Cultural leaders connect via The Reserve in D.C.

Broccoli City brought music, entertainment and culture to the DMV area, but for The Reserve, the weekend was also an opportunity to bring some of the people shaping those industries into the same room.

Co-founded by Kelli M. Coleman and Hermez Sanni, The Reserve is a global, invitation-only cultural platform co-created by Divine Tree Management and the KMColeman Group. Its referral-based network brings together leaders across sports, entertainment, music, fashion and business with an emphasis on authentic connection and relationship-building. 

The platform’s Broccoli City weekend included two invitation-only gatherings right in the nation’s capital.

Friday night’s Private Access served as the official after-party following the AT&T Customer Appreciation Concert hosted by Broccoli City Festival, which featured Odeal and Anderson .Paak at the Howard Theatre. Held at Gaia Supperclub, Private Access featured music from DJ Siobhan Bell and brought together cultural leaders and tastemakers. 

On Sunday, the weekend shifted to Smoke & Mirrors Rooftop overlooking the Capitol for the AT&T Connected Brunch, presented in partnership with Live Nation Urban and curated by The Reserve. Hosted by Kamie Crawford, the gathering featured a live performance from Blxst and a guest list spanning music, sports, fashion and culture. 

For Coleman and Sanni, bringing The Reserve to Washington was a natural fit.

“D.C., honestly, is known for being Chocolate City,” Coleman said, describing the District as “a beacon for culture.”

She pointed to the city’s entrepreneurs, businesses and “seasoned legacy builders” — including the history of The Washington Informer — as examples of a cultural ecosystem that aligns with The Reserve.

“The ethos of our brand is very much aligned with just the pulse of D.C. and what it has always had to offer for people of color and just pushing the culture,” Coleman said. 

That mission goes beyond producing exclusive events. Coleman and Sanni said The Reserve was born from recognizing a gap between the different worlds they inhabited professionally.

“Corporate needs creatives, creatives need corporate,” Sanni said. “How do we bridge this gap and make people feel closer?” 

For Coleman, creating those connections means being intentional about who enters the room and what they can take from it.

“The Reserve [is] where we’re ultimately trying to make sure that this is a curated, intentional room for people to grow from,” she said. “The common thread is community.” 

That idea carried into Sunday’s brunch. Crawford, a Maryland native, described the gathering as an opportunity for attendees to make genuine connections.

“Today is all about getting connected,” Crawford said. “I hope that people meet new people.”