What is DVO?

Background

Discussion Vibes Only (“DVO”) is essentially an elevated girls night.

In January 2025 Shannon Urrutia was sitting on her couch planning her next dinner party when she had the idea to give everyone a prompt to think about, research, and be prepared to discuss at dinner.

She added all of her closest local girl friends in a group chat, gave them the basic premise, and everyone was in!

Now a year-and-a-half later, DVO has expanded to fourteen members in four different cities.

DVO is intended to be a small, intimate gathering of women from all walks of life who share the common goal of having an intellectual discussion. The main rules: come with an open mind and a willingness to listen more than you talk (and to be on time!)

What does membership look like?

DVO membership is free for the first six months. After that, it is $20 a year. That $20 is not for a profit. It goes to: day-to-day costs of running DVO (ex. this website), a fund for hosts who request a hosting allowance, and DVO events benefitting all members.

DVO works because its members show up! Members should show up to as many meetings as possible ready to participate respectfully.

What does a typical meeting look like?

Each chapter has a “president” who handles the day-to-day delegation of DVO. The president is in charge of membership and making sure there are monthly meetings and determines the hosting rotation.

Each member should host. The host determines the topic, plans the menu, provides the venue and leads the discussion. Topics can be anything thought provoking (see Topic Archive for brainstorming ideas). Along with a thought provoking topic, hosts can pick a “silly topic,” which she can pivot to if the the discussion gets heated or if the members need a break (ex. Would you rather have a penguin as a roommate or a co-worker?). The host should communicate with the president ahead of time to find out what responsibilities and expectations come with hosting.

Why is it called “DVO?”

Shannon has aways loved a good, silly acronym. In 2023, right before law school she took a trip to Europe with Abby and Avery (presidents of DFW DVO!) and came up with “slay vibes only,” which was immediately shortened to “SVO.” The rest of the trip (and seemingly Shannon’s life) was her adding “Vibes Only” after…well…clearly anything. (Just ask her what her license plate is!)