Ryan Wilson is the co-founder and CEO of The Gathering Spot, a private club and community built to empower Black professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs. An Atlanta native, Ryan opened TGS at just 24 years old alongside his Co-Founder TK Petersen, creating a space where culture, connection, and collaboration come first. With locations across the country, his mission stays rooted in building Black excellence and making sure our stories and successes are always front and center.
You knew from an early age that you wanted to become an attorney, but when you received the idea for the Gathering Spot those dreams changed. How did you navigate the decision to pursue entrepreneurship after law school, and what were your thoughts or emotions around not applying your degree in the conventional legal field?
RW: I always wanted to be an attorney, ultimately the goal for me there was about trying to be helpful. When I looked inside of my community, it felt like a lot of the folks that I deeply respected that were doing the type of work that I could imagine myself doing had law degrees. So I pursued that path for a really long time. All the way through college I was a government sociology double major, which for me was just prep for law school and then I went to law school and it's funny how life changes and how it comes at you really in unexpected moments. I was working at a law firm between 1L and 2L. That was the same summer that George Zimmerman was on trial for Trayvon Martin's murder and to make a very long story short. I've been doing some community work in DC and so that network of folks emailed me and said, “What are we going to do?" when he was acquitted of Trayvon Martin's murder. I responded back to them saying that we needed a physical place to be able to have the conversation and that I had an idea for what that place could look and feel like. That was the summer of 2013 and the start of The Gathering Spot.
I didn't expect to be an entrepreneur. You asked about the emotions that I had, I was fortunate or am fortunate that my parents are entrepreneurs. So I knew a little bit about what that process could feel or look like. But separating myself from every idea of my future was difficult at moments. I was the president of the Black Law Students Association at Georgetown and most folks that have that role take on an opportunity in the legal field. So it was interesting going around telling people that I was not going to practice law after law school and that I was going to become an entrepreneur. At the end of the day I'm a person that believes that when you're passionate about something, you can't treat that thing as random and you have to be a good steward of the assignment. So the fact that I couldn't shake this idea and it was something that I woke up with and went to sleep with, that to me was the signal that I needed to keep going.
Co-Founders Ryan and TK speak to the community at The Gathering Spot. (Credit: Miguel Martinez)
In a 2024 interview, you mentioned that, “College is the last place you have access to it all.” What advice would you give to college students about how they can make the most of their environment and fully tap into the opportunities around them?
RW: Invest in relationships. There's an academic experience that you're having and like please invest in that too, you need to spend time making sure that you are learning all that you can learn in the classroom. But I am a big believer that part of what you're going to leave with in some ways is as important are the relationships with the people that you were able to be with throughout these years. Far too often people don't appreciate that until it's over and you left a lot of good opportunity on the table. What you'll find over time is that if you study the lives of anybody that you deem to be successful. A lot of times I don't believe that anyone gets anywhere without people almost by definition, it requires other folks to be a part of the journey. A lot of times those are going to be people that knew you and were with you. Those who saw you in a totally different context or a totally different time period in your life but because they saw you show up, the way that you showed up, they know that you'll be a good fit for this new opportunity at their company or whatever. So take that seriously, because it matters how you're engaging right now. It’s going to play a role in what happens next.
“I had a mentor years ago that told me, you have to overwhelm the problem and if the problem in this context is being an introvert. Well I've got to overwhelm that with doing everything that I can to be prepared.”
- Ryan Wilson
Knowing that you’re naturally introverted, how did you push past that to embrace building connections and networking? What advice would you offer to young adults who feel intimidated walking into rooms where they’re unsure of themselves or uncertain about the value they bring?
RW: What I try to keep at the forefront of my mind during and going into any experience that I'm about to have is how can I show up as the best version of myself. I also try to stay very well aware of whatever goals that I have. Why that is important is because I cannot allow me being an introvert to be the barrier between where I am and where I want to go, it's just that simple. One of my favorite quotes in life, I say it to myself every single day is, “Do you really want to win or look good losing?” Well, if I really want to win, then being an introvert can't be the limiting factor. Now, I might go take breaks, I have all different strategies on how I would maybe navigate different situations. But that is not the same thing as allowing it to overcome you. I had a mentor years ago that told me, you have to overwhelm the problem and if the problem in this context is being an introvert, well I've got to overwhelm that with doing everything that I can to be prepared. As uncomfortable as I can be, if I stay focused on what I'm actually trying to achieve, that actually subsides all of the nerves or whatever I'm feeling becomes less important. And over time, you'll practice and it'll get better. Know that the more you do anything, it doesn't really matter what it is, you'll get more comfortable at doing it. So use it as what it is, it's a superpower, but it can't be a limiting factor either.
Co-founders Ryan Wilson (left) and TK Petersen (All rights reserved to owner)
You and your co-founder TK received 97 no’s before getting your first yes. You’ve talked about how, early on, people couldn’t quite see the vision, but you and TK never lost sight of it. What would you tell someone who has an idea that seems “too big” or “too different” from what they see around them?
RW: Visions aren't random, I really do believe that they're assigned to you for a reason. I only get a chance to do life one time, I'm not here to live out your vision, I'm here to live out mine. That's not a selfish comment, it goes back to this very simple principle. If you don't get a do-over in life, then I can't live with the idea that I need to be following what some other person said and you got to ask yourself, “Who wrote these rules around what is going to be successful and what isn't?” Almost by definition, if something is disruptive, then you should not have been able to see it before, it should be novel. So if people do not get it, that’s actually more of a signal that you might be doing something unique than it is a signal that you're doing something wrong. If it's something that you've gone through the process of really trying to understand and you think it's a good idea. You are as capable and as competent as anybody else is because by definition, if it was easy to understand and see, then someone probably should have done it already. You've got to carry that confidence and there are going to be a bunch of people that say no, but that's a part of the game and that's okay. It should be seen as more confirmation, and that's how I looked at it. The worst thing that happens is I try something else, that really is the worst thing that is going to end up happening, especially at this stage of the game. I don't know who's writing all these rules and why we're following all of them as if they are some sort of official process, but all of this stuff is being contested every single day. If you look in the business and entrepreneurial world, there's disruption that is always around the corner. So you might be the person that's seeing what's ahead and that's the goal.
What role does representation play in helping the next generation believe that their dreams and aspirations are truly possible?
RW: It's hard to become something that you haven't seen before but it's not impossible, I've been super clear there. It's not impossible to become something you haven't seen before, but it's harder to become something that you haven't seen before. So exposure is everything. If you're in college right now, you've got a cousin that you can go talk to right now about that experience and be helpful. If you're the cousin that's in high school, you've got somebody in elementary school that you can go and be helpful to. So it's more about always trying to take what you have had the benefit of being able to see and sharing it with as many people as you can. Knowing that is ultimately especially as black folks, the only way that we're going to get there — wherever there is going to be. So I take it as a responsibility, for those that have had any sort of opportunity to see anything, go out and make sure that other people will be able to say the same.
Want to hear more amazing stories like this? Check out our “More of Us” series! If you want to connect with Ryan and support the work he is doing, follow him on social at @spotonrw and @thegatheringspots, support his business The Gathering Spot.