Facilitation & Workshops

Junto Retreat

The Junto Retreat is a retreat for current or aspiring business leaders working to create a more thoughtful world, as well as an on-going dinner events series in Philadelphia. I helped co-organize these events.

Inspired by the original Junto originally formed by Ben Franklin and his friends in 1727 – who, as a diverse group of business leaders, met on a regular basis to "exchange knowledge of business affairs" – the P'unk Ave team has hosted a dozen of Junto gatherings for nearly the last decade, inviting individuals from across the city to share valuable knowledge and reflections around a broad range of topics.

In 2013, we chose to revive the spirit of the Junto in the form of a retreat, as we believe that running a business in a "not just for profit" way is rewarding both financially and emotionally.

By coming together, as Franklin and his friends did, we hoped to share valuable knowledge and reflections that can improve ourselves, our businesses, and our communities. In the grandest sense, we hoped such an exchange will indeed help us create a more thoughtful world.

The Junto Retreat has grown into a richer, more diverse group of individuals looking to make an impact on their communities and contribute to a more thoughtful world. The Junto Retreat is intentionally and specifically a retreat—it is designed so you won't be talked at all day and, instead, are a part of the conversation.

During the course of the annual two-day event featuring carefully curated talks, the majority of the time is for attendees to think, reflect, write, and share. Attendees participate in hands-on exercises and activities to help them reflect on what they stand for and the impact they hope to make. In past Junto Retreats, we’ve heard from: chefs, architects, entrepreneurs, musicians, librarians, writers and founders & CEO’s of leadership organizations, yoga studios, foundations, technology companies, ice cream companies, ad agencies, radio broadcast organizations, theatre companies and social enterprises—to name just a few!

The community that formed through the retreat continued to engage throughout the years for Junto Dinners. In the same spirit as the Junto Retreat, these dinner events were geared towards an exchange of knowledge and ideas through an interview and dinner conversation with a guest of honor, as well as time for attendees to to think, reflect, write, and share in their journals and with the group.