IFy Atelier founder, creator and publisher Ifeyinwa Nwaejike has been recognised as part of the BHM 2026 Honouring Black Britain campaign and featured in the digital edition of Black History Month Magazine 2026.

IFy Atelier’s first job opportunity started with an unexpected sales proposal. Then people actually applied. Cue interviews, commission negotiations, no-shows and my first real encounter with the idea of delegating part of the business I built myself.

Building IFy Atelier started as a one-person operation. Then an unexpected sales proposal became a job vacancy, strangers started applying, and I had to confront an uncomfortable milestone: perhaps my baby was growing up.

After more than 20 years living in Northern Ireland, I reflect on autonomy, identity, belonging and the contradictions of inclusion. What does it mean to truly belong somewhere, and when does a guest finally become local?

What does the “Strong Black Woman” label actually cost? This piece explores the expectations placed on Black women to carry emotional labour, remain resilient and make themselves smaller for others, while questioning what happens when they finally establish boundaries and refuse to abandon themselves to be accepted.

A reflection on misogynoir, double standards and the public degradation of Black women, examining what happens when private relationships become an excuse for public humiliation, and why silence can turn somebody else’s business into everybody’s problem.

A reflection on the rise of antisemitism in Britain, the growing fear faced by Jewish communities, and what our response to hatred reveals about the strength of the values we claim to share.

A humorous lesson in digital housekeeping, AI and accountability, after blaming Google for outdated information about IFy Atelier only to discover the algorithm was following a trail I had forgotten to clean up.

A personal reflection on life between Africa and the West, exploring how community, institutions, media and cultural change can gradually reshape our faith in the systems we once trusted. At its heart is a question of what happens when the ideals that drew you somewhere begin to feel less certain.

A behind-the-scenes reflection on what happens when business support becomes genuinely useful. From mentoring and financial management to SEO, online visibility and AI search, this piece explores the shift from simply working hard to building IFy Atelier with clearer direction and strategy.

What begins as a business support session quickly reveals a familiar pattern, where listening is assumed, but not always present.

Running a business in 2026 feels less like automation and more like negotiating with an algorithm that thinks it knows your brand better than you do.

Creating the book is the visible part. Building everything around it is where the real work begins.

A reflection on commuting between Belfast and Derry, where distance, routine, and everyday interactions reveal deeper questions about identity and lived experience.

A closer look at IFy Atelier, exploring the creative, cultural, and publishing processes behind the work and the perspectives that shape it.

A quiet look behind the scenes of independent publishing, where building, testing, and learning all happen in real time.

A behind-the-scenes look at how IFy Atelier began, and the story behind the Iconic African Locations colouring book series.