Curating Community

“For as long I can remember,” Kathleen Navarro tells AQUA Miami, “I have always been a curious Kat—pun intended.”  

Once upon a time, this abundance of inquisitiveness and refusal to simply “go along to get along” got Navarro in trouble with schoolteachers and other authority figures. (The sly, mischievous smile with which she shares these memories suggests that certain kinds of trouble are not always an altogether unsought-after or unpleasant experience for her.) Over the years, however, she has embraced this side of herself, learning to channel it into ways that have empowered her own remarkable polymath life and career—while empowering countless women around her. “Today,” she says, “I use my curiosity as a driving force to try new things without fear or expectation of a certain outcome.”  

And so, despite a very bustling schedule as a successful digital marketer and influencer elevating the profiles of major wellness, beauty, and hospitality brands, Navarro has recently turned her sights—and considerable charisma—on producing curated, stylish community-building events for women around Miami ranging from vision board creation parties and pottery classes to a haute couture sustainable Earth Month clothing swap event featuring Alo, YSL, Lululemon, Free People, and more in which the leftover pieces were donated Lotus House, the largest women’s shelter in the country. 

“These are spaces for women to connect, feel inspired, and pour back into themselves alongside other like-minded women.” Navarro says. “If you’ve been feeling stuck, sad, or discouraged lately, come as you are and see how reignited you feel.” She adds: “Women are power. When we treat the women of our world with grace, believe in them, and give them a platform to share their passions and skills, we are all better off.”

A Big Vision 

For Navarro, this project is considerably bigger than addressing a need in the Miami area—she wants, in her own unique way, to meet our unprecedented cultural moment. “In the age of all things digital and AI, I was craving more human connection,” she says. “No feeling compares to interacting and connecting with someone in person. Working in marketing can be quite a bit of staring at a screen so creating a safe space for women to connect and feel empowered was a no-brainer. Hosting these events fuels my soul, and I’m able to show up even brighter in every other area of my life. My hope is that the women who attend are just impacted by the events as I am by their presence.”  

Apparently, Navarro is not the only one craving more human connection: Not only do her events sell out, but—more importantly—they kindle real camaraderie and positivity. “Attendees waste no time in introducing themselves to one another, and that really inspires me,” Navarro says. “At each event, we have all related to one another in how isolated we have found ourselves feeling at one point or another in the past few years. Like anything, there is a feeling of nervousness when you’re doing something new—to you—but with each event we reach more and more women, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that.”  

Of course, Navarro’s events are not only exercises in right-sizing sociological trends and subtextual philosophy. Each is very much a for-women-by-women affair. “I love spoiling the women with all kinds of goodies from sponsors and partners,” she says. “My love language is gift-giving, so if I can help a brand or small business promote their product or service while showing the women who attend love, I will take that opportunity gladly!”  

It is, Navarro has discovered, a two-way street: “There is never enough time! It has surprised me just how many small details there are to really elevate an event. Having women who believe in the mission behind these events has saved me each time.”  

The process has changed how Navarro looks at life and business. “Each season brings new lessons and new growth, but I have always tried to express authenticity in anything I’ve done,” she says. “We are all a product of each experience we’ve had with one another, so I thank anyone who has ever trusted me to work with them…Each event I’ve hosted attracts more women to the community. I will continue to nurture these spaces and provide value to attendees, brands, and businesses involved. Organic reach is what I’m after.  

“There is no impact too small,” she continues. “Every interaction with another person creates change. I have learned—or, rather, re-discovered—my power.”  

For more information, follow Navarro on Instagram at @kathleensaraiii.