An invite‑only, small dinner circle practicing leadership through story, wonder, and connection.

See what unfolds when local people bring back the art of diverse connection over guided dialogue and shared food.

Meet Our Newest Initiative: Local, In Person

Backbone Salons

The Backbone Salon is where a community’s quiet magic gathers itself.

Rooted in Free Leadership’s mission, it strengthens the relational backbone of a place by inviting thoughtful humans into a room where social exchange becomes a shared art.

Each salon is hosted by a trained facilitator who curates the guest list and the experience. Most seat 4-6 people, delivering a person-centered, diverse circle of real people coming together over a co-created meal, and practicing diverse ways of conversational leadership.

Sick of gatherings where no one really learns anything new about one another? Craving some new connections that widen your mindset about the future, or dialouge that is focused on what’s working in our relationships?

Salons are designed around non-hierarchical leadership, non-conventional conversation, and fun deliciousness.

It is a space where:

• We eat well together

• Dialouge is curated and facilitated

• Lived experience becomes shared wisdom

• Possibility becomes a communal practice

• Each guest serves a leader in a unique way

• We don’t take each other so seriously

Help bring the Backbone Salon to life in your community. Do you have a gift for gathering people? We’re looking for facilitators and hosts to train to bring Salons to their locales in Winter of 2027.

If you know someone is curious, creative and cares about bringing neighbors together in a unique way, please reach out. If you’re someone who can hold space for story, wonder, and cross‑difference connection, we’d love to talk.