If you love the idea of communal learning and connection, if you are looking for like-minded souls, if you have incomplete online courses on your laptop: listen in!

I’m excited for you to get to know Sally Burns. We recorded this chat before ‘The US Situation’ - I guess we need to start calling it what it is - The Coup by tech billionaires.

To know that Sally is thoughtfully building an alternative to everything they stand for, fills me hope.

Sally is an e-learning expert and ecological thinker. Her work involves reimagining the ways we commune and learn online, away from algorithms and ads.

She’s the Founder of The Portal Collective, an online space where people can gather to learn and grow in a meaningful community. The entire site and its ethos is so beautiful! It feels like wandering through a verdant garden.

Sally also offers support for non-profits, coaches, and educators who want to host their work on a learning platform that is very far from big tech. I think this is a really exciting development for course creators!

We discuss the importance of collaborative, co-created learning experiences that prioritize emotional safety and mutual care. We expand on the broader implications of community, collective action, and the role of imagination in creating a more connected and equitable world.

This was such a hopeful and wildly nourishing chat.

More resources for you:

* The Portal Collective

* If you are a Course Creator - check out the Portal.

* Sally on Instagram

* Combining by Nora Bateson

* Love this? You might enjoy my conversation with Niki Wickes.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saspetherick.substack.com