Camp Kate
The Kate B. Reynolds Trust faced a critical question: how do we sustain the leaders who sustain our communities? This visionary funder wanted to support grantees beyond money.
Their answer was a restorative retreat called Camp Kate—a sanctuary where North Carolina’s grassroots leaders could heal from and dismantle grind culture. To build it, they needed more than a planner; they needed a partner to co-create a new world. One where rest is not a luxury, but a form of resistance.
The Challenge: From Concept to Curated World
The challenge was to translate a powerful intention into an ecosystem of care. This wasn't a plug-and-play retreat. Our design addressed the specific realities of community leaders: burnout masked as dedication, isolation in their work, and complex power dynamics with funders.
Our process included:
Pre-Retreat Integration: We initiated virtual connections to ground in the intention and build familiarity before arrival.
Accountability Partnerships: Leaders were paired using a detailed intake process, matching them based on communication styles, self-care goals, and needs, creating a built-in support network for the retreat and beyond.
Navigating Power: We designed a specific schedule for the Trust representatives—present for kickoff and strategy, then intentionally stepping back—to create a participant-led space free from a funder's gaze.
Sustaining the Practice: The experience was designed for life after the retreat, with partners equipped with shared practices and prompts to help integrate "permission to pause" into their daily work.
Our Approach: Design for Transformation
Paige Polk International was entrusted to guide this project, with Paige Polk as the Experience Director and Liz Olguin as the Retreat Coordinator. Over eight months, we built the Camp Kate container, which included:
Brand & Vision Crafting: We developed the visual identity and core messaging around "Permission to Pause."
Programming Curation: We sourced, vetted, and managed a venue & team of specialist facilitators—from somatic healers to improv comedians—and partnered with a farm-to-table chef to nourish the team & attendees onsite.
Guided Rest: Every workshop, meal, and moment of silence was opt-in, yet intentionally created to guide participants from exhaustion to renewal. Our core principles were Restoration, Systemic Skill Building, Cultural Joy & Peer Connection.
The Outcome: A Replicable Model for Impact
The result was a cohort of leaders who left not just rested, but regulated, reconnected, and resilient. They carried home practical tools for sustainability, a network of inspired world builders, and a renewed sense of purpose.
For the Trust, Camp Kate became more than a retreat; it became a replicable model for philanthropic partnership—one that proves the highest impact comes from nourishing the visionary leaders of our world.
—
“Camp Kate provided me with space for reflection on my capacity, my leadership, and my community. The facilitators for every workshop were absolutely amazing. This experience has changed the way I think about my work and myself.” - Lariza G.
“I came into this space not knowing I needed it, and not feeling deserving of it. I leave here feeling like my cup is full. With a reminder that communal care is a full circle experience.” - Candice B.
Bring a Transformative Vision to Life
Does your organization have a visionary goal that needs a production partner to bring it to life? PPI specializes in building intentional, immersive experiences from the ground up.