Soulmate
Our Community Impact Plan
Generational family businesses have long been woven into the fabric of Brooklyn neighborhoods, and at Soulmate, we’re proud to continue that tradition through an ongoing commitment to giving back. As a four-generation family-owned company, we root our mission in supporting the longtime residents, artists, and organizers who help shape Fort Greene and Clinton Hill every day.
The Problem We're Addressing
Gentrification in Fort Greene has led to the displacement of long-standing residents and businesses and to an overall lack of affordable, accessible ways to enjoy the neighborhood’s culture. We recognize that the same systemic disinvestment and displacement pressures facing long-term Fort Greene residents are deeply connected to decades of disproportionate cannabis prohibition enforcement against Black and Brown residents of this neighborhood.
Our Community Impact Plan is designed to direct resources back to the communities most affected by both cannabis criminalization and the economic displacement that followed.
We intend to fund local organizations that provide accessible, free, or low-cost arts, culture, and wellness activities to our neighbors. As a family-owned business, we commit to donating a portion of our profits every year, increasing incrementally with the life of the business.
Who We're Serving
Our primary target population is the long-term, lower-income, and majority-BIPOC residents of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, particularly those living north of Fort Greene Park. Per the Fort Greene Park Conservancy’s analysis of 2020 Census data, households north of the park have a median income of $54,900 and are 83% BIPOC, compared to $148,205 and 55.5% BIPOC south, west, and east of the park—a stark divide within a single neighborhood.
This is the population our giving program is built to reach.
What Our Research Shows
As long-term residents and business owners in Fort Greene, we have a firsthand understanding of the impacts of the rising cost of living in a gentrifying neighborhood. Fort Greene has a rich cultural legacy—home to institutions like the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporic Art, and generations of Black-owned businesses—and that same legacy is part of why the neighborhood has become a magnet for real estate investment, pricing out many of the people who built it.
Neighborhood livability research from DwellCheck finds Fort Greene scores 6.8 on Attention Restoration Theory (a measure of how well a place helps people recover from stress and mental fatigue)—well above the Brooklyn median of 5—but this comes at a premium that leaves many long-term, low-income, and younger residents unable to fully participate in the neighborhood’s culture. Free and low-barrier community programming is what keeps Fort Greene’s cultural legacy alive under this pressure, rather than becoming a historical footnote for new arrivals.
The Fort Greene Park Conservancy’s analysis of 2020 Census data concludes that “because of these disparities within the neighborhood and how the demographics have changed, it takes extra effort to build and sustain social cohesion.”
We know from firsthand experience, conversations with our customers and neighbors, and from the research conducted here that free and low-barrier community programming is essential. Our Community Impact Plan directs resources to the communities most affected by both cannabis criminalization and the economic displacement that followed.
Soulmate's Commitment to the Brooklyn Community
Since opening in April 2025, Soulmate has donated to local arts, culture, and wellness programming that has contributed to increased access and livability in our neighborhood through partnerships with:
Greene Garden—a member-run community space and part of the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust, providing accessible community programming and environmental stewardship since 1993.
Get Involved: Help Us Build a Stronger Brooklyn Community
Every partnership and program we support is a step toward a more equitable, connected Fort Greene and Brooklyn. Our contributions are ongoing, and we believe meaningful community impact happens when neighbors get involved. Whether you attend an event, volunteer with one of our local partners, or share ideas for future collaboration, there are plenty of ways to take part. You can always find the latest updates, community news, and opportunities to get involved on our website or by connecting with one of our trusted partners.
Community Events & Partnerships Gallery
