Madison Rifkin

Madison RifkinOct 19, 2026

A year ago, I was cold emailing 50+ venues in NYC trying to convince just ONE of them to let me throw a singles party. Today, venues are pitching us. 13+ singles events later, Someday has gone from one TikTok video and a dream to hundreds of singles on our event waitlists, venues reaching out to host our events, and our biggest event experience yet. In November, we're taking Someday to Barclays Center for a singles takeover at a Brooklyn Nets game. We're bringing 100 singles together for a night of basketball, flirting, and hopefully a few love connections. We even have a fun custom hat surprise planned for everyone attending. A year ago, I genuinely couldn't have imagined any of this. But what's even more exciting to me is the timing. IRL is having a moment, especially in dating. Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are all recognizing that the future of dating can't exist entirely behind a screen. People want to meet people. In person. Imagine that. And while these companies have the budgets, the users, and the brand recognition, I think there's something they're missing. Knowing how to get people to download an app is very different from knowing how to get 100 strangers into a room and actually make them want to talk to each other. That's a skill. And it's one that I think is about to become incredibly valuable. After a year of hosting these events, I've learned that the magic isn't just getting people to show up. It's understanding who you're bringing together, why they're there, and how to create an environment where connections actually happen. My bet is that the biggest winners in the next few years won't necessarily be the companies with the biggest marketing budgets. They'll be the ones who understand their customers, know how to bring people together offline, and aren't afraid to rethink what dating can look like. #community #IRL

Madison RifkinOct 15, 2026

I keep seeing posts about IRL being the next big opportunity for brands and creators, and it’s making me think about the retreats we hosted at Mount. I’ve since exited the company, but our group chat still lives on. Years ago, I was working with tourism boards, vacation rental managers, and local businesses to put together creator retreats. Think the Tarte influencer trips, with our own startup budget and a lot of figuring things out. I found the properties, brought the partners together, curated the guest lists, and coordinated everything from arrivals to activities. I cared a lot about who was coming and whether they would actually enjoy spending a few days together. Creators told us these were the best trips they’d ever been on. We became close friends, and the businesses that hosted us gained people who were personally invested in telling their stories. When you’ve met the owner, explored a place together, and made memories there, you have so much more to say than whatever was in the campaign brief. That experience has stuck with me through my work with creators and conferences at Popfly, and through throwing singles events. For the past six years, I’ve been learning how to get people excited enough to show up, make them feel comfortable when they arrive, and give them something worth talking about afterward. So yes, I’m excited to see more brands thinking about IRL. I’ve seen how much can come from getting the right people together and giving them time to connect. Years later, I’m still in touch with the people from those Mount trips. To me, that’s a pretty good sign we built something worth being part of.

Madison RifkinOct 21, 2026

Hosting is an art. And I think we underestimate how much work goes into making a room feel effortless. Anyone can book a venue and send out an invite. But what happens after everyone shows up? Who do they talk to? What brings them together? Who notices the person standing alone, pretending to check their phone? Getting people into a room is only the beginning. At Someday, everyone joins a waitlist because I personally curate each room using a personality survey I created. I call it your Someday Core. I’m thinking about who will get along with who. Who might bring someone out of their shell. Who I want to introduce before either of them even walks through the door. Then, at the event, I make those introductions. Because knowing two people should meet doesn’t mean they’ll find each other across a crowded bar. Especially when both came alone and are working up the courage to say hi. AI can help write the invitation. It can’t walk over to someone, make them feel welcome, and bring them into a conversation. That part takes a host. The goal is for guests to leave thinking, “That was so easy. I met so many people.” There’s a lot of work behind making it feel that way. #community #events #hosting