Welcome to Together Institute.

We work with purpose-driven communities, networks and their leaders to help them thrive. 

Why we exist

“The ways we currently collaborate are simply not up to the magnitude of the task given the complexity of the social and environmental problems we are trying to solve. To get to more radical outcomes, we need more radical ways of working together. It is both as simple and as hard as that”

- SSIR, The Relational Work of Systems Change

Many of our current approaches are insufficient to address the systemic challenges we are facing.

We have been working with purpose-driven communities, networks and ecosystems collectively for over 40 years. And we see how they hold tremendous potential for transforming the world around us. Yet there is little support available.

Many networks fail, community leaders burn out and collaborative relationships are often short-lived and superficial. Much potential for change stays untapped.

Together Institute exists to strengthen relationship-centric approaches for co-creating regenerative futures.

Who we are

For us, this work is personal: we have founded, stewarded and facilitated purpose-driven communities for a combined 40+ years. We have experienced the transformative power, along with the challenges, of networks.

Partners
Together Institute is stewarded by a small group of friends who have been working together for many years. We are fortunate to be collaborating on our projects with a wide global network of experienced facilitators, network leaders and community weavers.


FABIAN PFORTMÜLLER

Fabian has co-founded several purpose-driven communities. He is co-author of the Community Canvas and the Community Weaving Framework, both open-source community building frameworks, and a co-creator of the Wasan Network. Previously, Fabian was an Innovator in Residence with the Kauffman Foundation, co-founder of Sandbox, a global community of young change makers, and co-founder of the mindfulness brand Holstee.


CHRISTINE LAI

Christine is a cross-sector collaboration catalyst connecting capital, ideas, opportunities, and people for positive social change. She works with foundations and organizations — including the Kauffman Foundation, One Project, Schmidt Futures, and TED – on their community, ecosystem, and network strategies. Christine also serves on the board of R3 Score and mentors multiple fellowships, nonprofits, and startups.


MICHEL BACHMANN

Michel facilitates the co-creation of planetary communities and is a co-author of the Community Weaving Framework. He works with a variety of global networks such as the League of Intrapreneurs, Bioregional Weaving Labs and WWF to help grow community and cultivate a culture of genuine co-creation. Previously, Michel co-founded Impact Hub Zürich and led the transition of the global Impact Hub network towards a distributed organization with 100+ spaces across the world.


What we do

We help purpose-driven communities and networks succeed by supporting the people who lead them.

  • We accompany network leaders in weaving thriving communities.

    From behind the scenes we strengthen the people running networks and support them on an ongoing basis. We check-in regularly, we work through challenges together, we make sure the leaders are cared for and feel well equipped. For example, we have been supporting the leadership team of the PEX community in decentralizing core functions and activating members to co-create a thriving community together. We helped them invite organizational partners to co-steward the community, resource a shared operational backbone and define clear pathways for the community to bring in their gifts.

  • We help networks gain clarity.

    Using our frameworks we work with network leaders to assess where they are at, identify opportunity areas and develop strategic plans. For example, we have been supporting WWF’s EFN network in co-creating a 5 year strategic plan for activating their alumni community with 3000+ members across Asia, Africa and the Americas. As part of this we hosted three virtual co-creation workshops with key alumni to crystallize the added value, rhythm and roles for the network and set up a global hosting team with regional coordinators and national ambassadors to kick-start activities worldwide. 

  • We facilitate transformative community gatherings. 

    We are passionate about facilitating gatherings that have the power to transform and re-energize communities by nurturing authentic relationships and making space for courageous conversations. For example, BMW Foundation runs a global network of Responsible Leaders and we designed and facilitated a gathering of key members who run regional chapters, allowing them to form deep connections, learn from each other and align on strategy. 

  • We train community practitioners to build capacity and confidence.

    What does it mean to “weave community” and how can community leaders hone their craft? Using our frameworks we create interactive trainings and learning journeys for network leaders and community practitioners. For example, we hosted a virtual learning journey for people running communities of practice within the United Nations (UN DCO), providing them with tools and tangible practices to weave healthier and more engaged groups. 

  • We share what we learn through talks, our blog and open-source frameworks.

    Having done this work for decades, we see patterns and share key insights with other practitioners to strengthen the overall ecosystem. We do this through open-sourced publications and keynotes. For example, we co-developed several open-source community frameworks: the Community Canvas (co-created by Fabian Pfortmüller with Nico Luchsinger and Sascha Mombartz) and the Community Weaving Framework (co-created by Fabian Pfortmüller, Michel Bachmann, Erin Dixon and Sita Magnuson). We share ongoing reflections on our blog. We give talks and workshops at various organizations and gatherings, including Impact Hub, Hertie Foundation, Swiss Life, CLIIQ Ecuador, and universities like NYU, Stanford and others.

How we work

Our Principles


Care

Relationships are at the very heart of our work and Together Institute is our playground to practice a future where relationships are regenerative and valued. We aim to embody a care-centric approach with everyone we work with, knowing that connecting people for systemic change can be lonely and exhausting work at times.  


Curiosity

Even though we have been creating, weaving and leading networks for 40+ years, there is still so much more to learn. That’s why at the core of Together Institute isn’t a solution, but an inquiry: How do we weave thriving communities and networks in support of lasting transformation? Through our work we continue to explore this question and share what we learn through our blog and open-sourced frameworks.


Courage

Transformation requires courage and the will to have honest conversations even if they’re uncomfortable. At Together Institute, we are committed to speaking truth to power and compassionately going to the root of what needs to change for real transformation to happen. We love going to the edges of what’s emerging and are passionate about running courageous experiments to learn what’s possible together. 


We are fortunate to have worked - both individually and as Together Institute - with inspiring partners and their networks, communities and ecosystems:


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Our blog

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