As we looked back on 2025, a few powerful patterns stood out across Heylo. Together, they tell a story about how group leadership is evolving, and why community feels more important than ever.
Communities are expanding beyond their core activity
Groups that started around a single activity are becoming places for deeper connection. Run clubs, volleyball groups, and other activity-based communities are increasingly hosting social events outside their standard programming. Saturdays, in particular, have emerged as a new anchor point. Leaders are creating more space for belonging, not just participation.
- Events created on Saturdays grew 2x faster than events on any other day of the week.
Big communities are getting more personal
As groups grow, leaders are intentionally creating smaller, more intimate spaces within them. This shift reflects something important: people want relevance, trust, and connection, even at scale.
- Message volume in private, role-based group chats grew 178% compared to 2024, making private groups the fastest-growing form of communication on Heylo.
People are investing more in their communities
Communities aren’t just showing up more, they’re committing more. Leaders are building things people value enough to support financially, whether through dues, events, or shared experiences.
- In 2025, the number of groups collecting payments grew 2× faster than the number of free groups adopting Heylo.
Looking ahead to 2026, we’re excited to support leaders in new ways, and to amplify the stories behind great communities. We’re proud to sponsor a new podcast from the U.S. Chamber of Connection, How We Connected, featuring conversations with community leaders about the relationships, collaboration, and human stories behind meaningful change. You can listen to the first episode here.
Search by tags
%20(Presentation).png)
