Gathering around the fire is an age-old proven method of information-gathering, decision-making, creating support, and building inclusive and equitable community.

We convene groups for all of these purposes and outcomes. Each group meets once a week for 6 weeks and requires an application and statement of commitment to your colleagues to attend regularly, be prepared, hold discussions in confidence, and to communicate with respect and compassion.

CIRCLES HOSTED BY VENTURE GROWTH

Creating Your Future - Part I, Planning Change – These small groups are a fun form of discovery, goal-setting and planning. The process involves a facilitated series of exercises and lively discussions to:

~ reconnect with what matters most to you

~ set goals that reflect and amplify those values, and

~ outline a plan to realize your goals in a meaningful way.

Creating Your Future- Part II Accountability

NOTE: Pre-requisite: Part I Planning Change

Trailblazing can be lonely. Everyone is looking to you for answers and innovation, to anticipate problems and know how to solve them. In reality one of the best ways to avoid the pitfalls of assuring the conversion of plans into action is to join a facilitated peer group.

How do otherwise accomplished creatives, entrepreneurs and organizational leaders with good products and services, strategies, goals, and plans still stumble?

They fail to implement.

Our accountability groups focus on reflecting and supporting your actions-on-goals, while helping you be true to yourself.

FACILITATED GROUPS FOR TEAMS AND COMMUNITY

Feeding the Content Monster

This is a fun and unique alternative focus group to engage with folks who represent your target audiences, and test your marketing messages. The outcome provides clear direction for the development of hundreds of pieces of content for your website, your social channels, multi-media, and other marketing collateral. In three meetings together we will:

1. Prep your pitch

2. Facilitate your listening session

3. Facilitate the follow-up debrief and strategic communications planning session.

Community Conversations

Our experience in community organizing and facilitating conversations has included:

~ crisis conversations between residents, organizational leaders and law enforcement following bias and violence incidents

~ educational sessions and teacher training on prejudice-reduction and equity in the classroom

~ listening and brainstorming sessions to create inclusion and advocacy around difficult community issues (e.g. affordable housing, homelessness, pollution-prevention, animal welfare, and more.)

Currently, we primarily focus on COMMUNITY RESILIENCE-BUILDING, the gathering of diverse community members to:

~ Assess awareness of community resources (opportunities for different types of communication and distribution

~ Identify unmet needs and gaps in community resources (opportunities for service development, policy changes, community organized response)

~ Amplify and listen to diverse voices and perspectives (meaningful witness and lived experience storytelling)

~ Forge interpersonal connection and relationships for further resilience-building

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If you have questions or would like to explore any of these group opportunities, please reach out to alyson@venturegrowth.com.