Midland runs on relationships more than most cities its size, and the fastest way into a room here is usually through an organization rather than a cold email. Here are a few of the groups people join, and who each one is built for.
The Midland Chamber of Commerce
The Midland Chamber of Commerce sits at 303 W Wall Street, Suite 200, on the second floor of the Bank of America building downtown.
The Chamber is the widest net in town. Membership covers everything from sole proprietors to the largest employers in the Basin, and its programming runs year-round: ribbon cuttings, training sessions, member mixers, and its “State of” luncheon series, which includes State of Healthcare, State of Education, State of Oil and Gas, and State of Midland. The Chamber also runs the 20 Under 40 recognition program and publishes The Midland Guide.
If you’re new in town or newly self-employed and only picking one group, this is the one most people start with, mainly because the other organizations tend to orbit it.
Young Professionals of Midland (YPM)
Young Professionals of Midland is a Chamber program for people ages 21 to 40 who live or work in Midland. The Chamber relaunched it in late 2023 with a nine-person steering committee, and within its first year it drew more than 150 individual members plus about a dozen corporate members.
The focus is professional and leadership development, peer networking, and community involvement, which in practice means a mix of social mixers, service projects, and speaker events. Details are at midland.biz/ypm.
One note for newcomers searching online: there is a similarly named group called MYPros, but it belongs to Midland, Michigan. YPM is the Midland, Texas one.
Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
The Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce operates from 208 S Marienfeld Street and focuses on connecting, developing, and promoting Hispanic-owned and community-focused businesses in Midland. It runs its own ribbon cuttings, member events, and business development programming, and it is frequently the organization welcoming a new local restaurant or shop to town. The site is midlandhcc.com.
Female Entrepreneurs of Midland (FEM)
Female Entrepreneurs of Midland is a community of women who own businesses or work in professional roles, organized around networking events, educational programming, mentorship, and partnerships. It has grown into one of the more visible small-business groups in town and is a regular fixture in the local entrepreneur scene. The site is supportfem.com.
FEM founders Lauren Howard and Kimberly Whitten have been guests on the Best of Midland podcast, if you want the longer version of how it got started.
Uptown Midland Business and Professional Women
Uptown Midland Business and Professional Women, usually shortened to BPW, is one of the older professional women’s organizations in town. Its stated purpose is to support members’ professional lives through networking, community volunteering, and recognizing member accomplishments. It runs on a regular meeting cadence rather than one-off events, which suits people who prefer a consistent group to a rotating crowd.
Referral Networking: BNI
BNI (Business Network International) operates structured referral chapters where each member holds an exclusive seat for their profession and the group passes referrals to one another. Midland falls under BNI Big Country, which also covers Odessa, Big Spring, San Angelo, and Abilene. Chapters meet weekly, usually early morning, and the format is more disciplined than a mixer: everyone gives a short presentation, referrals get tracked, and attendance is expected.
This is the option for people whose business actually runs on referrals, like insurance, real estate, home services, and financial planning. Find current Midland chapters through bni.com’s chapter locator.
Founders Blend
Founders Blend is a free monthly meetup for business owners and startup founders. The group gets together one Wednesday morning a month over coffee, usually at Second Story Coworking, to talk through what’s working in their businesses, what isn’t, and to celebrate the new businesses getting off the ground. It’s open to the public, and its community partners include the Midland Chamber of Commerce and Midland Development Corporation.
If you’re early in building something and want a room full of people who get it, this is one of the easiest ways in. Check their Instagram, @foundersblendmidland, for the next date, since it’s updated more often than the website.
Where the Informal Networking Happens
Not all of it is organized. Coworking spaces function as networking on a slow drip, since you end up next to people building other things. Midland has several, including Second Story, whose founders Brian and Kelly Davis have talked on the podcast about the community side of running one.
The Midland College Business and Economic Development Center offers small business advising and training for people at the earlier stage, before joining a dues-paying organization makes sense.
This is not a complete list of what’s out there. Industry associations, service clubs, church-based business groups, and informal breakfast crews all exist here and most of them never show up in a search result.
Keep exploring: A Guide to Starting a Business in Midland, Texas, Coworking Spaces in Midland for Remote Workers, and A Guide to Local Makers and Brands in Midland.
Frequently Asked Questions
What business networking groups are in Midland, Texas?
The main ones are the Midland Chamber of Commerce, Young Professionals of Midland, the Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Female Entrepreneurs of Midland, Uptown Midland Business and Professional Women, BNI referral chapters, and Founders Blend, a free monthly coffee meetup for founders.
Where is the Midland Chamber of Commerce located?
303 W Wall Street, Suite 200, on the second floor of the Bank of America building in downtown Midland.
What is Young Professionals of Midland?
YPM is a Midland Chamber of Commerce program for professionals ages 21 to 40 who live or work in Midland. It relaunched in late 2023 and focuses on leadership development, networking, and community involvement.
Is there a networking group for women business owners in Midland?
Yes. Female Entrepreneurs of Midland (FEM) serves women founders and professionals, and Uptown Midland Business and Professional Women is a longer-running professional women’s organization.
Which Midland networking group is right for a new business owner?
It depends on how your business gets customers. Chamber membership gives the broadest exposure, BNI is built for referral-driven trades, FEM or YPM narrow the room to a specific peer group, and Founders Blend is a free, low-pressure way to meet other founders first.
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