Today we’d like to introduce you to Loren Cobbs.
Hi Loren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a Marketing and PR executive by day, and I own an event design company by night, SD Melanin. I develop award-winning brand campaigns and curate culture-shifting events and experiences.
My intro to entrepreneurship was slanging snacks in middle school. That only grew when I spent a semester in South Africa and began selling hand-made African jewelry on eBay. After graduation, I expanded to include thrift finds. The entrepreneur life clearly chose me from a young age.
In 2016, I became a US diplomat and moved to Tijuana, Mexico. I was excited to access Mexican and SoCal social networks, but I soon discovered that the Black professional scene in San Diego was severely lacking to put it nicely. Rather than accepting the situation, I put on my entrepreneur hat and developed a plan to make a positive change for myself and others that look like me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a Black woman from the Midwest living in Mexico, attempting to change an entire culture in San Diego where I knew ZERO people, to say it was challenging is an understatement. Despite the seemingly unsurmountable mountain, I stayed focused on my goal of bringing a thread of Black social vibes from my time in NYC and DC.
Yet, challenges still presented themselves, including one venue who called the police on me, their fully paid client, during a Black tie gala. Others made thinly veiled comments that our group wasn’t the right “fit” for their space. Trying to accomplish all of this in city that was only 6% Black and did not cater to that population has made this an ever-wilder ride. However, my support system has helped keep me sane and centered without losing sight of the ‘why’.
The Why has always been that Black people deserve. We deserve to have spaces and experiences designed for us. It’s unbelievably exhausting to live in a society that, at best, tolerates your existence and, at worst, seeks to extinguish it. Having the community and spaces that spark joy with kinfolk is like none other.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Since I started SD Melanin in 2017, I’ve learned to turn setbacks into setups for comebacks and failed forward. Working a demanding full-time job and running a six-figure company is no easy feat, but it’s helped me uncover my passion for creating moments of joy, connection, and community. I am laser-focused on the antidote in a world that often centers our pain and trauma.
Over the past years, by bringing people together, I’ve helped people form lifelong friendships, businesses, relationships, babies, marriages, and so much more. However, one of my noteworthy accomplishments is that I’ve helped people create a sense of home and family away from home; I’ve helped folks develop a sense of belonging when they often feel unseen or unwanted in other spaces.
A little while ago, I was chatting with a young Black man at one of my events and asked him how he was enjoying himself, fully expecting a canned response of “this is nice” or “I’m having a good time.” Instead, he said, “you know, it’s nice to be able to be here and be myself. No one is looking at me weirdly or suspiciously. No one is expecting me to rap the next song or be a caricature of a Black man. I can sip my beer and enjoy myself.”
That response has stuck with me as one of the things I am most proud of. I’m honored to curate spaces where people exuberantly express, ” Wow, your events always feel like I’m coming home to family, even when I don’t know anyone.” And as I’ve expanded to build communities that connect work-from-home professionals, Co-Werk, and food and culture lovers, Culture + Cuisine, I’m driven by my goal of joy, belonging, and community.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
As my brands are deeply audience focused, I don’t talk about myself. Therefore, most people who know my brands don’t know that I’m an avid solo traveler and street food connoisseur. I’ve traveled to nearly 30 countries, and over half were solo dolo! The world is much bigger than your backyard, and there is so much beauty and good food to go experience!
Contact Info:
- Website: sdmelanin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdmelanin
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/loren_co
Image Credits
Amari Dixon and Darh’ra Williams Toney
