The Open Circle Foundation
is dedicated to expanding access to nature as a transformative space for community, healing, and resilience for underserved populations.
“This trip has forever changed the lives of everyone who went on it for the better, and I know that for the rest of my life, I will always remember this trip and I will cherish the memories and emotions felt until my final breath.”
– Isaac, Youth Wilderness Rite of Passage Program Participant
Current Projects
-
Youth Wilderness Rite of Passage
Make a difference and help low income urban youth access to the transformative power of nature. This project designs and trains educators in transformative wilderness education curriculm for schools and youth community groups in under resourced communities.
-
Strength To Serve 2026
Those committed to grassroots service are often underpaid, overworked and lack meaningful support. This program seeks to rebalance that equation.
-
Healing Heroes: Songs from the Wilderness
Open Circle has partnered with Atz Kilcher and Heroes Healing Homestead (HHH) as part of its Veteran Wellness in the Wild project. HHH provides a unique adventure into the healing power of shared stories, music and homesteading in the magic of Alaska’s Kachemak Bay. Together we will build the trails and roads that reconnect each of us with the land and our warrior spirit.
-
Walking Wild: Womens Leadership
Every woman has gifts the world needs. Not every woman has the opportunity to discover and use them.
Women are leading everywhere—in boardrooms and classrooms, in communities and families, in movements for change. Yet too many carry the weight of others' expectations, dimming their voices and limiting their impact. Walking Wild offers something different: permission to lead from authenticity, tools to navigate uncertainty, and community to sustain the journey.
-
Guiding Change: Scholarships for Training
We serve those on the frontlines of community service. Through our scholarships program we increase the capacity of community and non profit leaders by enabling them to attend Open Circle trainings and do the difficult job of navigating increasingly complex collaborations and change processes.
-
Wellness in the Wild: Brain Research
Support our ongoing research project on the affect of time in the wilderness on social connectivity, self efficacy, and mental health with University of Utah Applied Cognition Lab.
Nature x Mental Health
Stanford researchers found that 98% of participants in a nature-based program reported significant reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms, with measurable improvements in mood and cognitive function.
Strength to Serve
Those committed to grassroots service are often underpaid, overworked, and lack meaningful support. Strength to Serve is a leadership program designed to address this.
Watch the video below and witness the story of 8 participants, veterans, first responders, social workers, educators, and more, who went on a 5-month journey of purpose, connection, and service in Open Circle's 2024 Strength to Serve program.
“On embarking on Open Circle’s program, I was hoping for a life-changing experience, but I didn't know the depths of that change and what would be required to elicit it. I was faced with challenges, both physical and mental, but the guides "led without leading" and steered me up the mountain. During our fireside circles, we delved deep into pain points and unpacked years of suffering and trauma. I came out with a renewed belief in myself and what I was capable of. This trip definitely changed my life, and I am now putting in the work to ensure others receive value from the work that was done up there.”
– Antonio DeAscanis, Marine Corps Veteran
Our Work
-
We lead nature based retreats and wilderness trips to nourish, restore and recenter leaders and organizations that are serving on the frontlines of under served communities.
-
We provide coaching and short form education sessions to empower and uplift leaders and teams in navigating the every day challenges of living their mission in action.
-
We train leaders and teams to revitalize their communities through catalyzing connection and collaboration.
“Open Circle’s philosophy is about helping people become the best version of themselves. It’s not just another feel-good experience that fades away; people walk away with important answers, profound shifts, and a renewed sense of self.”
— Atz Kilcher, Founder of Heroes Healing Homestead, Alaska
PARTNER PROFILE
Atz Kilcher, Founder
Heroes Healing Homestead, Alaska
Atz Kilcher is not only known as a military veteran and cowboy poet but also as an Alaskan treasure for his contributions to music and his dedication to supporting veterans. He gained national recognition through the Discovery Channel series The Last Frontier, which follows him and his extended family as they navigate life in the rugged Alaskan wilderness. However, it’s what Atz has chosen to do with that fame that truly makes him a hero.
Passionate about veterans' healing through nature and music, Atz founded the non profit Heroes Healing Homestead in Alaska. This sanctuary provides veterans with the opportunity to reconnect with themselves and nature, offering a space for healing, reflection, and renewal.
Our partnership with Atz Kilcher began in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, through a shared Veterans Wilderness Program. Driven by our mutual belief in the transformative power of the wilderness, our collaboration has grown into a vital partnership, enriching the lives of veterans through healing experiences in nature.
In 2025, Heroes Healing Homestead and the Open Circle Foundation will deepen their partnership, expanding the reach of wilderness-based healing programs for veterans.
Hear more of Atz’s stories and his songs in the Beyond Listening podcast interview with Atz Kilcher, Songs from the Wilderness: Atz Kilcher on Returning to our Roots.
Our Board
-
Adam Rumack
-
Miriam Jones
-
Christopher Arlen
-
Jeremy Moore
-
Steve Cahn
Open Circle
Open Circle is an organizational development company that works with purpose driven companies to remove obstacles to growth, broaden perspectives, and deepen connections throughout the entire organizational ecosystem.
The Open Circle mission is to transform organizations into thriving ecosystems for the greater good of humanity.