2022.

Our annual wrap up from our founder, Ria.

Here we are! Another year, wrapped up and I couldn’t be more proud.

Matriarch this year has had some major developments. We have grown in our team, and also grown beyond our social platform. This year, Matriarch developed its business & sister, MatriarchLtd. - designing and delivering game changing inclusion work to schools, businesses and organisations. This time last year, we had just conceived of the idea for a business which provides inclusion workshops, but this year we made it happen. Reflecting and seeing a dream become a reality, no matter the scale, will always be one of the coolest things.

If you want to read more on the conception and growth of MatriarchLtd., read this blog.

Inclusion is probably our word of the year. It’s what ties everything together. We did something really scary this year, launching a whole new branch of Matriarch, focused on something niche and different to the social platform. We had such a strong brand identity, feel and type of content. This both inspired so much of Ltd. but presented a challenge of differentiation. How do we keep these two connected, as sisters, with similar principles and missions, whilst developing their own personalities, audiences and purposes? I have to lend a lot of credit to our creative team here at Matriarch as, particularly over the course of this year, they have spearheaded refining our brand. It’s made me so confident as a leader to say ‘looks good, feels Matriarch’. That’s a sentiment I am particularly proud of. And the establishment of such a strong brand gave us the perfect leaping point for Ltd., bold, clear and unignorable - the 3 perfect terms to describe not only our business brand, but our products and attitude, everything in fact.

I am so grateful for the business opportunities we have had this year. Our first and continued client was St George’s School, Ascot. From delivering a Privilege and Unconscious Bias workshop to one year group, to being asked to deliver it for every other year group, it’s been a fantastic year working with them in stints. It’s very hopeful to see a school committed to curating an inclusive school culture. This is after all the purpose of MatriarchLtd.

We also hosted our first roundtable and panel events this summer, both covering the immigrant experience and exploring it in the workplace. The panel even was with our third ever client (and second corporate client) Verizon UK. I am still pretty nervous to type that out, as if it’s wishful thinking, when really, we did that! We designed and delivered a fantastic panel event exploring the British Asian Immigrant experience to celebrate South Asian Heritage month. I was honoured to work with Verizon on this, particularly with so many personal ties as a second-gen British Asian woman.

We also delivered workshops to Exeter University’s Nightline who were brilliant to work with and again, an honour to work with my alma mater.

This year, I feel like I’ve uncovered so many possibilities. There’s so many new products, ideas, opportunities I am thinking of all the time of how MatriarchLtd. will change the inclusion industry and create real change for so many people. In conjunction with this, I have felt so confident to hand many reigns over to my team for Matriarch. I learn so much from them every day and as a leader, I have learn a key lesson from the off - that I am not the best at everything, nor do I always know the right thing to do. I am so grateful to my wonderful team - Chloe, Jana, Barney, Alicia, Martha, Harriet, Nausika, Alycia, Antonia, Siena, Sarah, Clare. You all make this so much more real and possible every day. Most of all I am grateful for your constant belief and faith in not just Matriarch, but me as well. You feel when people believe in your vision. I am lucky to have that.

Who knows what 2023 will bring. What I am certain of is more change, more connection, more community and more impact on the world. I am so excited, and I hope you are to.

Finally, to our gorgeous community, thank you for always being here, always being engaged, always being around! We love and appreciate you.

Thank you 2022, let’s go 2023!

Ria x