The Lime Event Recap |Jan. 2026
Joy Multiplies When Shared
The Lime was created as a reclamation of joy! The kind that rises from culture, creativity, and community coming together with intention.
From the moment guests arrived, the energy was intentional and alive. The evening opened with a networking session with music that invited people to connect naturally rather than force conversation. The room warmed quickly.
Then Marti took the stage. A DC-bred, NYC-based singer, Marti brings a noir-leaning R&B sound that feels intimate and unfiltered. Her performance moved through desire, grief, and self-liberation with honesty that was impossible to ignore.
Following the performance, the Collective Joy panel brought depth and dialogue to the celebration. Hosted by South Bronx–born filmmaker and storyteller Stephanie Chavez, the conversation explored confidence, creativity, and cultural ownership.
The panel featured:
Tasliym Abdul-Hamid, founder of King Energy Only, who spoke about confidence as a daily practice and a source of power.
Jamil Icon, a Ballroom artist and creative force from Philadelphia, widely recognized for his presence on Legendary, who shared reflections on identity, visibility, and chosen family.
Stephanie George, a Bronx-born storyteller, astrologer, and creative doula, who spoke about intuition, ancestry, and protecting Black creativity.
The dialogue was honest, layered, and grounded in lived experience. It reminded everyone in the room that joy is not escapism.
As the panel closed, the music returned and the community came back together on the dance floor. The music lifted the room, creating space for reflection, release, and celebration. The energy felt reciprocal - the room responding to the people in it, amplifying what each person brought through the door.
At its core, The Lime is about shared belief. Every artist, speaker, and creative who participated carried the same understanding: joy multiplies when it is shared.
Beyond the experience itself, there is impact. Every ticket purchased supports Culture Lime’s mission to assemble 2,000 mental wellness kits across New York City. Placing care, grounding tools, and hope directly into the hands of people who need them most. If you heart speaks to this, you can donate HERE.
The Lime is a space you enter with intention. A reminder that community can celebrate and mobilize at the same time. A living example of what happens when culture leads and purpose follows closely behind.
This is only the beginning.
