'They're looking for love and I hope I can find it for them': Pitch-a-Friend event is matchmaking Milwaukee singles
WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Finding a valentine isn't always easy, but a growing event in the Milwaukee area is leaving attendees with hearts in their eyes.
Their biggest crowd so far gathered Feb. 12 at Lion's Tail Brewing Co. In Wauwatosa, and Cupid's arrows were certainly flying.
Meet Milwaukee's matchmaker Julia Graybill.
"People want love, they're looking for love, and I hope I can find it for them," she said.
Graybill is helping singles ditch the dating apps with a simple pitch.
"It's just so exhausting swiping," she said. "I think it's just the way of being in a natural setting and being like, hey, I'm single. You're single, let's just see where this goes."
Graybill runs Pitch-a-Friend Milwaukee, a dating event at local bars.
Pitch-a-Friend was created in Philadelphia when the founder went to a disappointing open mic night.
"It was just so bad that she was like, I could probably bring my single friends here, pitch them in a presentation, it would be better than this. And the owner was like, do it," Graybill explained.
The concept exploded, with Pitch-a-Friend chapters popping up in cities around the world.
The Milwaukee chapter launched in 2024, and Graybill took over in the fall of 2025.
"I ended up pitching a coworker at one event, and he's now dating a friend that I set him up with," she said. "So, pretty good track record so far."
The event is pairing up prospects through PowerPoints.
Those who want to pitch their friends to eligible bachelors and bachelorettes sign up online and submit their slides before the event.
"Like, who wants to date my friend? This is everything you need to know about them," Graybill explained.
The presentations are usually three to five slides, introducing the friend, listing their likes and dislikes, and describing what they want from a partner.
"I have their presentation on the screen, and they just get the mic and they go," Graybill said.
The event mixes in games to encourage mingling, but the pitches are what truly break the ice.
"He has a heart of gold, and he will keep you entertained, hopefully for the rest of your life," said attendee Scott Palmersheim, as he pitched his friend Pedro Hernandez.
The two decided to pitch each other the week of Valentine's Day.
"He's a very fun, caring guy, and he has a lot of different interests that he should be able to share with somebody," Hernandez said about his pitch for Palmersheim.
They were two of 12 pitches that night, with nearly 100 people showing up to watch.
Graybill gives out colored name tags to all attendees - green if you're single, yellow if you're looking for friends or in a "situationship,", and red if you're taken.
"You're learning about people through their friends' eyes," said Marissa Steinhofer, who was pitched by her friend Megan Kazlauskas.
"She's a catch," Kazlauskas said,
As the event's host, Graybill sees the success in real time.
"I do know of one story that worked out really well. They've been dating for like, 10 months," she said.
Behind the mic, she's keeping her heart open, too.
"It's just a really cool way to meet people," Graybill said. "Hopefully I'll find my person this way."
The next Pitch-a-Friend is on Feb. 19 at The Argo in Whitefish Bay.