Building communities that matter. Introducing co–matter

Today I’m excited to introduce you to co-matter, a new venture that explores what makes communities thrive. We’re a resource for people who lead communities and a service to help companies engage with their audience.

Communities have become the most important social units of our lives

Back in the summer of 1998 I boarded the night train from Vienna to Zurich. I was 14 years old, had my parents’ Apple G3 Powerbook in my backpack and was about to spend the weekend with 20 people I had never met before.

12 hours later I was sitting in a barn somewhere in the Swiss alps with strangers from Switzerland, Austria and Germany. We played computer games 18 hours a day and had an amazing time. Even though we had never met before it was evident why we were there, what got us together and why it mattered. I felt more connected to these people I had met on the internet than I did to my friends from school.

This was the first time I recall being part of a community that got together beyond social groups, physical proximity or family ties. We shared the same interests and the internet made it possible to find each other. Today online communities have become part of our everyday lives. A variety of tools enable us to connect to people at any given time, to start a movement, subscribe to topics, follow leaders, back projects, debate with strangers, share feelings or spread ideas.

And yet, real communities are hard to find.

Real communities are places where like-minded people not only connect, but create something together. It’s where friendships blossom and magic moments happen. We keep those in our hearts and minds for a long time. Forget about followers, likes and influencers. Communities, both digital and offline, are expressions of our universal desire to be part of something, to connect and to belong.

In a time where we’re connected all the time, yet still feel isolated, we need these communities more than ever.

At co–matter we explore this global phenomenon

We unveil the dynamics that make communities thrive. This spans across all fields: digital communication, politics, design, product features, data insights, PR, growth, innovation, storytelling and beyond. We’ll analyse the impact of communities on brands. Why companies need to step up. How responsibility comes in. Where dinner clubs, co-working spaces and co-living movements are heading. And what Burning Man, TED and Barack Obama have in common when it comes to building global communities that matter.

I have experienced what it means to be part of incredible communities. And I was in the position to lead, grow and serve global communities at EyeEm and Lomography over the past ten years. Now, more companies understand the need of building their businesses around connecting people. With co-matter my aim is to help make that happen.

In short, co–matter is two things:

co–matter is a resource for people who build communities. Our events, conversations and case studies connect leaders in communication, marketing and branding to share ideas and keep each other inspired.

co–matter is a service. We help companies connect with their audience. Our goal is to establish long-lasting relationships between people and brands that are based on shared values, meaningful encounters and life-changing experiences. We also advise startups and CEOs, speak at conferences and are eager to join a healthy debate.

Join us

If you say hell yes to all of the above (or say, at least some of it), we’d love to hear from you. We’re keen to connect and work together with people who share the same values.

Check out co-matter.com, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Medium, Facebook and Twitter.

Originally published at co-matter.com.