FROM THE FOUNDERS OF NEWBWS
WHERE THE CULTURE GATHERS
A members club for cultural experiences, owned by its members.
Curated rooms. Trusted hosts. Cities you can show up in.
FROM THE FOUNDERS OF NEWBWS·10 CITIES·6 ROOMS·500 FOUNDING SPOTS
Six Kinds of Rooms. Every Kind of Gathering.
Pull up a plate. Everybody eats.
For the ones who built careers, built businesses, and built each other up. Now we're building the room.
Where We're Going
Founding member momentum, by city. Help yours reach the line and unlock its first room.
Every city needs a critical mass of founding members before its first room. Apply now to claim your city and help it reach the line.
The Culture's Calendar
Until we host our own, we point the way. Curated events that match the standard.
Suggested events, not affiliated. We surface what's worth showing up to. When TheCookout launches our own rooms, they'll live here too.
HOW MEMBERSHIP WORKS
APPLY. BUILD YOUR CITY. GATHER.
Membership is by application. Reviewed personally. Honored seriously.
01
APPLY
Tell us who you are, where you gather, and what you want from this. Every application is read and reviewed personally. No bots. No auto-screens. No algorithm deciding who belongs.
02
BUILD YOUR CITY
Founding members are organized by city. Once your city reaches founding member momentum, the first rooms open. You are the first invited and your name is on the founding member roll.
03
GATHER
Six different rooms across your city's year. Dinners, listening sessions, parties, conversations, wellness, and the annual Marquee. Show up to all of them or to the ones that match your rhythm. The choice is yours.
Founding membership opens summer 2026.
PARTNERSHIP CONCEPT
ARRIVAL, REIMAGINED
Imagine a Marquee weekend where every member arrives in a Genesis. Where the brand that built itself on understated excellence meets the platform built on Ujamaa. This is the kind of partnership we're designing for: brands that want to invest in cultural excellence, not just sponsor it.
Concept only. Genesis is not currently a partner. Brands interested in building with us, reach out.
PARTNER WITH US →The Vision For Partnership
Automotive
Member arrivals and Marquee transportation partnerships
Spirits
Black-owned and Black-aligned tastings and table service
Hospitality
Member rates and Marquee host city partnerships
Fashion
Heritage and emerging Black designer partnerships
What Makes This Different
Built on trust, owned by members, designed for the culture.
Built for the Culture
This is a members club designed from the ground up for Black professionals, investors, and cultural architects. Cultural fluency is the standard. No code-switching. No explaining.
Members Own the Platform
TheCookout is owned by its members through cooperative economics rooted in Ujamaa. The platform's growth belongs to the people on it. No private equity. No outside ownership.
Ads That Don't Follow You
Members are not the product. We do not track you across the internet. No behavioral ads. Ever.
ANNUAL FLAGSHIP
THE MARQUEE
WHERE LEGENDS ARE MADE
Once a year. One city. Every room, every host, the full community. A multi-day experience that defines what TheCookout stands for. Suppers. Sessions. Conversations. Performances. Resets. And moments you'll tell stories about for years.
DAYS
ROOMS
MEMBERS
APPLY FOR FOUNDING MEMBERSHIP
Founding membership is by application. Reviewed personally. The first rooms open in Summer 2026.