Ladies Athletic Club of Dallas
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The new Ladies Athletic Club of Dallas is a country club for the 21st-century woman, with events ranging from golf clinics to cocktail socials, minus the stuffiness and sky-high initiation fees.
Only four months after its founding in June, the organization, now 1,100 members strong, aims to cultivate a supportive community for Dallas women to pursue their fitness, professional and personal goals together.
President and founder Shakila “Kila” Lee was driven to create LACD after discovering firsthand how difficult it can be to form lasting female friendships – especially in a city as large as Dallas.
“I’d seen athletic clubs and noticed that there was kind of a brunch crowd, but I never really saw anything structured where you could sign up and attend consistent events,” says Lee. “I was in a space of, ‘I want to make friends but I don’t know how,’ and I had to create what I was looking for – a structured social life – because I couldn’t find it.”
In October, LACD members took a hot yoga class at Black Swan Yoga, sharpened their tennis skills at Thorntree Country Club in DeSoto and even attended the State Fair of Texas together. So far, though, there are a few standout events.
“My favorite events are the hot girl walks,” says Lee. “They’re low-pressure and a carefree environment to get to know each other.”
“I also love our Serving Sundays, where we go downtown and feed the homeless,” adds Christian Porter, LACD’s director of public relations. “Now that we’ve communicated to the people we see there that we’ll be back, they’ve started looking for us, so I love being able to go down there as a group and give as many people as we can a meal.”
The club also maintains a directory for business owner members, so they can stay abreast of marketing and vending opportunities around Dallas.
“In 2025, we want to have more initiatives around networking for our women who are creatives or our women who are in corporate,” says Porter.
Becoming a member to take advantage of such benefits is simple: After interested women fill out a form on LACD’s website, they’ll be invited to the LACD private Facebook group. Once they’ve virtually introduced themselves to other members, they’re free to take advantage of the packed social calendar and begin connecting in person.
General membership is free. For $40 a month, VIP members receive exclusive discounts from preferred partners in the Dallas area, quarterly gift boxes filled with wellness products, 25% off event tickets and access to private mixers.
A self-described serial entrepreneur, Lee credits her upbringing – an only child with Army parents – as the inspiration for LACD. It’s no surprise, then, that LACD’s ethos is all about inclusivity and forming the largest “found family” possible; Lee and Porter maintain that the club is for any woman seeking community.
“We’re a very diverse group. Our members range in age from women in their early 20s all the way up to their 60s,” says Porter. “There’s no cutoff or certain type of person you have to be. Anyone who’s looking for a place will find it here.”
To learn more about the Ladies Athletic Club of Dallas, view its upcoming events and become a member, follow the group on Instagram.
