Stopped cold emailing 500 people a week and started sending 10 personalized ones instead after my open rate tanked to 2% in Portland last spring | Career Advice - Free To Speak
Start with the local library. Seriously. They host all kinds of groups that aren't just books. Business networking groups, coding clubs, even small business meetups. Check their bulletin board or website. Shows up on Google maps too. Saved me a lot of wasted wandering time.