Connecting people to build a world where everyone thrives
More than 300 movements are shifting the world to wellbeing economies. We work together to share these stories with the world, connect people to first first practical steps, and take coordinated action.
Becoming the change you want to see
(no, really!)
The world is created by the actions we collectively take every day, and those actions are determined by our beliefs and our systems.
When we share the stories of people creating a world based on wellbeing (which are not showing up on the media, social or otherwise by the way!) and coordinate our actions to make small moves together connecting to community and organisations founding this change, we shift rapidly into the world we all dream of while levelling up our own lives at the same time.Connection Engine is here to help you take first practical steps, whether that's joining an existing project or community -- or building your own and getting it to launch. Having the right supports in place to help you get off the ground is why we're creating this space.
"This whole project has the potential to be the one of the most impactful tools modern humans will have."
- Linds
How does this work?
First, we come together around just three core principles.
1.
Wellbeing > Survival
There are only two types of systems in the world: those that prioritise our wellbeing, or those that put us in survival mode. We support and grow systems that prioritise wellbeing over GDP and regeneration over extraction.
2.
Alignment > Agreement
Focusing on alignment instead of agreement means diverse movements can work together toward a shared goal, rather than spending energy debating ideology.
3.
Transformation > Resistance
Instead of focusing on what we don't want, we cast our attention on what we do want. We engage in a process of taking practical steps toward our shared vision, creating new systems and connections as we go.
Then, we connect, share stories, and take actions through a flywheel unifying those movements into 8 categories of change.
This is how we help each other grow and get the whole world working in the same direction at the same time.
Here's what that looks like:
The Flywheel
Through our hubs, we connect you to 8 categories of change, each containing success stories of how people are changing their own lives while changing the world -- with practical steps for you to get there too, as well as other like-minded folks. Maybe even some in your neighbourhood -- there are maps!Learn more about the categories of change and how they create a flywheel effect when connected and coordinated.
Action Cycles
Every week we go through cycles together, using a 5 minute, 15 minute, and 1 hour action framework, along with support to start and launch your project from people on the same path.
Connect
Build authentic relationships that form the foundation of real change. Connection creates the trust networks essential for collaboration.
Share
Exchange resources, stories, and insights with generosity and authenticity. Sharing extends our impact and invites others into the change process.
Act
Transform ideas into reality through purposeful implementation. Action creates momentum, generates tangible results, and reveals new insights.
Grow
Develop the skills, knowledge, and mindsets needed to create change. Growth expands what's possible both individually and collectively.
"Whether you're wanting to join an existing project or start your own, whether your ambitions are getting a few neighbours together or starting a social enterprise, our goal is to get you from where you are to well on the way to being a part of our Stories."
Our Stories
Here are the stories of recent projects already gaining traction, and there are thousands more like them as illustrated by J. Friday, Antidote and How to Citizen. Will your story be next?
Drivers Cooperative Colorado
A driver-owned alternative to ride-sharing giants, providing fair wages and democratic ownership to drivers while offering reliable, community-centered transportation services to Colorado residents. Learn More
Cooperation Hull
A community-driven movement transforming Hull through People's Assemblies, local democracy, and solidarity economics. By bringing residents together to make collective decisions about their future, Cooperation Hull is building strong communities and creating an economy that works for everyone through meaningful participation and shared power. Learn More
NeighborhoodShare
NeighborhoodShare creates resource-sharing networks that strengthen community bonds while reducing waste and consumption. Through an innovative AI-powered platform, neighbors can easily catalog and share tools, kitchen equipment, and other occasionally-used items, building resilience and connection at the local level. This practical solution addresses both environmental sustainability and social isolation by transforming how communities access resources through mutual support rather than individual ownership. Learn More
TAO Social
The first people-first social media platform governed by its users, where all profits are reinvested into the community. TAO Social coordinates positive change at scale through human connection. Learn More
Regenerative Economic Zones
Community-driven economic systems designed to keep wealth circulating locally while regenerating social and ecological resources. These zones connect farmers, small businesses, and community leaders through bioregional trade networks that build resilience - as demonstrated by the pioneering model in Greenville, SC created by Michael J. Muyot. Learn More
Commonwealth Grocers
Never doubt that a TikTok video can't change the world. When a man's viral video about accessing affordable food garnered 4 million views and sparked a movement, it caught an impact founder's attention and became Commonwealth Grocers. This member-owned platform pools customer orders to unlock wholesale prices on brand-name products and local farm goods, delivering 30-50% savings while converting membership fees into actual company equity. The result is a revolutionary food system where shoppers become shareholders and farmers receive fair compensation. Learn More
We're not waiting for change. We're building it for ourselves.
Get Started
About Connection Engine
It's all about US. Moving from ME to WE while imagining and creating our collective future.
Here's who's behind CE, what people are saying, technical stuff, and some FAQs.
What people are saying
"This whole project has the potential to be the one of the most impactful tools modern humans will have 💜"
Linds, via Tiktok
"Everything indicates that in five years from now, maximum ten, we will be living in an entirely different economy based on wellbeing, community, care."
Lazaros Giannas, via Substack
"Now I know. Something shifted in my being when I read this."
Dr. Mary Harrell, in response to a post about wellbeing economies
"Your content is giving me hope and I am sharing these ideas whenever I can."
Reilly Walker, via Tiktok
"Yesssss wellbeing at the center duh 🙃"
Nicolette Empowerment Guide, via Substack
"Could we be looking at the start of a post capitalism world economy? If so, I can't even put into words how exciting that would be."
Willow (Sarah), via Substack
Help us make it happen
We are currently looking for people who want to be a part of and help make this project happen on a volunteer or deferred compensation basis. Please use the Contact form to inquire or reach out to J. Friday.We are also seeking funding to get this flywheel up to momentum and cover basic overhead and needs. You can make a one-time or recurring contribution through our Open Collective.Thank you for the help!
Thank you for your help!
Data and theory
Let's get technical for a minute. What's gone into this? How did we arrive at this process?
OUR THEORY OF CHANGE
The Connection Engine addresses a critical gap in the movements for a better world: while numerous solutions exist, they lack visibility, and people need clear pathways to implement them.
Our theory of change is built on three core premises:1. Solutions to our biggest challenges already exist but lack visibility
2. People need clear pathways to find, implement, and share these solutions
3. Strategic networking and amplification can create rapid, non-linear changeRather than building another organization or directly solving problems, we create conditions for transformation through four interconnected strategies:✔️ Strategic Storytelling
✔️ Network Amplification
✔️ Voice Elevation
✔️ Practical PathwaysThis creates a self-reinforcing flywheel: compelling stories attract network connections, elevated voices amplify those stories, and accessible actions convert awareness into implementation, generating new success stories.
Key Foundational WORKS
The Connection Engine integrates cutting-edge theories from multiple disciplines to create a powerful framework for wellbeing economy transformation.
Network Science: Complex contagion theory (Centola), showing how behaviors and beliefs spread through networks, and spontaneous synchronization, demonstrating how independent elements naturally align.
Culture Science: Memetics and cultural evolution frameworks explaining how ideas spread, adapt, and evolve across populations to create new social patterns.
Systems Thinking: Leverage points (Meadows) for high-impact system intervention and trim tab theory (Fuller), where small actions create disproportionate change.
Cognitive Psychology: Frequency illusion and exposure effects that shape perception and trust, creating coherent narratives that gain momentum.
Organizational Theory: The flywheel effect (Collins) creating self-reinforcing momentum and the focus effect demonstrating how concentrated efforts build critical mass.
Consciousness Evolution: How communication shapes collective awareness (Dewart), enabling emergence of new possibilities through connection.
Whitepaper detailing how practical implementation of these theories creates transformative change (coming soon).
Also coming soon: a dashboard to track global reach. Data will be posted here as it is collected.
Who are we?
Connection Engine is co-founded by J. Friday and Claire Hartnell with contributions from collaborators across various disciplines, bringing together our experience and knowledge in systems change, network building, and strategic storytelling.We operate as a sociocratic organization with governance distributed through mission-focused circles. We are actively seeking more cofounders and partnerships.
Contributors
Allies, Partners & Supported Orgs
News & Updates
Please follow Connection Engine on Substack for latest updates and news. We have also formed a collective on Open Collective, and updates on our development are posted there as well.
Contact us
Sign up and get started
Connect, find or grow your community, change your life and the world.
It starts here.
Get Connected
When you sign up for our email list below, you'll get an invite to join our Main Hub and Community Flywheel on Hylo.You can join in any time or simply choose to receive regular email updates with all the story and action highlights, including practical steps you can take.
Thank you
We will be in touch soon.
TAO Social
Stage: Pre-launch (TAO are currently running an internal beta for an expected summer 2025 public release)
For more on this story and how to get involved, visit Clearlight Studios.
Regenerative Economic Zones
Stage: Pre-launch (The organising has begun from Greenville, SC to Asheville, NC!)
For more on this story and how to grab your guide to building regnerative economic zones in your region, visit Michael Muyot's site.
Cooperation Hull
Stage: Launch! (Cooperation Hull are already well on their way to making change!)
For more on this story, visit Antidote Live's page on them.
Driver's Cooperative Colorado
Stage: Launch! (Already launched and creating ripples of change.)
For more on this story, visit J. Friday's comprehensive write-up.
NeighborhoodShare
Stage: Pre-launch (you can get involved and be a part of making it happen!)
For more on this story and to keep up with the beta launch, follow Mike Jones' Substack, Resilient Tomorrow.
Commonwealth Grocers
Stage: Pre-launch (you can get involved and be a part of making it happen!)
For more on this story and to keep up with the beta launch, follow Austin on Tiktok and see his Linktree for access to the Industry of the People Discord community.
Sign up for the interest list for Commonwealth Grocers at the official website.
The Flywheel Explained
The 8 Categories of Change
Transforming our current systems into wellbeing economies requires different types of work happening simultaneously. The Connection Engine organizes these efforts into eight essential categories that, when connected, create a powerful flywheel effect—accelerating change far beyond what any single approach could achieve.
These categories reflect the natural dynamics of how change happens:
Cultivating What Already Exists
- Wellness Cultivators nurture our inner capacity for thriving
- Commons Cultivators develop shared resources and practices and build community
- Ecological Cultivators regenerate our relationship with the living world
Innovators Help New Possibilities Emerge
- Economic Innovators create regenerative business and financial models
- Technology Innovators develop ethical and decentralised tools to accelerate change
- Systems Innovators redesign governance and policy frameworks
Supporting and Accelerating the Transition
- Strategic Resistance creates space for alternatives by challenging extractive systems
- Cultural Catalysts shift narratives and make new possibilities visible to a critical mass of people in months not years by working together in this flywheel to make all these movements mainstream.
The Flywheel Effect
These categories create a self-reinforcing system that's fundamentally non-linear and emergent. Rather than following a fixed sequence, change ripples across categories in multiple directions:- Cultural Catalysts make alternatives visible, bringing more people into the movement
- Wellness Cultivators build the inner capacity needed for sustained change
- Commons and Ecological Cultivators create regenerative foundations
- Economic and Technology Innovators develop alternatives and create accessibility for all
- Systems Innovators adapt governance structures to support these new models
- Strategic Resistance holds back extractive systems, creating room for alternatives
- New connections between categories allow for unexpected solutions to emerge
- Coordinated rhythms of action amplify impact across the entire systemAs people enter through any category, they naturally connect to others, creating new possibilities that couldn't be predicted in advance. This emergent quality means the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
With each new story that emerges, Cultural Catalysts continue reshaping the narrative, bringing more people into the movement and catalyzing further change.The ripple effects expand as more people coordinate their actions while respecting each other's autonomy and unique contributions, and no matter where you are in this, your contribution helps build a world based on wellbeing for all.
Finding Your Place
You don't need to be active in all categories—finding your specific place in this ecosystem allows you to contribute where you'll have the greatest impact while connecting with others doing complementary work and getting help with your own.
Ready to be part of this?
By joining the Connection Engine, you'll discover which categories align with your strengths, connect with others in those areas, and find practical first steps to get involved in building a world where everyone thrives.
Is Hylo Right for Your Group?
Hiya!Thanks for reaching out about the community and prosocial group building platform we are using for Connection Engine and that you can use for your community too!Please review the video and agreements below to see if Hylo is a good fit for your group. The platform is built on trust, so it's important to make sure it's a good fit first.
Hylo is ideal for a diverse array of for-purpose and pro-social groups and communities.
It is not a good fit if you intend to market services or monetise the group. Dues to keep the group running and contribute back to Hylo are okay, and different to monetisation, which is extractive.Some examples of good fits:
Purpose-driven groups. Hylo is great for groups with a shared identity and purpose who aim to create positive change in the world and mutual support for each other.
Non-profit or For-purpose and cooperative organizations. All kinds of non-profits use Hylo to communicate internally as well as with their wider network of members. Hylo is a powerful way to activate your supporters.
Networked groups. Hylo works for groups of any size and excels at collaboration by making it possible to link groups together to form larger networks.
Place-based groups. Hylo is especially useful for local or bioregional groups that are grounded in place, or composed of members who are connected to the landscape.
Peer-to-peer groups. Hylo is designed for decentralized, bottom-up coordination that is needed at this time to address our biggest challenges.
Educational groups and learning cohorts. Groups like Prosocial.World and the Buckminster Fuller Institute have successfully run courses on Hylo. We will expand the capacity for groups to run courses by building a learning management system into Hylo (Coming Soon 2025).
Watch this video on creating Mutual Support Groups on Hylo
Watch this brief introduction to what the group space looks like on the platform to see if it would be a good fit for your group. This is not a comprehensive overview of features and some of the most exciting features -- like the global map -- are not mentioned.Hylo acts as a commons and prosocial coordination tool. So not only can we cultivate and steward healthy community, but we can coordinate communities across the globe.
One example might be (and I give this because I'm autistic!) is a neurodivergent group getting started up in globally, but coordinating with other neurodivergent groups with shared values on other continents, sharing support and knowledge, while creating place-based and in-person chapters.You could also start a local or regional chapter and then invite and discover other aligned groups globally.
And Read This to Make Sure Your Group is a Good Fit for the Platform
Please read this page before joining to make sure your group aligns with the values of the platform before setting up space. It's important to the integrity of the platform that we're all on the same page values-wise.
All sounds like it's right for you?
Go here if you're savvy and ready to dive right into to setting up your group on Hylo.Read up on howl to set up your community for success here.Please also feel free to join in at Connection Engine for support in getting started if you're a little lost.And once you're more familiar with Hylo, I recommend the Hylo Community Organisers group.
Here are some more resources for getting started:
Good luck, have fun!xoxoFriday
Apply to write or cocreate with us!
We are about to enter our initial storytelling cycle phase and are looking for committed writers and cocreators to carry this transformative project forward. Thank you for your interest in applying.The right applicants believe fully in the mission of taking wellbeing economies mainstream and agree to work and create in accordance with our principles of:Wellbeing over SurvivalWe approach our work and actions prioritising systems of wellbeing and regeneration over survival and extraction. We work to develop both inner and outer capacity for the wellbeing of all.Alignment over AgreementWe work together in alignment toward the shared goal of creating a world where everyone thrives, rather than giving energy to ideological battles.Transformation over ResistanceRather than focus on critiquing or changing extractive survival systems, we focus on building new systems that make them obsolete. From "What's Wrong," to "What's Strong."
These principles reflect in both our actions and our work.Additionally, the culture we're creating requires the following skills and understanding from early co-creators:Accountability: You own it until it’s complete or handed offInitiative: We don’t wait for permission — we move, reflect, and adjustStewardship: This is about collective good, not personal statusConstructive clarity: We say what needs to be said, with care
If you are applying to join the team and operations, (or are currently involved and clarifying commitment level) you can now go directly to the form. We look forward to connecting!
If you are applying to be a, writer or content creator partner, here is a brief overview of what the storytelling cycle looks like for you.1. You will receive a set of instructions for choosing a story to cover that amplifies both the wellbeing economy and resonates with your work or personal brand, amplifying our collective narrative and your brand at the same time.2. Those instructions will also include the framework and instructions for writing or producing the story within our format guidelines.For example, for Substack authors, you are committing to one week and four newsletters, roughly 1500-2000 words in total collectively, at an 8th grade reading level.Most story deadlines are flexible, but curated stories with higher media profile potential do have deadlines.3. Completed stories will go through a short review process before entering the publication pipeline. For Substack, we invite you via email to post on the publication. For other platforms, we cross promote content when it's published on your profile or channel.On release days, we promote you and the content throughout the network!So if you're down to help tell the stories that are bringing the better world into being? Hit the button below!
NOTE ABOUT THE FORM FOR WRITERS
- Please ignore the intro, which is not directed at writers :)
- Say No to being a part of the Core Mission
- Select Newsletter writing / content only for the areas of interest question (the second tick box in this section is about helping with CE branding and storytelling).*