Circles are small facilitated groups of peers that meet regularly for connecting, inspiring, supporting and knowledge-sharing. Individuals in identity groups that are underrepresented in an organization or in a field are supported to thrive through creating strong trusting relationships with individuals who share a social identity.

​Case Example
For Stanford Graduate School of Business Alumni Association, Include Co-Founder, Pien van den Herik, and Include team members, led the design and facilitation of the Women's Circles program, growing the program from a few circles into a community of over 70 circles in the US and Europe.

  Project components
While each project is unique, here are relevant components that we will discuss with you. 

• Discovery- Engaging your people to identify needs, values, and interests
• Design - Designing the structures, launch, and communication processes of your Circles to support success
• Facilitator Training - Training internal facilitators to facilitate circles
• Circle Activities - Guiding meaningful group experiences  
• Facilitator Mentoring - Creating a support system for facilitators
• Program evaluation - Evaluation as a continuous learning process.

Next Step 
​For further info, please contact Pien van den Herik.

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Pien played a crucial role in the success of what has now become the fastest growing alumni program at the Stanford GSB. As the founding Master Facilitator, Pien has been a masterful thought-partner and co-conspirator, developing endless content for facilitators of all skill levels and artfully crafting large-group meeting structures that engender deep connection. Whether modeling or directly skills-building, Pien is greatly skilled in making people feel safe and cared for, facilitating the vulnerability that is critical for the most powerful work to unfold. In 2017, Pien co-organized a wildly successful inaugural Circles Leadership Summit (Net Promoter Score of 89), developing the arc of the 2-day symposium and a number of nuanced sessions that were highly effective in supporting over 60 participants to connect, reflect, support and inspire one another. 

Over the last five years working together, I have been inspired by Pien's vision, work ethic, creativity and fun in building diverse communities of women across the globe.

K. Danae Pauli
Global Management Board, Founding Director & Operations Committee co-Chair, Stanford Graduate School of Business Women’s Circles