> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.marmaladecollective.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Reflections on 2025 and What Comes Next - URL: https://www.marmaladecollective.com/reflections-on-2025/ - Published: 2025-12-29T10:00:21.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-29T10:00:20.000Z - Description: A letter to the Marmalade Community from our Founder's desk ✍️ - Author: Tola Alade As I reflect on 2025, I'm reminded of why we built Marmalade Collective in the first place. It was never just about hosting events or creating content. It was about building a space where people like you could connect deeply with African culture and with each other. And this year, despite the challenges, we did exactly that. ## What we delivered Our newsletter reached **3,000+ subscribers every week**, bringing curated stories about contemporary African culture straight to your inbox. We published [**47 premium editorial guides**](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/tag/guides/) exploring everything from Afrofuturism to African restaurants to the intersections of diaspora identity. We hosted incredible campaigns - [**World Photography Day**](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/world-photography-day/) was a highlight - that sparked real conversations in our community. We established partnerships with **26 Afrocentric creators, influencers, and cultural tastemakers**. We built something rare: a space where African culture isn't relegated to a niche. It's celebrated as the global force it actually is. Most importantly, we grew to **5,700+ culturally-curious members** who show up because they believe in what we're building. ## Where we fell short I want to be honest: we hosted fewer events in 2025 than any year since we started in 2022\. That frustrates me because events are where the magic happens. They're where you move from reading about culture to feeling it. Where you go from being an audience to being part of a community. But 2025 taught me something valuable: focus matters. Sometimes saying yes to one thing means saying no to another. This year, I had to choose. And I chose to invest heavily in proving that our venture studio model works (Marmalade Ventures), which means other projects had to take a backseat. It's a trade-off I'm at peace with. Because it positions us to come back stronger in 2026. ## What 2026 looks like Here's the truth: in a world drowning in digital noise and AI-generated content, people are craving real human connection. They're hungry for experiences that feel authentic. That's what Marmalade Collective is built for. 2026 is the year we deliver on that promise. We're rethinking what "experiences" means beyond just events. We're planning immersive, curated moments that bring our community together from London to Lagos and beyond. We're also doubling down on content that matters. We're thinking bigger about how we use our platform to celebrate African excellence, amplify voices of local artisans and creators, and build a movement around cultural pride. ## To our community Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for showing up week after week, for engaging with our content, for joining our events, and for being part of something that actually matters. You chose Marmalade Collective because you wanted more than algorithm-driven content. You wanted curation. Authenticity. Community. A space where African culture isn't a trend - it's a lifestyle. We hear you. We see you. And we're committed to delivering experiences that honour your expectations and push what's possible. 2025 taught us what works. 2026 is when we scale it. With gratitude, Tola 🧡 Founder, Marmalade Collective 🚀 We're still on the mission to ***build a new mainstream shaped by Africa's culture, stories and emerging brands** ## Notable achievements [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f2/65/f2656369-0f61-4d65-ad9e-0284e2fdbaca/content/images/2025/12/marmalade-collective-guides-2025-1.gif)](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/tag/guides/) - **January:** [Interviewed Paakow Essandoh - The Driving Forces Behind MIZIZI](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFc9NgWtBAo/?img%5Findex=1&ref=marmaladecollective.com) - **February:** Interviewed [Aminata](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGn6rqQtYav/?img%5Findex=1&ref=marmaladecollective.com), Cherif Gueye, Kashope and Others - **March:** [Hosted Virtual Event (MMM) with Gena West](https://www.instagram.com/p/DHyZf%5FVI0E5/?img%5Findex=1&ref=marmaladecollective.com) - **March:** [Empowering Progress - International Women's Month Campaign](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/empowering-progress-celebrating-african-women-for-international-womens-month/) - **April:** [Hosted JAM 'Nigerian Trivia Edition' Event](https://www.instagram.com/p/DIqcscvI75%5F/?ref=marmaladecollective.com) - **April:** [Refreshed Our Visual Identity](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/brand-refresh/) - **May:** Interviewed [Pelumi Nubi](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/pelumi-nubi-is-changing-the-way-we-see-africa-through-travel/), [Herrana Addisu](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/herrana-addisu-turns-lived-experience-into-visual-resistance/) and others - **May:** ['You Belong Here' - Africa Day Campaign](https://www.instagram.com/p/DKFSaIlIOtu/?img%5Findex=1&ref=marmaladecollective.com) - **June:** [Hosted Summer Forest Walk with Bestday](https://www.instagram.com/p/DK2F65KNP7v/?img%5Findex=1&ref=marmaladecollective.com) - **July:** Interviewed [Mercedes Benson](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/mercedes-benson-is-the-multihyphenate-powering-culture-on-her-own-terms/) - **July:** [Supported TALES as Community Media Partner](https://www.instagram.com/p/DL2u-gpNESV/?ref=marmaladecollective.com) \+ Hosted An Exclusive Dinner - **August:** Interviewed [Marième Mboup](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/marieme-mboup-on-taking-fashion-beyond-aesthetics-and-into-intention/), [DJ Melzi](https://www.instagram.com/p/DNYNTz9iWMj/?img%5Findex=1&ref=marmaladecollective.com) and others - **August:** [This Is Belonging - World Photography Day Campaign](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/world-photography-day/) - **September:** [Supported Faaji Sundays' Nigeria Independence Day Event](https://www.instagram.com/p/DPSDs43DN2R/?ref=marmaladecollective.com) - **September:** [Interviewed Ivorian artist, Words of Azia](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/words-of-azia-on-preserving-culture-through-song/) - **October:** [No Place Like Home - Black History Month Campaign](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/tag/beyond-black-2025/) - **October:** [Supported and Sponsored Orry Shenjobi's A WÀ ŃBĘ Solo Exhibition](https://www.instagram.com/p/DPQ5xDLjmEc/?ref=marmaladecollective.com) - **November:** [Partnered with Fela's Afrobeat Rebellion](https://www.instagram.com/p/DQtfyB8DIrn/?img%5Findex=1&ref=marmaladecollective.com) - **November:** Spotlighted Creative and Community Spaces Including [A Third Space 🇳🇬](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/a-third-space-represents-the-in-between-for-creatives/) and [Cape Town Craft Club 🇿🇦](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/cape-town-craft-club-is-reviving-the-joy-of-crafting-by-hand/) - **December:** [Beta Launched Experiences by Marmalade App](https://experiencesbymarmalade.com/?ref=marmaladecollective.com) - **December:** [Interviewed Onyeka Igwe, Moving-Image Artist](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/onyeka-igwe-curates-a-new-wave-of-international-moving-image-at-bow-arts-london/) - Also Check Out: [Member Spotlights](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/tag/member-spotlight/), [Ultimate Gift Guide](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/the-ultimate-marmalade-guide-to-gifting-2025/) and [Newsletters We Published in 2025](https://www.marmaladecollective.com/tag/newsletters/)