BLK Beetles started as a podcast. Now, it’s a growing collective helping people of color feel more connected: to nature, to each other, and to themselves.
Based in Houston, the group launched in 2021 after years of storytelling through Amplified Journey, a podcast highlighting leaders of color who were reshaping wellness, nature, and community. But something shifted.
“People weren’t just eager to hear stories of belonging; they were eager to live them,” said co-founder Samad Hinton. “That realization pushed us to widen our focus. Our communities needed real spaces where people of color could rediscover the joy, possibility, and healing that comes from being connected to one another.”
What began as local running crew meetups has grown into nature hikes, birdwatching events, creative workshops, and a digital storytelling platform called BLK Beetles StoryHouse. Since 2021, the collective has engaged more than 1,400 people.
“Today, BLK Beetles is proud to be building a movement of belonging,” Hinton said. “One that reconnects people of color to nature, to community, and to themselves.”
Reclaiming space, building safety
BLK Beetles is about making nature feel like home — but Hinton said many people show up unsure if the outdoors is a space that will make room for who they are.
“As of 2020, communities of color are nearly three times more likely than white communities to live in nature-deprived areas with limited parks, trails, or green space,” he said. “People arrive curious and ready to reconnect, but also carrying questions like: Will I be safe here? Do I belong?”
To help shift those feelings, the group builds experiences with a cultural safety lens. In a recent series with REI, Home Is the Outdoors, they hosted skills-based workshops that made outdoor access feel more approachable.
“Many shared how their identity and cultural background shape their decisions in nature — from where they explore to who they feel safe recreating with,” Hinton said. “This affirmed that the outdoors is not a neutral space, but one influenced by lived experience.”
Co-lead Kelly Hubbell-Hinton said they often see people’s mindsets shift once they find a space that feels welcoming. One early member joined their running crew in 2021, looking for connection, and quickly became a key part of the group.
“She helped us shape a women of color running series focused on safety for femmes in the outdoors,” Hubbell-Hinton said. “From there, she joined hikes, supported walks, and eventually trained with other members to complete her first 25K trail race.”
She continued, “People arrive unsure, and then open up. They begin to see nature as a place where they can move freely and genuinely belong.”
Growing the collective — with support from adidas Community Lab
In October 2025, BLK Beetles launched the BLK Beetles Collective, their newest effort to create more consistent, welcoming outdoor spaces for adults of color. The Collective includes guided outdoor meetups, creative workshops, and culturally grounded activities that help people try new things — and not have to do it alone.
“It’s our most intentional effort yet to support adults of color who are looking for fresh, culturally grounded ways to build community,” Hubbell-Hinton said.
The team says this new chapter wouldn’t be possible without support from the adidas Community Lab, a social impact accelerator designed to help grassroots changemakers scale their work with purpose. For BLK Beetles, the Lab came at the right time.
“We walked in as a grassroots collective with a unique vision, and the Community Lab gave us the mentorship, community, and structure to expand that vision with confidence,” Hinton said.
Mentors from adidas, Impact Hub, and Black Ambition helped the group refine its strategy and think long-term — not just about what’s possible today, but what’s sustainable for the future.
“They pushed us to imagine at a different scale,” Hinton added. “The Community Lab helped us see that culturally safe, welcoming outdoor spaces can become the standard, not the exception.”
“One of the most meaningful parts was being surrounded by fellow founders who care about equity, wellness, and creative community-building as deeply as we do,” he said.
With new funding and structure in place, BLK Beetles officially launched its Collective and is planning to expand to Albuquerque in 2026 — bringing its outdoor model to new communities and building partnerships across New Mexico.
As their presence grows, so does their purpose. With more people feeling isolated — especially young adults — BLK Beetles sees outdoor connection as one way to push back on loneliness.
“One in five adults in the U.S. feels lonely on a daily basis,” Hubbell-Hinton said. “And for people of color, the weight can feel even heavier because so few spaces honor culture, identity, and emotional safety at the same time.”
Through their work, BLK Beetles is helping people reconnect — on trails, in parks, and with each other.
“We’re creating experiences that rebuild what’s been lost: connection, ease, and the joy of being together,” she said. “Our role is to make that accessible, to remind people they don’t have to move through life alone.”