Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Monique Autumn Carter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Monique Autumn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

IYKYK Collective was created to help connect people and build genuine relationships through deep conversations and different experiences all over New York. My co-founder Darius and I felt a gap in other networking events we’ve attended with older Gen-Z and Millennial audiences- one where younger people weren’t the target, the authenticity in connections were lacking and the conversations were nothing substantial beyond connecting via social media. We wanted to create something different and fun, something to connect us IRL again.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always loved working in events- from planning small events in middle and high school to running bigger-scale ones through my club in college and the clothing brand I had at the time. I’m also the itinerary friend for any trip ever! So you know that means my organization and planning skills were top tier! I was always good with researching and being creative, too, so it’s genuinely fun for me to plan things and see others enjoy my work.

Currently, alongside running IYKYK Collective, I offer private event curation and coordination services for anyone looking to turn their events into something authentic and meaningful while still having fun and saving money. My whole purpose is to bring back authenticity and real relationship-building to social settings; parties are fun until you realize you don’t truly know anyone anymore. I’m here to fix that.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The life I’m living right now is the story! I graduated with a degree in marketing from FIT in 2023 while working as an intern at a nonprofit doing marketing and event planning. I left that because of bad business practices and went into a job in stocks doing administrative work for 7 months before I left that because it simply did not serve me (and because of bad business practices). I started IYKYK Collective with my co-founder while working there, and that gave me the most joy I ever felt in a minute.

I realized that I was too young to tie myself down to a job I hated simply because it paid okay. I owe it to myself to create the life that I want to enjoy every day when I’m older- and that could not be done if I sat behind a desk writing emails and answering phone calls. I’ve always gravitated to events, and figured, why not give it a shot? If all else failed, I could always fall back on my degree and get a 9-5, again.

Any advice for managing a team?

Just be transparent! Be transparent about who you are and what you’re feeling. Set boundaries and make them clear. Treat them with respect, don’t think you’re above anyone, but also don’t be afraid to be the boss.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iykykcollective/

Image Credits

Dio Lagombra
Focused Lens Photography