Building an events platform for the suburbs with Graham Colligan from Towns Of

What if the reason the suburbs feel disconnected isn’t the people — but the platforms meant to bring them together?

That’s the question behind Towns Of, a new events and community platform built specifically for suburban life.

In this episode, Georgie sits down with Graham Colligan, the founder behind Towns Of, to unpack why so many people living just outside cities feel isolated — and why existing “community” platforms are quietly making things worse.

After watching neighbours struggle to find local events, creators struggle to reach nearby audiences, and big tech platforms drifting toward division rather than connection, Graham saw a gap.

Not for another social feed — but for infrastructure that actually helps people meet, create, and show up locally.

Towns Of is designed around small, meaningful events: workshops, meetups, classes, talks, and community-led gatherings that rarely surface on mainstream platforms.

This conversation is a thoughtful look at hyper-local tech, suburban blind spots in big platforms, and what it really takes to build community — online and off.

In this episode, we cover:

Why suburbs are underserved by most social and events platforms
The difference between “local social” and traditional social media

Why small events matter more than big ones
Towns Of as a tool for local creators, organisers, and communities
The challenges of building tech that prioritises connection over clicks
Founder conviction, doubt, and ignoring bad advice early on

Whether you live in the suburbs, build community-led products, or care about how technology shapes real-world relationships, this episode offers a refreshing counterpoint to growth-at-all-costs thinking.

Key Takeaways:

The suburbs aren’t boring — they’re overlooked: Big tech treats them as secondary markets.

Small events build strong networks: Meaningful connection doesn’t need scale.
Creators need infrastructure, not exposure: Towns Of helps locals find the right people nearby.
Founder conviction matters: Don’t let someone who doesn’t get the problem talk you out of solving it.

Chapters / Timestamps:

00:00 — What Towns Of is really about

03:10 — The hidden loneliness of suburban life

06:56 — Where existing platforms fall short

09:16 — How Towns Of works

11:28 — Designing for community, not conflict

14:34 — Getting involved as a creator or organiser

18:00 — Founder advice: conviction over consensus

20:04 — Startup shout-outs & recommendations

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed by Georgie Brown in this episode are her own.