Hello! Califlorence is an invite-only, 3.5 day unconference for 40-50 top builders working on solutions to climate change. Each attendee was personally recommended by another climate expert using the rule of thumb “I would like to be more like this person in some way.”
We’re delighted to invite you. If you’re reading this, you’ve already been recommended and passed our selection process. Read on for more details about the event.
<aside> 👉 If you’d like to attend, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
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The future can be better than people fear. For a problem as complex, interdisciplinary, and time-sensitive as climate change, that will require that we build strong relationships and share ideas, especially across the arbitrary boundaries between fields.
Where: the 50 Years house in San Francisco (Thursday dinner and Sunday brunch) and the Butternut Mansion in Hillsborough (Friday and Saturday)
When: Thursday, March 9th at 7pm — Sunday, March 12th at 1pm. (Thu 3/9 7pm-10pm, Fri 3/10 9am-9pm, Sat 3/11 9am-12am+, Sun 3/12 10am-1pm)
Who: we’re building a diverse group of 70% founders and builders, 15% thinkers and community organizers, and 15% funders. You can see everyone else we’ve invited here, as well as our selection criteria.
Costs: $300, which includes all meals from Thursday dinner through Sunday brunch.
Process: after filling out the form at the bottom, you’ll receive an email with a payment link so you can reserve your spot, and then we’ll send you the calendar invite and more logistical details.
Transportation: we’ll help attendees coordinate Ubers to and from Butternut Mansion, and the 50 Years house is on Corona Heights in San Francisco.
Agenda: dinner and orientation Thursday night, unconference Friday and most of Saturday, happy hour and party Saturday night, brunch Sunday morning.
Amenities: the 50 Years house is 6 stories on top of Corona Heights with a sauna, meditation room, gym, guest rooms, and many gathering places, with breathtaking views over Noe Valley, Twin Peaks, the Castro, and the Mission. The Butternut Mansion in Hillsborough includes a tennis court, indoor pool, indoor hot tub, theater, wet bar, multi-level deck, and more.
Food: Thursday dinner and Sunday brunch will be prepared by Chef Andrew Ruiz, Friday night we’ll rent out a dim sum restaurant, and all other meals will be catered.
The 50 Years house is 6 stories on top of Corona Heights with a sauna, meditation room, gym, guest rooms, and many gathering places, with breathtaking views over Noe Valley, Twin Peaks, the Castro, and the Mission.
The Butternut Mansion in Hillsborough includes a tennis court, indoor pool, indoor hot tub, theater, wet bar, multi-level deck, and more.
The camp is named after Renaissance Florence. Fifteenth-century Florence produced an astounding collection of scientific and cultural talent that is difficult to attribute to random genetic variation or people traveling, including Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Galileo. Being in the right place at the right time matters for doing great work, of course. But the lesson of Florence is that perhaps the right environment can matter more than talent. Or, as David Banks asks, “Does the social intercourse of good minds produce great minds?”
The genius of a scene is sometimes called scenius, and the long-term goal of Califlorence is to instigate a new scenius in central San Francisco called the Neighborhood.
Califlorence is meant as a great standalone experience. But we also hope that the community that inevitably emerges from this retreat will have a natural gathering place in the Neighborhood for years to come.