RoseConnectMedia.com

Issue 1

Two Coming Together As One: A Bronx Girl’s Dream 

Source IRL x Bronx Girls Skate

The Secret Recipe 

Orchard Street • Bronx Girls Skate • Summer 2026 

Love. Love built the dream. Love protected the friendship. Love is the anchor. 

On a Thursday evening in New York City, Mel Ramirez and Kava Vazquez hosted a panel at Extra Butter NYC, bringing together creatives, skaters, community organizers, and supporters to talk about Bronx Girls Skate. The boutique space was filled with rows of black seats, the familiar smell of Halls snacks, the sizzling pop of a freshly opened can of Topo Chico, and flashes of light from cameras capturing the moment. 

We have arrived. Let’s talk Bronx Girls Skate. 

The First Time 

The first time Kava Vazquez saw Mel Ramirez was at River Skate Park in the Bronx in 2017. Something about Mel immediately sparked something in Kava. She admired her style and, most of all, the way she represented the Bronx. 

Check Your DMs 

Summer 2020. Kava made the first move. She sent Mel a DM and introduced the idea of creating Bronx Girls Skate. Mel came over, they began building, and the rest is history. 

What Was the Reason? 

Mel wanted to create a safe space for girls at the skate park. So when Kava reached out, her answer was simple: “Yes.” 

“I’m tired of seeing these girls walk in and out,” Mel recalled. They wanted to create a space where women and girls could not only skateboard, but also find community, mentorship, and resources. 

Kava recognized that a foundation had already been laid. A movement of women within the skateboarding community was growing, and this was bigger than the two of them. It was for the Bronx. 

From Skate Girls to Business Women 

Mel attended college in Minneapolis, where her awareness of community organizing and activism grew, particularly during the Black Lives Matter movement and protests. Through the Thomas J. Watson

Fellowship—a program designed to provide a year of personal insight, perspective, and confidence that can shape the arc of a fellow’s life—she traveled the world and developed a deeper love for community organizing. She wanted to bring what she learned back home. 

The First Event 

The women credit their friend Rey Mendez with helping them organize their first event. Kava remembers the early days with a laugh: “We out here doing bubble letters on Eventbrite.” 

Rey helped them navigate those first steps, and from there, Kava and Mel realized something powerful: there were people who believed in them. 

Portland 

July 2024. Portland changed everything. 

Kava and Mel were learning how to become stronger community organizers as part of a cohort of six community organizations participating in Nike’s “Be True” campaign. Nike was partnering with community organizations, creating an opportunity that would eventually change the trajectory of Bronx Girls Skate. 

Nike 

Then, as Kava tells it, “Nike slid into our DMs individually.” 

For Kava, the moment carried a lifetime of meaning. “I looked up to Nike my whole life,” she said. That initial contact marked the beginning of a sneaker collaboration that would take two years to complete. 

The process included three rounds of samples. Throughout the collaboration, Kava and Mel wanted the shoe to represent the Bronx and New York City. They incorporated imagery that reflected their personalities, experiences, and stories, turning the sneaker into something deeply personal. 

Mel had one non-negotiable: she wanted a shoe that would not show dirt easily. White shoes were a hard no. And as the collaboration moved forward, they went into production blind—trusting the process while waiting to see how their vision would ultimately come together. 

Two Coming Together As One 

The central concept behind the shoe was simple and powerful: two coming together as one. 

Kava asked, “How can we make it feel like each of us can claim a shoe, and be represented equally?” 

That question became more than a design concept. It reflected the relationship between Kava and Mel themselves. 

A Friendship Built Like a Marriage

One of the most beautiful parts of the panel was the visible support Kava and Mel had for one another. Mel described their friendship like a marriage. 

“This is my wife. We built a business together. This is our baby.” 

Together, they have evolved as women, leaders, and business owners. Mel spoke about learning how to write professional emails, while Kava reflected on a deeper lesson in leadership: “Leadership isn’t about who’s the loudest or who’s in front of the camera. It was who can learn to lead from the back of the room.” 

The room responded with the quiet hum of agreement—“hmm”—followed by nodding heads. It was one of those moments when everyone seemed to recognize the truth in what was being said. The knowledge came from experience, and it was the kind of lesson that stayed with you long after the panel ended. 

Support BGS 

When asked how the community can support Bronx Girls Skate, Mel kept it simple: show up. Come to their events. Eat their food. Be part of the community. 

Bronx Girls Skate helps sponsor girls within the skating community, continuing the mission that brought Kava and Mel together in the first place. And if they had the opportunity to create their own skate park, their vision would be clear: an indoor skating park with lights, bathrooms, essential amenities, and a community center built into the space. 

A park that is more than a park. A community-centered space. A safe space for all. 

We Say Goodbye… For Now 

The ending of the Source IRL x Bronx Girls Skate event was beautiful. I left feeling like I had become part of something bigger—a community, a network of like-minded individuals, and a room full of people who understood the power of showing up for one another. The night ended with dancing to the sounds of DJ BoyGirl. 

But the final words from Kava and Mel stayed with me. 

Kava: “The more I know, the more I realize I have so much to learn.” 

Then came the question: What are you most proud of? 

Mel’s answer was one word: “Our friendship.” 

Two coming together as one. 

— The Rose Connect