Shades of Soul Mission Statement

Shades of Soul, is a social network connecting women on color (in their 20s and 30s) in the Los Angeles area. “Our name” attempts to recognize that black women come in a variety of hues and colors, and we bring a different range of experiences and backgrounds to any ensemble. As such, there is no one typical member, instead there are many adjectives that could be used to describe the average woman in our group: positive, creative, driven, artistic, business-minded, fun-loving, fearless, sophisticated, smart, vibrant, adventurous, confident, mature, professional, dynamic, accomplished, and multifaceted.  Shades of Soul is a perfect place to connect to quality and unique women you wouldn’t otherwise meet in one place. Whether or not you’re new to Los Angeles or a long time resident, our group is a great vehicle to explore everything that LA has to offer with like-minded friends. In our four-year existence, we have a long track record of connecting lasting friendships, giving back to our community, building memories, and nurturing social and professional networks.

The Black Woman experience is as varied as our members, and we attempt to create programming to satisfy every taste. The SOS Organizers are committed to producing quality events such as but not limited to: brunches, cultural festivals, potlucks, book clubs, adventure sports, dancing, enrichment and wellness classes, fitness, sporting events, shopping trips, film viewing, wine-tasting, travel, hiking, game nights, community service, and annual summer and holiday celebrations. We also take suggestions for anything that our members would like to try. We’re committed to breaking barriers and stereotypes about what black women can and will do! So water activities…yeah we do that too!  

If this sounds like your type of group then we’re happy to have you. There is a small $10 annual membership fee to help pay for the cost of the monthly meetup.com site maintenance fee, and contribute to the organizers’ ability to partially subsidize some of the major events throughout the year. Additionally, we have a requirement that members attend at least 1 event every 1-3 months in order to maintain current/active status. 

We are very deliberate and methodical about the process of onboarding new members. Because we receive membership inquires almost daily, we choose to open our doors to new members when we have the bandwidth to properly welcome people and ensure a successful transition into the group. To that end, we are open for membership at strategic times in the year: October - December and April - August.  If you’re looking to join during our off-cycles, please contact an organizer to be placed on a membership waitlist.  

By joining this group, you will have access to our full calendar, and be invited to the hottest events in town and instantly have girlfriends to go with. You can try new activities, learn new tricks, enlighten your mind and step outside your comfort zone. Finally, what makes us a standout meetup group is that we hope that we exist for more than just your social life. Shades of Soul has a built in network of support, encouragement, and empowerment for all of our community members. We’re here for your overall well-being and (re)adjustment to our beautiful city.  

“She who finds a good thing…shares it!”