Joy is Infrastructure
In a world that feels like it's constantly shifting beneath our feet—from geopolitical tensions to tariff disruptions to the daily pressures of entrepreneurship—I've found myself holding onto something simple, powerful, and revolutionary: joy.
Joy is not a luxury. It's infrastructure. It's the backbone of my creativity, the foundation of my business decisions, and the fuel that keeps me going when systems feel heavy or broken.
As an entrepreneur, my days are a blend of negotiations, tech builds, global keynotes, fundraising, and long walks with Spotify playlists that swing from Sun Ra to Orchestra Baobab to Errol Eats Everything to Seu Jorge to James Blake to Snoh Alegra to Imogen Heap to Tank and the Bangas to Mahalia Jackson to...
Daily, I'm thinking about tariffs on agricultural products one moment and visualizing an animated solarpunk future the next. I'm closing capital rounds while trying to raise my own vibration. It is work—and it's a blessing.
The projects I get to touch are vast and sacred. From reimagining food supply chains and nutrition data, to restoring land and writing a book that merges history, culture, and storytelling, everything I do must now be rooted in a kind of joy that affirms life. That reminds me I'm still here. That whispers, even in moments of doubt, that the world needs what I'm building.
In uncertain times, joy becomes a form of strategy. It allows me to lead with softness, to innovate with imagination, and to rest without guilt. It keeps me tethered to the people and communities that remind me of my "why."
Black joy, my joy, in particular, is not performative. It is restorative. And when paired with creative work—animation, architecture, writing, film, land stewardship—it becomes legacy.
To other founders, dreamers, and builders: don't let the weight of uncertainty rob you of your softness. Your joy. Your stories.
Because the truth is: our joy is the infrastructure. The world may not be stable, but our dreams can be. And they deserve the kind of joy that roots them, nourishes them, and helps them grow.
Here's to building through joy—not in spite of the chaos, but because we know we deserve more than just survival.
Stay grounded. Stay joyful.
— Riana