The Networking Group

Home

The Networking Group was founded in 1992 at a local deli on Chicago's North Shore by a handful of individuals committed to helping each other build their respective businesses through the exchange of referrals, leads, and business ideas. From this simple start TNG has grown to over a hundred and forty members, each in a unique, non-competitive service or product. We gather once a month as a group and dozens of times in one-on-one meetings.

The simple concept of helping yourself by helping others has grown to include advanced "Give First" networking techniques, Pay-It-Forward contributions to individuals and groups each month, peer advice on business ideas and marketing, and exposure to resources other members are using in their organizations. Each month TNG makes a deep and often profound difference in the lives of the members and the future of their businesses.

TNG is Chicago's premier Business Networking Group.

Featured member

Upcoming events

First Thursday monthly meeting

Forum Updates

2026 Monthly Table Questions

Month	Question	Member
January	What effect has the local, state, federal government had on your industry/ business?	Barry Silver
February	What are your business superpowers?	Geoff Horowitz
March	If you had extra unplanned time each week in your business, what would you do with it?	Faith Avner
April	Who are your best customers and why?	Barry Brownstone
May	If you had a business YouTube channel, what would it be about?	David Hartley
June	What's been the most exciting business project you've worked on recently?	Noah Plotkin
July	What role does social media play within your organization and how do you execute your strategy?	Jamie Trewartha
August	What is the biggest challenge you're currently facing in your business, and how are you tackling it?	Saide Torres
September	What's one piece of career advice you've found particularly helpful?	Joellyn Stoliar
October	What is one situation you were in that did not start out as business, but turned into a customer?	Karyn Gitler
November	Who in TNG is an amazing networker and why?	Jamie Schultz
December	What are your two goals for TNG for 2027?	Dean Klassman

2026 Pay It Forward - Charity Group

Collected:	$8,055.84
Goal:	$12,000.00

67%

Month	Member	2026 Beneficiaries
January	Kim Svoboda	Better Business Bureau
February	Genna Hibbs	Chicago Inventors Org.
March	Jaime Trewartha	Special Spaces
April	Kathy Quinn	Rotary Peace Pole Project
May
June	Audrey Kitral	Caring Women’s Connection
July	Marc Fryer	Search
August	Ed Rossini	The Giving Group
September
October
November
December

Month	Member	2025 Beneficiaries
January	Greg Kalisky	Gigi's Playhouse
February	Elizabeth Fisher	Summer of a Lifetime
March	Michael Gomberg	Ditka Gridiron Greats
April	Joellyn Stollar	Maot Chitim
May	Faith Avner	Children Heart Foundation
June	Tammy Papazian	Chicago Furniture Bank
July	Jamie Schulz	Bernie's Book Bank
August	Mike Finkelman	Cure Pogz Disorders Fndn
September	Roland Frankel	Parkinson's
October	Kim Cortesi	Hunger Resource Network
November	Robin Winer	C.I.T.Y. of Support
December	Dave Kaufman	Leukemia Research

Bob Pascal Award Recipients

March 2021 Bob Pascal

April 2021 Rosemary Swierk

May 2021 Cordell Cooper

June 2021 Jerry Block

July 2021 Dave Kaufman

August 2021 Chris Turley

September 2021 Tom Decker

October2021 Dick Hochschild

November 2021 Steve Lewis

December 2021 Kimberly Svoboda

January 2022 Tammy Papazian

February 2022 Tom Decker

March 2022 Chris Turley

April 2022 Jonathan Erlich

May 2022 Leslie Markman-Stern

April 2025 Steve Adamitis