As many of you know, I lost my paternal grandmother last Thursday to a long and brave battle with Parkinson's disease. She was my first creative muse and one of the safest and most nurturing people in my life as a child. I recorded this video today that is, as usual, being suppressed like crazy due to a dip in my online activity over the past week, as well as the mention of Black History Month and a gathering I'm not paying LinkedIn a cut of. I'd appreciate if you'd go give it a listen and some engagement. All of this said, the webinars are on for this week, February 24-25-26 at 3:30pm Central US/10:30pm Central Europe. If you have not yet registered, you may do so at this link. Replay available for all registered attendees. Contributions over the suggested add seats to our community sponsorship pool. Global Black community members, your seat is on us—please DM me your email address to be registered. For non-Black people experiencing financial difficulty, a limited number of community pool seats are available. Please DM me ASAP to claim one, no questions asked. These webinars will much more off-the-cuff than I'm used to. There won't be a lot of bells and whistles. But I think it's important to still show up for the community and for myself this week. I'd love for you to do the same. See you there. 🤍

The Accomplice Accelerator Webinar Series is officially back. On February 17, 18 and 19, we're doing this one as big as we can with a 3-part Centennial Celebration in honor of 100 years of US Black History Month. ➡️ Click here to pay what you can and secure your spot. ⬅️ This both is a CELEBRATION and a CALL-TO-ACTION. If you are ready to: ✅ Witness and honor our history with dignity ✅ Learn how to mobilize your privilege for good ✅ Understand how to process guilt without performance ✅ Strategize on how to be a better bystander in this socio-political climate ✅ Speak truth to power in the spaces where you hold power and privilege—including at home ...Then you need to be in this room. 👏🏾 Suggested contribution: $26 USD (enter your own amount from $10 USD to $10K USD) Global Black Community: your seat is on us. 🖤 Please DM me to reserve your spot —OR— you may pay it forward to a non-Black aspiring accomplice that is ready to be part of these important conversations! If you'd like to share information with someone outside of this community, please copy this link of the email blast that went out to our general mailing list yesterday. All links are included. Looking forward to seeing everyone and PLEASE help us spread the word. Let the countdown begin!

Hi, collective! Just sliding in with a very quick note to let you all know that due to a family emergency, the US BHM Centennial Celebration webinars have been moved by one week to February 24-26. I got the call last week that my paternal grandmother’s health took a sharp decline, and it was looking to be definitive. After a few days of deliberation, I landed in Chicago yesterday to join my dad and his siblings to say goodbye. I wasn’t sure if I should make such a long trip for such a short time, but ultimately I’m glad I did. When I arrived, she was half conscious but awake. When I sat down at her bedside, her eyes opened wide and her face quivered into a fragile but visibly elated smile. I squeezed her frail hand, concentrating on one finger at a time. She nudged back almost every time, still seemingly in disbelief that I was in front of her having just called her from Barcelona. I played for her and sang to her one last time, alternating improv and a few of my favorite spirituals. After one or two more gentle squeezes to let me know she heard me, she slipped back into the “in between” and fell asleep shortly afterward. I made it just in time. She hasn’t opened her eyes again since. I’m glad she waited for me. 💛 This experience—a first for me this close up—has been a timely reminder that Black History is past, present AND future. It is in the books we read, the ground we walk on, and the pictures that remind us of the steps taken before us. It is as big as the historical figures whose names are known and celebrated, or as intimate as the family photo albums of everyday revolutionaries we have been so fortunate to share space and time with. Next week’s energy will be about so much more than sociopolitical milestones and famous names. It is a gathering to joyfully celebrate all the ways in which the Black community has persevered, survived, and even managed to thrive in spite of it all. I hope that with the extra week to prepare, you’ll continue spreading the word and block off that time to be in community with us. 💛

Welcome to the new members that have joined us in the last week! The first Town Hall & Community Support Sessions of 2026 is this Thursday 1/15 at 1pm Central US/8pm Central Europe—and not a moment too soon. Click here to register. Support sessions are open to the public throughout the month of January. I recommend registering even if you aren't sure if you'll make it just to save the date (and set the intention to show up if you can). 🫂 Then, I invite you to take a moment to reflect on and video prompt below. If you'd like to leave the original LinkedIn post some love, maybe even tag or forward to a friend, I'd greatly appreciate it. To summarize: It's been a rocky start to the year as far as social justice is concerned. If you are like most of the sentient human beings I know, I can imagine what you might be feeling. It's hard to know what to do next. What to fix first. How to speak up. I hear you. I AM you. So question is: How can I help? 💛 Tap in below and let me know what types of support you'd like to see this quarter in the collective. I'm all ears. Again, I am so glad you all are here—and for those that have been here now a year, I appreciate your fellowship more than you'll ever know. I look forward to holding space on Thursday, throughout the month of January and beyond.

On this day one year ago, the doors opened to this humble little free community—and with it, the Hola Magnolia Virtual Village grew from one Skool community to two. From the Accomplice Accelerator to The Changemaker's Haven and now the R.I.S.E. and Shine Collective, I thank you all for being on this journey of discovery not only with me, but with each other. In one year, we have completed over 60 hours of webinars, another 40+ hours of coaching, mentoring and stargazing sessions, and exchanged countless words of care, encouragement, and knowledge. We are 227 members strong, and soon to be growing steadily stronger in numbers with each day! I look forward to a 2026 filled with even more fellowship, learning, and growing in impact as we design the world in a way that would make ALL of our ancestors so immensely proud of who we are becoming as a society in spite of so many forces working against us. If you'd like to leave a gesture of support, you all know me: I'd LOVE for you to pay it forward by funding our first campaign of 2026: the R.I.S.E. Global Black Community Founding Member Fund! We're aiming to sponsor 4 seats for four Black impact professionals, entrepreneurs and creators as an homage to our Reparations Race roots. You can contribute to the fund in one of two ways: Contributions of $1100 USD or more, up to a full seat: https://buy.stripe.com/9B69ALeSnbDX6D1fB7cEw02 Contributions under $1100 USD: https://ko-fi.com/holamagnolia Any and all contributions are so important to us, regardless of size. It all adds up, and you are supporting Hola Magnolia's ongoing rebuild (as you always do) in the process. All contributions over $1100 USD will receive a complimentary Ask the Identity & Belonging Coach session to gift or take! Thank you all so much for your support and for being part of this incredible community. Here's to more of what we do best in 2026: caring for each other while making this world a better place for all. 🌟