Project Ready Presents:
The Belonging
Collective
We Build Media & Community That Makes Belonging the Standard — Not the Exception.
WELCOME TO
THE BELONGING COLLECTIVE
Where Story, Space, and Power converge.
We build a world where marginalized communities move beyond inclusion—empowered to lead and shape the systems that govern their lives.
The Belonging Collective transforms lived experience into narrative, cultural, economic, and civic power—establishing belonging as the foundation for dignity, wellness, generational opportunity, and civic transformation.
The Belonging
Collective Advances....
Narrative Power
Reclaiming authorship over culture and identity.
Economic Sovereignty
Shaping policy and systems that govern our lives.
Civic Influence
Shaping policy and systems that govern our lives.
Collective Restoration
Cultivating wellness and leadership healing.
Our Work Advances Power Across Two Lanes.
The Newark Penthouse is an elevated creative haven designed to give founders the breathing room to create and the infrastructure to grow. It is a space where professional storytelling meets personal restoration, dedicated to those building the future of our economy.
BMN upends media and culture through a streaming network where stories ignite movements, creators reclaim power, and belonging becomes a force.
We amplify voices too often ignored and reshape who owns, shapes, and profits from culture.
The Newark Penthouse
Space. Story. Stability. Rest.
The Newark Penthouse
Space to create. Story to scale. Stability to grow. Rest to lead.
The Newark Penthouse is a boutique, light-filled sanctuary designed for founders and creators to rebuild, reimagine, and execute their work. We operate at the intersection of high-end production and economic equity, providing a safe harbor for those caught in the wealth gap.
We believe that the greatest barrier to innovation isn't a lack of talent—it’s the absence of mental margin. Building a legacy while navigating systemic hurdles is an exhausting feat that rarely affords the luxury of rest. The Penthouse changes that.
By removing the friction of high overhead and providing a serene, production-ready environment, we offer our residents permission to breathe. This intentional "quiet" frees the mind space necessary to create, scale, and lead.
Now streaming on
Belonging Media Network x Audacy
Beyond the Ballot isn’t just about politics — it’s about the ripple effects policy has on everyday lives. We look beyond the headlines to uncover the human impact: how decisions made in distant rooms land in living rooms across the country.
Each episode features raw, unfiltered conversations with the people who shape our democracy — and those who live with its consequences. Leaders. Survivors. Voices are too often left out of the spotlight. We confront hard questions about power, accountability, and who democracy truly serves. Watch. Reflect. Add your voice. The conversation is just getting started.
Meet the
Founder
Shennell Barnes is a storyteller, strategist, and movement builder working at the intersection of media, democracy, and economic justice. She founded The Belonging Collective to address a core failure of our time: systems that extract stories from marginalized communities without restoring power, opportunity, or belonging.
Across film, radio, live convenings, and community-based initiatives, Shennell has built platforms that elevate lived experience as a force for cultural, civic, and economic transformation. Her work centers the voices closest to impact—turning narrative into action and belonging into measurable change.
The Belonging Collective reflects her belief that belonging is not symbolic. It is structural—and when built intentionally, it becomes the foundation for dignity, wellness, and generational opportunity.
Check out the latest news on our blog
LEVEL UP YOUR LIFE
My superpower is helping women to level up their income and live the life of their dreams.
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