“There are enough dating apps out there, but I feel like there’s not enough opportunity to make genuine connections with women, especially as an adult,” said Maiya Mindoro, founder of Denver Girl’s Club.
The meetup, which started at the beginning of this year, began as a way for Mindoro, who is a Colorado native, to work towards making connections with people outside of her hometown circle.
“I’m from the area so I have a lot of friends who I know from high school or CU [University of Colorado Boulder] and those types of things, and that is just super comfortable. I found myself really relying on the people that I just knew from growing up together and things like that, so it was one of my intentions for 2022 to just put myself out there a little bit more and make some connections,” Mindoro said.
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Early into the new year, Mindoro turned to TikTok in search of harboring new connections. To her surprise, her initial TikTok posts were a hit among the Denver community.
“It was really awesome,” Mindoro added.
@maiyamindoro Denver Girl’s Club event hosted by @avantifandb was a success!!🫶🏼 frozen drinks ✔️ apps from @Meta Asian Kitchen ✔️✔️ great vibes ✔️✔️✔️ #denver #denvergirlsclub #avanti #colorado #denvercolorado #thingstododenver #denverco #denvertok
From the first 20-person event Mindoro held at Avanti, to now hosting a group chat on the social platform Geneva with over 1,500 members, it’s safe to say Mindoro has helped facilitate quite a few new connections this year. And what once started as an intention for herself has grown into something much more — a place for young femme-identifying people in Denver to find their people.
“We switched from GroupMe to Geneva because it has all of these different chat rooms,” Mindoro said. “There’s chat rooms for dog moms, and people who live in this neighborhood and people who want to go to concerts. With all these different chat rooms it’s really cool to see people making those connections,” she added.
Additionally to creating a digital space for young women to make authentic connections with other women who share similar interests, Mindoro also hosts at least one ticketed event every month.
“It’s nice to have a space booked out completely so that everyone can just enjoy themselves and chat with other people who aren’t necessarily part of the group but who might be thinking about coming in,” Mindoro said.
A group of girls get together for a Denver Girl’s Club event. Photo courtesy of Maiya Mindoro on Instagram.
Some Denver Girl’s Club events Mindoro has held to date include spin classes, happy hours and candle-making classes. All of the quote-on-quote, “girly” things Mindoro said she would want to do herself.
While the club has already exceeded her initial expectations, Mindoro doesn’t see any end in sight. What keeps her motivated to continue to grow the Denver Girl’s Club is watching femme-identifying people in the Denver area build powerful connections and long-lasting friendships.
“It makes me so happy when I’m at an event and people are willing to be vulnerable and put themselves out there and come by themselves,” said Mindoro. “And then when I see them later at the event talking, exchanging numbers, continuing to go to the bar after we do an event, that makes me feel like this is something worth pursuing. Like it actually means something and makes a difference to people and has impacted so many people in a really great way.”
This month, Mindoro has already held one event — a clothing swap at Backyard on Blake — and has another on the horizon. On June 15, Denver Girl’s Club members, and non-members who want to try it out, can head to a cycle class at female-owned and operated Viv Cycle. Sweat it out with some rad chicks and enjoy a raffle after the class featuring prizes from small local businesses.
Photo courtesy of Viv Cycle on Facebook.
So, if you’re interested in meeting some super rad chicks in the Denver area, June could be your month to dive right in.
To learn more about Denver Girl’s Club events, check out @maiya_mindoro on TikTok. For early access to events and to connect with other young women in the Denver area, you can sign up for the Denver Girl’s Club group chat through the Geneva app. To partner with Mindoro, email hiyaimmaiya@hotmail.com.
If the Denver Girl’s Club group doesn’t sound like a match for you, there are a bunch of other groups that are building communities to try in the Denver Metro Area.
For the Social Foodie
@Cassidyeats
@cassidyeats thanks to everyone who came!!!! Can’t wait to see u again!!!! #denver #supperclub
Cassidy is all about health, wellness, good food and better company. In recent years, Cassidy started a group in Denver called the Denver Supper Club. If you are looking to try new restaurants and meet new friends, this group might be perfect for you. To learn more, follow her TikTok @Cassidyeats for all the latest events and ways to sign up.
For the Outdoorsy Type
@MtnKds
@mtnkds Manitou Sunrise Recap! #mtnkds #coloradosprings #manitouincline #manitousprings #denver #coloradohikes
The MTN KDS group has grown insanely over the last year. Its mission is to bring people together. What’s even better is that the events they host tend to focus on bringing people together while enjoying and exploring the beautiful scenery Denver and its surrounding areas have to offer. To learn more, follow their TikTok @MtnKds for all their fun events and how to get involved.