I recently launched a new Colorado-based and member-owned effort called the Forwardkind Cooperative . After much contemplation and generous feedback, I’m pleased to share our new mission and focus.
Our new mission is:
To build a shared-ownership, regenerative ecosystem that multiplies human potential — expanding access to transformational work and amplifying the collective impact of purpose-driven people.
Ok, so what exactly does this mean?
In essence, Forwardkind Cooperative is building a member-owned ecosystem focused on making transformational human growth more accessible, while strengthening those who provide these vital services. Our membership will consist of widely diverse human development professionals and impact leaders — coaches, advisors, guides, therapists, educators, and creatives — dedicated to human flourishing and well-being.
Our aim is straightforward: help purpose-driven individuals move from transformation to thriving, and from thriving to meaningful contribution, all while amplifying the collective impact of those seeking to live and lead with purpose.
Our core thesis is rooted in the following tenets:
1. Amplified Impact
The work of human transformation is highly fragmented among a diversity of practitioners, each with their own labels, identities, and methodologies. This fragmentation contributes to a bigger industry-wide service delivery challenge, making it difficult for those seeking services and experiences that align with their needs, while making it especially arduous for service providers to economically thrive in their chosen professions.
2. Human Connectivity
Despite their extraordinary contribution in people’s lives and our communities, professionals in human transformation often work in isolation. We see them as true entrepreneurs and pioneers with their own unique challenges, where many of the resources available to traditional entrepreneurs aren’t always as relevant. Human transformation is genuinely difficult work, but it doesn’t need to be done alone.
3. Expanded Access
Access to transformational professionals, programs, and services is uneven and costly. We strongly believe everyone should have access to potentially life-changing services and resources, regardless of socioeconomic status, gender, race, or any other prohibitive barrier. As a cooperative, we also believe that our commitment to increasing access carries a fundamental responsibility to contribute to the long-term growth of the human transformation sector as a whole.
4. Collective Growth
We believe true social impact begins one person at a time, but is exponentially multiplied when people are connected, supported, and aligned. As such, Forwardkind is a force multiplier for those doing good and those seeking to do good in their lives and careers across a variety of industries and methods. In many ways, we’re quite agnostic with regards to how people identify in their careers, whether entrepreneurs, nonprofit impact leaders, investors, educators, civil servants, and many more. What’s more important is the intention behind how people choose to show up in their daily lives.
5. Shared Ownership
We believe in the power of cooperation and shared ownership, not only to align our incentives with long-term sustainability this growing industry will need in the decades ahead, but also as a viable economic model where these vital professionals are valued and able to thrive.
Why the change in mission?
First
This mission comes from deep within my heart. The work I enjoy doing the most, that provides me fulfillment above any other effort, and that which I envision doing the rest of my life, is the process of helping others realize their full human potential. I wholeheartedly see this work, not as a job or career, but as my life’s ultimate vocation and calling. This purpose has followed me throughout my 25+ year career in a wild variety of ways, but it is the only common thread I can trace in all of my impactful experiences since before I was a teenager.
Second
I feel most alive when I am connected with those who are dedicated to helping others realize their human potential through transformative work, across a wide spectrum of fascinating methods. I am both inspired and continually transformed by these interactions and I want my own life to be centered around more of these grounding experiences, not less. I also want these experiences to be readily available to more people who want to live a life of intention and purpose. There is much work to be done in access.
Third
I contemplated this mission for a long time in light of the present state of global affairs we find ourselves in. I firmly believe the world needs more human transformation and connection, in ways that bring us back to our roots as a human species. I’ve long held the conviction that many of our endeavors toward social impact and human progress are in some ways indirect attempts at what we really need in this world: raw, authentic transformation and renewal of human purpose at the deepest level possible.
But this is hard work, and not everyone is thrilled with the prospect of change, especially when it might challenge our core values that influence how we see and interact in this world.
The truth is that the world desperately needs many more bold changemakers, status quo challengers, and people living bravely without fear, all for the benefit of humankind.
This brings me to the Forwardkind Cooperative .
What Changes
Fundamentally, everything about Forwardkind will undergo change, some in more ways than others.
Mission
While I’ve included our new mission above, it’s still a work in progress. There’s a near-100% guarantee it will be further refined over the coming weeks and months, as this vision continues to ferment and improve with clarity by the day. I’m learning to be patient with the process as I undergo my own personal re-centering toward what ultimately matters to me and my life.
Audience
Our core audience will change significantly. We’ll emphasize those doing the work of helping others reach their full human potential through transformation. What this might look like will be a panoply of entrepreneurs, consultants, coaches, therapists, guides, educators, and many others. Most importantly, Forwardkind will shift its focus from an entrepreneur-centric audience to those doing transformative work across disciplines, regardless of identity or label.
Purpose
Our purpose, first and foremost, is to support those helping others reach their full human potential through transformation. This work includes access, development, and growth in the human transformation space, which should ultimately become measurable metrics for Forwardkind as an ecosystem-building cooperative.
Offerings
Our offerings will likely develop over the coming weeks and months, as we endeavor to build relationships with those providing and seeking this vital work. Forwardkind will begin as a community of connection and belonging long before making assumptions about how we can best serve this industry.
What Stays the Same
Equity
Our commitment to equity and access not only stays the same, but is magnified and placed front and center with our new mission. As equity and access are a crucial compenent of our guiding principles, Forwardkind will be adding an 8th cooperative principle of Racial Justice to our commitment of addressing systemic barriers for people of color.
Ownership Model
Our collective ownership model will remain the same: Forwardkind will be member-owned under a democratic, cooperative structure. The Forwardkind Fund, which will reserve a portion of member dues for impact, will operate by giving thematic grants on a periodic basis, as voted on by cooperative members.
Access
The ever-expanding resource database that started Forwardkind will remain free and publicly available to anyone seeking out relevant resources. What will change about our public resources will be a stronger focus around supporting human potential and transformation. Less relevant startup resources will be phased out of the public resource database, while new resources will be added.
Building-in-Public
Forwardkind will continue to be “built in public,” sharing every step of our journey for the benefit of other cooperatives. We will soon be releasing our full governing documents on GitHub, including a library of resources about the cooperative movement.
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