…the First Node in a New Kind of Network
Built to last generations
The World Is at an Inflection Point
The systems that govern how we live, grow food, heal, and relate to the land are in need of deep transformation. We're co-creating a living proof of concept for what that transformation looks like in practice - starting with one place, one village campus, one founding cohort. Common Grounding is the name for what this becomes: a new way of stewarding land, resources and community.
"The future will be built through place-making."
What's taking shape
People
The founding collaboration of stewards, builders, and visionaries helping shape the first campus and the culture that grows from it.
Places
Nevada City is Node 1: a living proof of concept now in development. Two additional sites are in early exploration as the model gets tested.
Projects
The work underway right now: the Living Innovation Campus itself, and the Trust Mitras architecture built to hold and govern it.
An Organic Ecosystem of Connections
Thriving regenerative communities are sustained not only by vision, but by thoughtful structure. When stewardship, ownership, and governance are designed intentionally, communities gain the stability needed to grow and evolve across generations. Common Grounding is designing with this principle at its core, integrating two complementary layers that support both the living community and the structures that steward its assets.
Common Grounding
The culture we're building around the Living Innovation Campus AKA the human layer that will, over time, grow into a federation. Right now that means one founding node and the people actively shaping it.
- Trust indenture-based collaborative governance, built from Node 1 outward
- Shared resources and mutual support as more nodes come online
- Model tested in practice before it's replicated
Trust Mitras
The intelligent lawful, financial, and governance infrastructure that holds the land, assets, and agreements behind the network. Invisible but essential… the mycelial network beneath the soil.
- Private trust design and management
- Trust-of-trusts architecture
- Intergenerational asset stewardship
- Governance and beneficiary coordination
Why This Model Matters
This model pairs living culture with durable stewardship architecture… solving the structural problems that kill most communities before they reach their potential. Regenerative projects fail when ownership structures break, assets get captured, governance becomes chaotic, or legal complexity overwhelms people.
Residencies
Extended stays and immersive residencies at member locations across the network's constellation of places.
Innovation Incubator
Part workshop, part laboratory, part launchpad - bringing together people, and resources to turn promising ideas into projects and enterprises for a regenerative future.
Gatherings & Summits
Seasonal convenings that bring the community together across locations for deep exchange and collaboration.
Travel Network
Future access to a growing set of member locations as new nodes come online - beginning with Nevada City.
Stewardship Participation
Meaningful roles in the long-term care and governance of land, assets, and community infrastructure.
Collective Capital
Novel crowdfunding and community investment models that turn shared vision into shared capacity to acquire land, launch projects, and build regenerative infrastructure.
Meet the Visionary Team
Behind the Living Innovation Campus is a dedicated group of leaders bringing expertise from diverse fields to cultivate a thriving community.
Bimmy Dhanapala
Organizational Development Lead
Andrew Bowden
Head of Finance and Technology
Chuck Kissee
Construction Coordinator
Melissa Riggs
Travel Network Ambassador
Gregory Kellett
Community Engagement Director
Charles Durrett
Chief Development Architect
Shannon Scottfree
Wellness Program Curator
Cultivating a Living Innovation Campus