I help good community ideas find the people they need.
Many intentional community projects do not fail because their founders lack vision. They stall because the right people have not yet found one another.
As founder of ICmatch, I help projects identify the kinds of cofounders and members who could complement their existing team. I draw on ICmatch’s free search and matching tools, my familiarity with intentional community networks, and my awareness of relevant profiles and opportunities across multiple platforms.
I can help you move from…
The purpose is not to fill seats quickly. It is to help people find relationships and responsibilities that can support a healthy, durable community. High compatibility matters most at the cofounder stage or when adding a member to a household; a large community can more easily absorb a wide variety of characteristics.
How I help
My work combines a master’s degree in psychology with a focus on personality and leadership, lived experience of intentional community and founder needs, knowledge of the questions that affect long-term compatibility, ongoing awareness of the intentional community websites, directories and networks, and access to a broader consultant network when a project needs expertise beyond my own.
Clarify the need
We begin by identifying together what your project is actually seeking:
- Cofounders or partnership with one household.
- A land, finance, or development partner.
- Members with specific skillsets such as communications, operations, or fundraising.
- A governance or facilitation lead.
- Residents or members who fit a particular cultural, practical, or geographic need.
We clarify your project’s stage, location, timeline, decision-making approach, resources, expectations, and capacity to welcome someone new.
Define the opportunity
Many recruitment efforts fail because the invitation is too broad. I help you describe:
- What already exists, and what remains uncertain.
- What the person would contribute, and what authority or ownership they would have.
- What time, money, labor, or relocation may be expected.
- What the project can offer in return, and what kind of person is likely to thrive in the setting.
The result is a clearer and more honest opportunity description.
Search across networks
I can review relevant ICmatch profiles and, when appropriate, look for possible leads through other intentional community platforms and networks. This does not mean that I transfer private information from another platform. I may identify a possible lead, then point you toward the public profile, listing, or appropriate contact channel.
Support the first contact
A good introduction is more than exchanging names. I can help you prepare:
- A concise project description and a role-specific invitation.
- Initial questions for mutual discernment.
- A realistic explanation of risks, uncertainties, and expectations.
- A sequence for moving from online contact to a deeper conversation, visit, or trial period.
Connect you with specialized help
I am not the right specialist for every issue. When needed, I can help identify consultants in your region with experience in governance and decision-making, group process and conflict resolution, legal structures and agreements, land acquisition and development, finance and fundraising, permaculture and ecological design, construction and project management, membership processes and community care, and communications and outreach. The goal is to help your project find the right kind of support — not to make one consultant the answer to every problem. See the consultant directory.
Founder match consultation
A founder match consultation may include:
- Review of your project description and current stage.
- Identification of missing roles, skills, and commitments.
- Recommendations for improving your public invitation.
- Search within relevant ICmatch profiles.
- Identification of possible leads across appropriate public networks.
- A written shortlist of promising directions.
- Guidance for first contact and mutual discernment.
- Referral to specialized consultants when needed.
- Assistance creating a profile or offer on other platforms.
ICmatch search and matching are free. Consulting is available for founders who want more focused recruitment, discernment, and strategic support. Start with a founder consultation.
Request a founder consultationTell me about your project
I’ll reply by email, usually within a few days. There is no charge for the first exchange.