A Year of Community, Connection, and What’s to Come
As we come to the end of the year, we’ve been taking a moment to reflect and to celebrate what has truly been our strongest year yet at WLGYL. This year was about one thing above all else: community. Creating spaces where girls could connect, learn, feel seen, and leave with a little more confidence than when they arrived.
Moments from across all WLGYL events in 2025.
Ending the Year Together
Our final event of the year took place at ALMA+MARGO, a hair salon by day and cultural hub by night, and from the moment people walked in, the space felt warm and welcoming. The energy in the room reminded us exactly why we do this work: honest conversations, shared experiences, laughter, learning, and that feeling of belonging.
To encourage connection, we introduced an interactive bingo, designed to get girls talking, laughing, and building meaningful connections with new faces around the room.
Over half of the attendees were returning girls, which told us two powerful things: that community really is at the heart of WLGYL, and that first-generation immigrant girls are still actively looking for spaces like this; spaces that feel affirming, and real.
Looking Back on the Year
Looking back, whether we were rewriting the rules of networking, exploring the fashion industry, or simply creating space to connect, each moment showed us the power of coming together.
Hosting more events this year than all our previous years combined made one thing clear, there is real appetite for community-led spaces like ours.
Thank You to Our Community
None of this would be possible without the incredible people who make WLGYL what it is.
To the girls who continue to show up, return to events, bring friends, and trust this space - thank you! You are the reason we do this.
To our speakers - Catherine, Miriam, Kati, Ana, Naomi and Mabintou - thank you for sharing your stories, expertise, and honesty so generously. Your willingness to show up authentically makes a real difference. We’d also like to thank the venues that opened their doors to us throughout the year and helped make these events possible.
A special thank you to Charlotte and Asini for capturing the moments that allow us to share what these spaces truly look and feel like and to Folakemi, who DJ’d with us and brought such infectious energy. And finally, to Jennifer, our amazing volunteer, whose support behind the scenes means more than we can say.
As we grow, we’re excited to expand our volunteer team next year. If you’d like to get involved, please email us at hello@wlgyl.org or send us a DM on Instagram.
Looking Ahead
This year also marked a major milestone, we’ve officially submitted our charity application, with two trustees onboard.
Many of you already know Mabintou, whose involvement spans everything from designing our logo to speaking at and attending almost every event we’ve hosted. We’re also thrilled to welcome Nicola, who brings a deep commitment, energy, and excitement for what WLGYL stands for and what it hopes to achieve as we continue to grow. We are delighted to have them both on this journey with us.
Left: Mabintou at Zesty Threads. Right: Nicola at Sleigh Your Network
This year was about building community.
Next year is about expanding access, creating more opportunities, and reaching the girls who need this support the most.
We’re already planning an event in early March to celebrate International Women’s Day, so watch this space…
Thank you for being part of this journey. We can’t wait to show you what’s coming.
Let’s keep making lemonade,
Dunja