Interview by Marijke Large and Kailah Bharath, Syzygy Co-founders
This year, Syzygy went from an idea two friends discussed relentlessly to living, breathing event. Thirty-five women gathered over drinks and tasty food to explore the themes of wellness, business, and social action. After many post-event naps, Marijke and Kailah, Syzygy co-founders reflect on community-building and what’s next for the “union of opposites” in Toronto, Canada.
Marijke Large (left), Kailah Bharath (right) at Syzygy’s inaugural event.
Kailah (K): Syzygy launched! What’s changed about you?
Marijke (M): A new level of confidence in myself and our vision for Syzygy.
I left the West Coast when I was 17, for Ottawa and now I've been in Toronto for the past four years. Because of this I have always felt I have occupied in transient spaces. Without being fully rooted in one place, torn between three homes, it felt like my sense of community was being pulled in multiple directions. Thirty minutes into the gathering, I looked around, and I felt truly rooted in this community.
What is the value of Syzygy for your own personal life?
K: I’ve craved sisterhood without knowing it consciously. The more we talked about Syzygy, the more I realized that I needed Syzygy. We’re at the beginning of what I hope will be a really incredible space for women to grow and learn alongside each other.
M: After the first gathering, Syzygy went from a concept to a sisterhood. What is risky about using a word like sisterhood?
K: Is it risky?
M: I don’t know. Is it?
K: Maybe the idea of women gathering is risky. I think there’s always risk when you start something like a community, especially for women. There’s a lot of conversation around feminism right now, which is great, but there’s that risk of coming across cliche or as if we’re just jumping on a bandwagon. However, we’re doing this because we see a need for it. We know there’s a need for genuine community between women and that’s reason enough for me.
It’s been a month since the launch, what’s going through your mind?
M: What’s next? What’s next? What’s next?
How can we grow this vision to support the women of Syzygy in new and creative ways at gatherings and during the in-between?
Did the women who attended feel this little jolt of joy when they saw the event photos for the first time?
Clearly a lot is going on in my mind. I believe to question is to grow and so I am in a continual state of questioning, but it all boils down to... how can Syzygy continue to grow to best serve the women of Toronto?
K: I hear you. I feel the same. I’m already thinking about the next gathering, but I’m also feeling really accomplished. We launched. Syzygy is out there. This is an amazing feeling that hasn’t gone away yet.
M: What’s next?
K: What isn’t next? Okay, so the biggest thing is getting ready for our next gathering, but we’re also in the process of building out our website, expanding our brand, taking care of business and bringing on more collaborators.
M: I can't wait for the next one!