What I Needed, I Built: Why PS Society Exists

By Patty Roe, Founder & Executive Director, PS Society

Throughout my career, I worked in male-dominated industries where I hoped to find a female mentor but only ever found men. It left me wondering what it might feel like to have women to look up to, to learn from, and to walk alongside.

When I moved to San Diego, I spent two long years without a real friend. Loneliness didn’t just weigh on me emotionally—it changed how I carried myself day to day. Other relationships suffered because I leaned on them too heavily, asking them to fill a void no one person could fill. My professional life suffered too. From the outside, it may have looked like ambition, but the truth was, I worked because I had nothing else to do. Work became monotonous, not fulfilling. I wasn’t at my best—personally or professionally—and everything I touched was affected by the quiet ache of being disconnected.

Back then, I didn’t know of anything like PS Society. A friend told me about Junior League, but she was thriving in a well-paid pharmaceutical sales job, while I was still counting pennies. I couldn’t imagine paying dues just for the hope of connection. I felt shut out of something I desperately needed.

That season of my life taught me what loneliness feels like in the body—and how it can seep into every part of life. It also showed me what was missing: a simple, accessible way for women to find each other, grow together, and discover that belonging doesn’t have to come with barriers.

As I built different communities over the years, one female-focused space opened my eyes to what was possible. Women would tell me over and over: “This community has changed my life. I never had a group of friends like this and now I’ve met some of my closest friends here.” Their words stayed with me. I saw how connection didn’t just make life more enjoyable—it healed something deep inside.

What I Needed, I Built.

That’s why I started PS Society. I wanted women to have what I never had: a place to meet mentors, make friends, and know they aren’t alone. PS Society is accessible by design and rooted in service—because lifting each other up doesn’t just change us, it changes the world.

I started this because I needed it. And I believe other women need it too. No one should have to spend years feeling unseen, unsupported, or without friends. My vision is simple: to create a space where women can find each other, build lasting bonds, and feel the joy of belonging.