Discover everything you need to build vibrant communities
Join the CourseAre You Struggling to Build Belonging in the Places You Care Most About?
We live in a time where people crave authentic connection and collaboration - in all aspects of our lives.
With our work colleagues, with our neighbors, with those we go to school with and those we volunteer alongside. As the world becomes more connected, the value of nurturing relationships matters more than ever!
But building intentional community is hard.
Yet when individuals take ownership in actively creating communities that they are proud of, they show up as their best self. They bring joy, energy, and an eagerness to contribute. And this has profound impacts.
- Companies perform better because employees connect to a stronger sense of belonging and purpose.
- Small towns attract more creative talent and experience increased economic development for their region.
- Schools see improved engagement because students take an active role in guiding their learning.
In this course, you'll discover the tools and frameworks you need to build belonging wherever you live, work, learn, and play. And have a lot of fun along the way...
Join the CourseHere's what you'll learn
By the end of course, you'll discover how to:
Craft Compelling Visions
Determine how your unique leadership style informs how you present visions for what's possible in your community.
Engage Community Members
Find creative ways to rally collaborators and get people meaningfully involved in your work.
Launch Creative Prototypes
Develop small experiments that get you out into the streets to test your idea and get real-time feedback.
Get certified as a professional creative community builder
Join the Course "...an essential course for emerging leaders and community builders!"
Building community can be hard. Do you feel stuck knowing where to start? In this course, you'll learn a proven and easy process – known as the CANVAS Framework – for how to design creative communities that people will love.
We will help you develop a tangible idea that can be used to cultivate community in the places you live, work, learn, and play.
This is not an academic course. It's action-oriented and designed to get you building community – not just studying it – from day one!
Join the Course
We'll mail you a Field Guide to take your learning out into the streets
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Community building doesn't happen behind a screen!
Join the course and you'll get an 80-page pocket-size field guide delivered to your front door to help you practically apply the concepts in the course to your community.
🎓 The Course
for Universities
Discover how to tailor the program for your students. Past university partners have embedded the course into capstone projects, first-year seminars, and study abroads.
University? Find out more!🏙️ The Course
for Town Planners
Ideal for creative placemakers, city planners, and nonprofit leaders. You'll learn how the course has helped launch numerous social ventures and community projects.
Town Planner? Find out more!Need more support?
Work with Spud
If you need more tailored support from Spud on an initiative you are working on, you can check out our consulting services or sign-up for 1-on-1 coaching calls.
Explore Consulting ServicesConnect with the creative community builders you've been searching for
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The most meaningful learning happens in community.
You'll receive full access to all of our content from Day 1, along with direct access to our coaches. Go through at your own pace and get the accountability you need to strengthen your community-building efforts.
14-day Money Back Guarantee on all Courses
Not sure if the course will be a good fit? That’s ok! Give it a try risk-free. We offer a money-back guarantee for the first 14 days if you find the course isn’t a helpful tool for you. No questions asked!
You'll Learn the CANVAS Framework
The video modules consist of 6 steps to cultivate community in the places you live, work, learn, and play.
Discover practical techniques that are grounded in research, real-life experience and proven through practice. This course is action-oriented and gets you building community – not just studying it – from day one!
MODULE 1
Chart Your Path
Determine what success would look like, how your unique style will influence the idea, and how to move past fears preventing you from getting started.
1.1: Work Backward from the Future
1.2: Identify Your Unique Style
1.3: Reimagine Your Fears and Passions
MODULE 2
Ask Probing Questions
Get a pulse on what your community needs by getting face-to-face, testing your assumptions, and learning how to ask curious questions.
2.1: Get Face-to-Face
2.2: Test Your Assumptions
2.3: Spark Creativity with Curiosity
MODULE 3
Name Early Adopters
Identify those who are most eager to rally behind your idea and build momentum by asking for deeper engagement over time and incrementally.
3.1: Find Your First Followers
3.2: Stagger Incremental Asks
3.3: Build Momentum Through Trust
MODULE 4
Visualize a Prototype
Develop moments of wonder, which are small experiments to tangibly test your idea and learn what works. Think small, cheap, and fast to test the boundaries of what's possible.
4.1: Show, Don't Tell
4.2: Weave in Wonder
4.3: Divide Big Ideas by 500
MODULE 5
Articulate Your Story
Design a clear and compelling narrative for your project that stands out and is easily shareable, while leveraging various media forms.
5.1: Invite Others into a Clear Narrative
5.2: Stand Out
5.3: Navigate the Media Landscape
MODULE 6
Sustain Efforts with Partners
Find partnerships that satisfy a mutual need and learn how to lean on your network's trust as a critical currency of partnership-building.
6.1: Seek Transformation, Not Transactions
6.2: Stop Pitching, Start Serving
6.3: Rely on the Collective Trust of Others
Do I need to have an idea I'm working on before I join the course?
Can I purchase the course for a group of participants?
Do you offer any payment plans or scholarships?
Here's what others are saying...
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"I ended up getting my mind blown by just how much I learned… and by the end of the course, I felt relief.”
Jessica Rodman – Past Online Course Participant
"When it comes to making learning and classrooms fun, 70% of what I do has a Spud influence to it."
Josh Nadzam – Nonprofit Leader and Professor at the University of Kentucky
“This course gets you out of the box and forces you to consider the complexities of any community.”
Dr. Renee Just – Brenau University Professor and Department Chair for Academic Programs
"This course allowed me to dream big while discovering tangible steps for how to get there."
Adam Lahlou –Past Online Course Participant
"As an introvert, Spud helped me connect and talk with people and pushed me out of my comfort bubble.”
Sarah Holmes – Past Online Course Participant
"It is magical to watch Spud bring students to life. He is the relationship that keeps on giving.
Arshiya Kherani – Social Entrepreneur & Collaborator on College Student Retreats
Meet your coach & instructor
Hi, I'm Spud đź‘‹
Since 2010, I have trained over 10,000 emerging leaders in creative community building. I've worked with universities, rural school districts, silicon valley tech companies, national foundations, and Fortune 100's to apply the tools you'll discover in this course.
In addition to my consulting and training efforts, I’ve personally raised more than $1 million in investment capital for community-driven social enterprises. The process you'll learn in this course works and I promise you’ll be in good hands.
Spud combines the imagination of a second grader with the wisdom of a 90-year-old professor!
Dustin Liu
United Nations
U.S. Youth Observer
Spud is hands down the most creative community builder I've ever met. This course lets you learn from the best!
Alexis Taylor
World Economic Forum
Davos Lab Taskforce Co-Chair
This course is essential for anyone who wants to make a positive contribution to their community!
Michael Fortunato
Creative Insight Community Development
Founding Partner
