Cultivating Community and Creativity at The Guild

Think about all the times you had a great idea, and just needed to talk it through with someone else. You just needed a sounding board, and someone who could help you take the idea to the next level. But maybe it’s 10 p.m. and you don’t want to drive all the way over to that person’s house. Or it’s dinnertime, and you don’t want to interrupt. You wait until you can talk tomorrow. In the meantime, you lose that flash of genius, and the creative momentum dies down.

What if during all those times, all you had to do was go to your own living room to talk it out? Or sit down to dinner with the person that could help you expand your idea? What if the flash of genius didn’t go away, but just got brighter?

That’s the reality at The Guild in Atlanta, a co-living home for entrepreneurs and social change makers. By bringing individuals together to live and create, The Guild capitalizes on the collective energy and inspiration of the group.

Accepting housemates for a 10-month idea accelerator program, The Guild brings together diverse individuals who are working on projects or businesses for a social good. The cohort learns how to grow their idea or venture, how to increase their social impact, and how to develop themselves as individuals and leaders. They even receive coaching from professional mentors and industry experts.

For their part, the members have to commit to participation in a leadership retreat, weekly dinners, monthly peer leadership group meetings, and sponsored events. They are expected to take part in four hours of community service at the East Lake Commons every month, and must make a presentation on their project at the end of the program.

Porsha Thomas, founder of Atlanta’s Ladypreneur League and member of the inaugural Guild cohort, is thankful for her experience with the program. “I have a better foundation for everything,” she said. “I am generally happier, because I know how to structure things. It’s knowing that you have people around you to talk to. It helped set me up for success– I’m happy that I joined.”

In addition to their in-house program, the Guild’s Triple Bottom Line Lab works with local organizations to connect them with their environmental and social impact. Not only does this allow Atlanta businesses to increase their social footprint, but it connects the cohort to area organizations and experts, giving them hands-on experience.

What started as one house a year ago has quickly developed into the idea of an expansion, and building a greater social enterprise that develops co-living spaces and programs to empower change makers and build resilient communities. The Guild also has plans to expand its offerings even more, preparing for a 12-week external cohort group that will focus on the same curriculum.

Learn more about The Guild in the latest podcast from The Good Works Show.