Speakers: Preethi Balasubramanian, Founder & Principal Consultant, WonderEA
What is one important personal reflection or lesson from 2025 that you want to share with other community pros?
Preethi Balasubramanian: Hi, I'm Preethi Balasubramanian, consultant, author and speaker, founder of WonderEA. If I had to name one lesson 2025 really etched into me, it's this: being capable is not the same as being supported. This year reminded me that community professionals are often the calm in the chaos for their teams, founders, members, and systems. We hold things together quietly, but too many of us do that while running on empty, thinking resilience means doing more alone. 2025 taught me that sustainability isn't about pushing harder or proving value louder. It's about designing support around ourselves the same way we design it for others. Boundaries aren't a failure of commitment, they're a strategy for staying in the work long enough to matter.
What is your take on what is next for us as community professionals in 2026?
Preethi Balasubramanian: So that brings me to 2026. I think what's next for community professionals is a real shift from being seen as a supporting role to being strategic operators and culture builders. Communities are no longer a nice to have. They are infrastructure. They drive trust, retention, learning, and belonging in a world that feels increasingly disconnected. This means our work is going to demand clearer systems, stronger voices, and more confidence in the value we bring, not just emotionally, but operationally. So in 2026, I believe we'll be called to step up as designers, not just doers, to advocate for sustainable ways of working and to stop shrinking our expertise to fit outdated expectations. If we do that together, this work doesn't just survive, it evolves. Thank you!
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