Pitch-A-Friend Milwaukee; new opportunity for singles to connect

MILWAUKEE - When you’re looking for love, it’s always good to have a wingman; someone who is there to hype you up and help you land a date. There’s a new way of finding a partner that’s taking that concept to a new level. It involves you, your best friend and a room full of strangers.

Singles fill the bar at Uncle Buck’s in downtown Milwaukee. People in the room are trying to find that special person who checks all the boxes.

"I am a single woman looking for someone in this town," Jessica Garza said.

People are searching for a face-to-face connection that seems to have disappeared in a modern dating world.

"There’s so many apps, there’s so many options, it’s almost like information overloaded," Kyle Grossmeyer said. "That it’s kind of tough out there."

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The people inside the bar are muting their apps for the night and are focused on what’s in front of them.

"At a certain point, it’s exhausting to say the least," Brittney Sockwell said. "Swiping and never meeting people. Never meeting them in person."

Brittney Sockwell

Sockwell is helping people step outside of their comfort zones and introducing them to Pitch-A-Friend. It’s exactly what it sounds like.

"This is my friend. This is their interests or their hobbies," Sockwell explained. "This is what they’re looking for in a partner. These are things they’re not looking for in a partner."

The idea started in Philadelphia and saw success. It’s expanded in cities throughout the world from London and Hong Kong to Boston, and it’s now in Milwaukee for the first time.

"It’s an opportunity to not only be creative, it’s an opportunity to show your friend how much you care about them, how much you love them, how much you want to succeed in life," Sockwell said.

Friends essentially sell their friends to the room, explaining their likes and dislikes, quirks and ticks – all in a 5-minute slideshow presentation.

"I got a targeted Instagram ad and I was like absolutely, we have to do this," presenter Matt Feinberg said.

Feinberg and his friend Ryan Gerke couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

"Honestly, there was no second thought for me. I was like let’s give it a shot," Gerke said.

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The friends have struggled at finding real connections online. They’ve run into ghosting, the superficial and those just not looking for something long-term.

"This is a really good chance to really meet someone and see just beyond their looks. Are they funny? Do we think there’s real compatibility?" Feinberg said.

They set aside any fears of public speaking as they got up in front of the bar and pitched each other to the room. Close to a dozen others hyped up their friends as well.

"They are a great reflection of who you are, what your values are, your character, kind of who you surround yourself with," Sockwell said.

At the end of the night, there are obvious connections. People see sparks that can only fly with that in-person meeting, even if they need a little help from a friend.

"I’m really hoping at the very least people walk away just feeling kind of renewed of knowing what the possibilities are in life," Sockwell said.

Brittney Sockwell

The next Pitch-A-Friend event will be on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Uncle Buck’s. If you miss that one, there is one on Valentine’s Day.