When the Bento met the Doughnut
Plus May events at the Bento Society
Hi there from the Bento Society. I’m Yancey Strickler.
In this email:
The Future Us Grant
When the Bento met the Doughnut
May events
New Bento Groups coming soon
The Future Us Grant
Last week was a major milestone for the Bento Society: we announced our first-ever Future Us Grant, a $1,500 award to a project pushing the boundaries of value and self-interest.
The first recipient was the Library of Economic Possibility, a website and database exploring alternative economic models through evidence of their real-world outcomes. You can read an interview with the founders about their project here.
The Future Us Grant and this project are on-mission for the Bento Society. They’re part of our work to help manifest a more generous future for all of us. Look for more Future Us grants moving forward. Nominate a project for the Future Us Grant here.
When the Bento met the Doughnut
Since its inception, the Bento Society has hosted a series of experiments exploring values and self-interest. In April we experimented with an event called Collaboration Club, where we paired the concept of the Bento with the concept of Doughnut Economics. Participants were instructed to read one article — Kate Raworth’s original paper proposing “Doughnut Economics” — and to listen to one podcast — my interview with Kate about the idea.
A week later, twenty people in seven countries (US, UK, Netherlands, Ireland, Canada, Turkey, Italy, and Germany) came together to see what happens when the Bento meets the Doughnut. We had a fascinating discussion with many aha moments and a giant collaborative whiteboard of ideas. Read the full outcome of our experiment here.
May events
There are two very special events this month:
Intro to the Bento Method
Tuesday May 18, 1pm EST (RSVP)
Bento Society founder Yancey Strickler leads a workshop teaching the Bento Method, as well as how to apply it to your personal and professional life, and the needs of your organization. This event is open to all. A great event to invite a friend or colleague to join.
Collaboration Club: The Week
Tuesday May 25 — Thursday May 27 (RSVP)
Following up on last month’s experiment with Doughnut Economics, this edition of Collaboration Club will prototype a new experience by Rethinking Organizations author Frederick Laloux called The Week. Over the course of three days, small groups will watch three hour-long videos together about the climate crisis and have a guided conversation after each one. Want to be among the first people to try out the prototype? RSVP here.
Bento Society calendar
Every week we have three scheduled events open to all:
The Weekly Bento every Sunday at 12pm EST: Set your intentions for the week with others. (RSVP)
Fancy a Coffee or Tea? every Thursday at 12pm EST: An intimate hang with five other random Bentoists. (RSVP)
The Retro Bento every Friday at 3pm EST: Stay accountable with a group of peers. (RSVP)
PS: Bento Groups starting again soon!
Finally: new cohorts of Bento Groups — intimate, spectacular, long-term journeys that more than 100 people have gone through or are going through right now — will begin later this month. This is the best way to go deeper with yourself and a new community of others. Look for an invite next week.
Peace and love my friends,
Yancey Strickler
The Bento Society
The Bento Society explores the frontiers of what’s valuable and in our self-interest. We host weekly events and support projects aligned with our mission.