weekly teishos, a regular schedule of sesshin retreats, and a full complement of Buddhist celebrations and devot …

Meetup at lakes, rivers and streams around Chicagoland to Paddle board/Paddle surf and meet others interested in this great sport and lifestyle.  Come and learn how if you have never tried, or just come out and paddle!

Are you a student, techy, entrepreneur, or weekend-warrior who uses tools from Machine Learning in your research, business applications, or small projects? Would you like to meet like minded people from the Northwestern and Chicago community who work with and develop these tools? Would you like to expand your knowledge of Machine Learning/Data Mining and its applications, and/or get involved in hackathons with a diverse group of data scientists?  Then come check us out! PLEASE RSVP FOR EVENTS SO …

Love the French Language? Your French getting a little rusty? Just looking for people to practice your French and make friends? Vous avez envie d’apprendre le Français dans une ambiance détendue tout en vous amusant? Meet friendly nice people in  a small group with high quality of Conversation. Anyone can speak. That's very calming, relax, and simple. We learne a lot while speaking French. Come have French immersion, and networking,  by joining us now. You will   connect with Native French speak …

Not into online dating?  In your 40's (ish) and like to meet real people?  Want to have conversations with others who are understanding of the place you are in in your life right now ?  Don't want to pay ridiculous fees to attend a "mixer" ?  Neither do we !!! This group is for singles ages 35 to 50 who are looking to socialize in a group atmosphere, friendly, supportively, romantically, whatever, but the point is to get out, and to have fun. If romantic connections are made, awesome!, but frien …

This is a meet up group for people who love to sing or listen bollywood music. The purpose of the group is to bring together people with a common interest (in singing or listening hindi songs) under one roof, and also to bring forth hidden talent of each member in this great divine gift called singing.  Although this site is not just limited for the people who like to sing but it is also the place for those who like to enjoy listening to our great and rich indian music as well. So please join th …

Are you a food blogger or food writer? Food photographer or stylist? Let's meet and be inspired, encouraged and exchange successes, failures, tips and, yes, eat!

Startup Evanston is a venue for building connections between individuals interested in building, developing, and funding high-growth companies in the Evanston area.   We seek to foster and further the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit in this city which Business Week named "one of the top-50 best small cities in the U.S. for start-up businesses." Meetings of the group will provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs, technologists, developers, and investors to develop relationships and explore …

The group joins the LGBT community in what I think is the most diverse and greatest suburb of Chicago. All welcome, no matter where you live.

This group is for people seeking growth through "martial movement". Not as soft or as internal as Tai Chi, and not as hard or external as fighting. Martial Movement through the Way of 4 Elements style provides the participant with a palette of movements which can be used to express their own individual martial personality.

Women living with the chronic pain of vulvodynia wil find support, encouragement, comradery, and information at our meetings. The meetings are run on the guidelines provided by the National Vulvodynia Association (see nva.org) and we meet in the Evanston/Skokie/Rogers Park area. I organize the group but the group's leadership and agendas are run by its members. I started organizing vulvodynia support groups because of the unmet need I see as a licensed clinical social worker in private practice. …

We gather together to study and learn how to apply the thought system of A Course in Miracles. We have weekly study groups and will sometimes have speakers giving workshops about their experiences of the Course. It would be great to have you come and join us!

Looking for like minded people in your neighborhood? Live Food North Shore Community is located in the Northern suburbs of Chicago and we welcome everyone interested, no matter where you live! Want to connect with people who have chosen to live a plant-based, mostly raw/live food lifestyle? Are you simply raw curious? Please join us for classes, potlucks, lectures and networking so we may support each other on this path!

This group is for anyone interested in the CakePHP web development framework. All people with an interest in CakePHP or using CakePHP are welcome. This could include developers who use the framework, contributors to its core, or anyone interested in learning more about it. The goal of this meetup is to create an open space in which we can share our experiences with CakePHP (and MVC in general) and discuss topics related to CakePHP and hopes for the platform.

We will be organizing local speed dating events for all ages. Join the group to be updated when events are scheduled.

This is a group for anyone interested in restoring their health, happiness, and peace with healthy eating, yoga, and meditation. We can meet to discuss best ways to lose weight, control blood sugars, and high blood pressure. Many other medical problems can be controlled or cured with healthy eating and living. We can also do light yoga stretching and meditation training to increase the flexibility and awareness of our body and emotions. I am a registered and licensed nutrition specialist working …