On Christmas Eve, Carly HoganBruen returned home to the DC area after graduating from the University of Wisconsin, feeling a little lonelier than she expected. She had joined running clubs and book clubs, hoping to find a community. She still hadn’t found what she was looking for: a group of young women navigating the same new chapter of life together. That feeling became the catalyst for DC Gals, a community designed to bring young female professionals together in a city where making friends can sometimes feel difficult.
But long before HoganBruen became the founder and CEO and Paige Chestler the president and CMO of a growing community, the two were simply rising freshmen at Elon University who met on a roommate board and watched The Bachelor together over Zoom during COVID. Although HoganBruen ultimately attended the University of Wisconsin, the two reconnected after graduation. In finding their way back to each other, they also began executing on an idea that would become much bigger than either initially imagined.
Today, HoganBruen and Chestler co-lead an executive team that organizes events that create opportunities for young women to connect in a city that can feel transient.
For HoganBruen, building DC Gals is just one part of a career centered around community, creativity and connection. After earning her bachelor's degree in journalism, she became a CorePower Yoga instructor, teaching more than three times a week, launched her own boutique social media and marketing agency, Ella Social, became a Sales Ambassador Program Director for Syyclops, an AI company focused on building and engineering, and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Chestler, who earned a bachelor's degree in Cinema and TV Arts, initially interned at Scout Bags and Eleven Three Productions, Inc. She spent a summer in Los Angeles through Elon University and later lived in Nashville, immersing herself in DC Gals. As she helped shape the organization's logo and branding, she began to see the potential of what the community could become—a vision that eventually led her to Hadded Media, a small public affairs firm in DC, where she now works. “I had so many ideas for what DC Gals could be because I believed in the vision and I believed in Carly,” Chestler said.
Following the initial launch, the Instagram account received immediate engagement, gaining 200 followers overnight as girls commented on their favorite books, and has since steadily expanded, with rapid growth between April and May 2025, gaining 1,000 followers and solidifying their vision and execution plans. Since then, DC Gals has grown to more than 6,000 Instagram followers, nearly as many members on Geneva, and a TikTok following of 23,400 on HoganBruen's personal account. “It’s just flourished to become this huge community. I can’t comprehend how big we are, given that it was just an idea I had in my bedroom one night. These girls just genuinely love what we have created,” HogenBruen said.
For HoganBruen and Chestler, there may be no better place to build that community than DC.
Compared with New York City, the nation's capital offers a more affordable cost of living while still providing the energy and opportunities of a major city. But beyond its practical advantages, the two have a personal connection to DC and believe the city offers a unique backdrop for the kind of community they are building. “Maybe I’m a little biased because I grew up here and love it so much, but I think in a way because Carly and I grew up here, we have such a unique outlook on DC,” Chestler said. “[It] is such an underrated city.”
The same qualities that make DC an attractive place for young professionals can also make it a lonely one, amplifying the need for connection. People are constantly moving in and out of the city, arriving for a new job or leaving for their next opportunity, which can make building a social circle a challenge.
HoganBruen experienced that loneliness firsthand and soon realized she wasn't the only one. As women began gravitating toward DC Gals, their response revealed a demand for connection that had been there all along. Young female professionals felt the same void of a strong, spirited undergraduate community they once had and simply needed someone to cultivate a community. “People just needed somebody to start something,” HoganBruen said. “They just needed someone to facilitate it.”
What began as an idea for a community has since grown beyond organized events. Smaller groups and friendships have formed organically, including a book club that developed from the larger community. For HoganBruen and Chestler, those relationships demonstrate the magnitude of their impact. They hope to create an environment where women feel comfortable showing up alone, introducing themselves to strangers and leaving with a new connection. “It’s really vulnerable putting yourself out there, but that one ounce of effort makes all the difference in a city where you might not know anybody,” Chestler said.
Behind every gathering are cold calls, emails, budgeting, research, and constant communication. HoganBruen and Chestler pay attention to what their members want, using feedback to shape the events they organize and the partnerships they pursue. They balance familiar crowd-pleasers, such as dating events and happy hours, with newer ideas that keep the calendar fresh and varied.
For HoganBruen, some of the most memorable events have been those that combine her professional interests with the community she has built. She points to leading a yoga class on the National Mall and organizing a pickleball event as highlights, particularly as brands began sending products and collaborating with the organization. For Chestler, the chill, laidback nature of speedfriending and getting to see new friendships spark has become a highlight.
As the organization looks toward the future, HoganBruen and Chestler hope to collaborate with more DC companies, expand their events, and continue growing the business while making each gathering more seamless than the last. Regardless of what’s to come, DC Gals remains rooted in something much simpler than follower counts or event attendance; it’s HoganBruen building the community she couldn’t find.