Social Group For Anxious, Neurodivergent People Launching In Sarasota

SARASOTA, FL — As a young man with autism, Michigan native David Good had difficulty meeting people and making friends.

All this changed when he decided to break free from the isolation, launching the West Michigan Geeks group in 2014 and transforming his life. Now, he has a number of close friends both across the U.S. and the world.

“I was so angry for being so bullied and I thought all people were awful,” Good told Patch. “And then after I started going to some meetups, started my own group, I’m like, oh, not all people are awful. I’ve just been around the wrong people all my life. People couldn’t understand me.”

Ever since, he’s been dedicated to helping others like himself who have a hard time connecting with others through International Friend Connection, the global organization he fouded to offer a safe space for shy, socially anxious and neurodivergent people hoping to find community.

“Everybody’s thinking the same lies that their brain tells them, that people aren’t gonna like you, that people are gonna make fun of you, that people are gonna be mean to you,” he said.

The organization has 38 groups in 22 countries and, now, Good is bringing it to Sarasota.

The first meeting takes place Friday, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Starbucks at Barnes & Noble, 4010 S. Tamiami Trail. RSVP for the event here.

Good, who is visiting his aunt in Sarasota, will attend the first meeting. After that, he hopes to find someone local who might lead the group for him. Ideally, it would meet weekly.

The meetups are a great way to connect with like-minded people and rewire the brain for social interaction. It takes time, though, he warned, so those attending shouldn’t expect to see changes overnight.

“The main mistake people do is they come once and then they get home, they’re like, ‘Oh, I didn’t make three, four friends or five, six friends,’ [and] never come back. And you know, total unrealistic expectation,” he said. “You need to give it a few months of coming every week and then your nervous system will see it as safe, and people will feel you relaxed and then it’ll be easier to connect with people, because connecting with people is all about exchanging feelings with people, and if you’re super nervous, if you’re super anxious, it’s hard to do so."

He added, "You just got to train your nervous system first, calm down and be ok. That’s why I’m a huge fan of acceptance commitment therapy techniques. They got those techniques to help retrain the nervous system and take action while being uncomfortable.”

At its peak, International Friend Connection had 50 groups around the world, more than 40,000 members and a volunteer team of more than 100 organizers.

Good’s community building work has generated more than $5 million in measurable social return on investment, including mental health improvements, volunteer time and economic activity, he said.

He’s focused on mentorship, and inspiring and empowering new leaders who are neurodivergent or socially anxious, as well.

Between his personal investment and member donations, he’s been able to build this global network on less than $10,000.

This caught the eye of Meetup CEO David Siegel, who invited Good to speak at the company’s 20th anniversary celebration.

He’s also been formally recognized with multiple Presidential Service medals, was named a Point of Light by the foundation created by President George H.W. Bush, and has been featured on ABC, NBC, and FOX for his efforts to address the loneliness epidemic, he said.

Now, Good's goal is to create a nonprofit out of the International Friend Connection so he can expand his reach even further.