Hi family, First things first. Thank you. You are our founding circle. The ones who said yes early, showed up with curiosity, and helped shape what this community is becoming. That matters more than you know. As we grow, we’re making a strategic move. Come February, we’ll be transitioning from Skool to Substack so we can deliver deeper content, smoother conversations, and a better overall experience for where we’re headed next. And because you’re our originals, we’re taking care of you. Founding Member Perk You’ll receive free access to all of our digital events this year, starting with I Have a Vision: Dream Board Party. Here’s how it works: - Use the event link to “purchase” - https://www.askardenia.co/dream-board-party - Enter code FOUNDERS - Your ticket will be $0, as it should be Once Substack is ready (we’re aiming for early February), we’ll send you everything you need to seamlessly transfer your account and keep your access intact. Easy. Clear. Supported. Just know this: we’re cooking up something really special. More intentional. More aligned. More worthy of the community you’ve helped build. Thank you for being here at the beginning.We’re just getting started.

I hope you had a restful holiday season. We’re back in action and have some exciting things in store. Please stay tuned for a big announcement tomorrow. I think you’ll love what I have planned for the community! 🤎🤎🤎

I hope everyone had a joy filled Christmas. I’m hosting family and enjoying a new addition this holiday—my four month old nephew! His name is Kaleb and he is the sweetest baby! 2025 was a challenging year for many of us. I hope you found some time this holiday season to enjoy to love on yourself, your loved ones, and share a little of that holiday magic with others. We’ll be back next year with a renewed commitment to allyship and leadership. We have some exciting things in store and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you! Have an amazing New Year and see you in 2026!

I so loved seeing the Black Photojournalism exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Art. As my first career, I was a photojournalist. One of my major influences was Gordon Parks, who also directed the movie "Shaft" and was an author, including of "The Learning Tree," one of my favorites as an adolescent. I was honored to meet him in person at the Edie Adams Workshop when I was a young photojournalist. It was amazing to be reminded of this as I saw work that I recognized and even more work that I want to explore as part of learning from an intention to decolonize my learning. Some of these photos were in the show and some are my favorites from Gordon Parks. The first is the artist himself.

Hey Awesome Allies! Checking in to see how your holiday is going—specifically around spending and shopping. Did you all shop Black Friday or sit it out? How are you feeling about holiday shopping this season? And so you need any support around investing with Black and BIPOC businesses during the holiday? Drop a note and let me know!!