The Heartland Circle is the manifestation of a dream we’ve been nurturing for 25 years, from Craig’s early “awakening to a greater purpose” at 1963’s March on Washington, to Patricia’s vision for creating a global community of new leaders.

We've implemented our experiences, honed from Craig's youth as a fly on the wall at his parent's literary salon, "Thinkers and Drinker," to his time as publisher at Utne Magazine during the formation of the Utne Salons, & Patricia’s years as a community organizer and work with Waldorf schools.

We’ve listened deeply to what is in our hearts and what is ours to do in this time.

Out of this listening, in 1995 we founded Heartland Institute to create essential conversations among individuals and within organizations. Our early programs were grounded in the belief that the new leaders and organizations are the conduit and delivery system through which a global renaissance will occur and that creating networks of authenticity among leaders could transform our organizations and the world. We produced a series of Inner Life of Business conferences and other special events in furtherance of this goal.

Then in early 1998 Heartland, with partners Honeywell and Seagate Technology, convened the first Thought Leader Gathering™ for 40 Minnesota business and organizational pioneers, knowing that meaningful conversation about things that matter is revolutionary and can transform lives and organizations. We’ve been at it ever since; at this writing over 1200 people representing organizations of every size and stripe have attended the more than 100 TLGs held in the Twin Cities and the California Bay Area so far.

All along, people have been writing in from all over the world, visiting our website and wanting to know more about our programs, wondering how to start a TLG in their community and asking for access to information and programming.

In 2000 we launched the News from the Heartland e-letter, sharing news about Heartland and our allies and friends to begin to connect this far-flung community. Our mailing list quickly grew to nearly 7000 people.

Something was happening and we responded to the call.

Then, in Spring of 2004, Craig was granted time at a writers retreat to begin work on The Art of Convening™: A Field Guide to Essential Conversations, which was an opportunity to bring into form many of the experience and principles that have guided Heartland’s programming. It was there that he crafted the curriculum for the Art of Convening™ Trainings.

In just under a year, 140 people are either attending or have graduated from the AoC TeleTraining, and an Advanced program is underway.

Now the Heartland Circle is a home to those of us telling the new stories and seeking the new ways, as we share in this journey of self-discovery with its revelations of global responsibility. Together, we are co-creating this wonderful new adventure, and a future for us all.

~ Craig & Patricia Neal