COMING SOON
The Inaugural Subversive Sojourn - Philadelphia
Six-Month Journey to seed third-ways together
SOVEREIGNTY & SOLIDARITY
For leaders who are exhausted from holding it together for everyone else, and are done pretending that's sustainable.
The Subversive Sojourn is a six-month immersive journey for leaders committed to building a more human future — and know they can't do it by continually abandoning their own humanity.
Anchored by a one-of-a-kind experience through one of the most extraordinary and overlooked examples of freedom-building in American history: the free Black community of 1838 Philadelphia.
The journey is expected to begin in Fall 2027.
“If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life’s light to be determined by the darkness around me.”
– Sojourner Truth
We See You.
The old answers don't work for the world we're leading in.
Not for our organizations or the communities we're trying to sustain.
You've felt it: the cycle of rage and reacting. The pressure to do more with less. The grief of watching hard-won progress dismantled — while you're still expected to carry hope for everyone else, even as your own reserves run low.
This Sojourn was built to hold that. We gather to sit with a different set of questions:
How do we build the world we want when the systems weren't built for us?
What if our ancestors already left us the blueprint?
What becomes possible when we treat history as something to build and be inspired by, not just heal from?
What if the most radical act of leadership right now is filling your own cup first?
WHY PHILADELPHIA
Because the leaders here faced challenges that ring familiar to us today.
Free Black Philadelphians in 1838 built something most of America didn’t imagine possible. A thriving ecosystem designed to receive people coming out of slavery. Housing and property ownership. A banking system. A network of employment, a school, and a safe passage of mutual aid.
How did they do it? What can leaders today learn from people who did not wait for permission to be free? They built the conditions for freedom themselves.
As Philadelphia celebrates the 250th anniversary of America this summer, it sets the physical backdrop for us to engage with the very places where alternative movements of freedom were birthed and nurtured.
Join us to explore and reimagine history – as a leadership tool for future-making together.
THE FULL SOJOURN EXPERIENCE
Six gatherings. Six months. One unforgettable day.
This is a community journey that starts before we land in Philly and keeps going after we leave. You'll travel it with a cohort of 22, held together by a private WhatsApp community from your first gathering to your last.
You become a Sojourner the moment you book. Philadelphia is where it comes alive.
Our home base in Philly: The Diplomat
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
Two Ways to Sojourn
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Day Sojourner
For those who would like to join the day activities
-
(1) Pre-Sojourn virtual gathering to build community
-
Light breakfast at the Diplomat
-
Private walking tour of 1838 Black Philadelphia
-
Private guided creative studio session at the African American Museum
-
Private catered dinner at the Diplomat
-
Closing Ceremony
-
A welcome tote with a journal, water and snacks, and a small gift from a local Black-owned business
-
Three post-Sojourn virtual sessions: Alchemy, Sovereignty, and Solidarity
-
Six-month reunion gathering
-
Private WhatsApp community for the cohort, start to finish
Overnight Sojourner
For those who want a three-day experience with two nights at The Diplomat
-
Everything in the Day Sojourner package, plus:
-
4-star luxury accommodations at the Diplomat, a boutique private residence in Old City
-
Private bedroom and bathroom
-
Thursday evening gathering for early arrivals
-
Saturday morning breakfast at the house to give you fuel as you depart
-
The unhurried experience of being held by the same space all weekend
-
Split your purchase into smaller, manageable payments with Klarna financing.
Financing provided by Klarna. Subject to credit approval. Plans range from 3-24 months with interest rates beginning at 0.00% APR
Want to learn more before you book? Sign up on the interest list, and we'll follow up with you to chat and answer your questions.
Let's Talk 💬
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
A few things to know about the day
This Sojourn is intentionally small. We are capping the Sojourn at 22 people. Most spots will go to leaders local to the Philadelphia area. A smaller number are reserved for travelers.
The tour involves walking. Around two hours on your feet, with movement between sites. If accessibility is a concern, please reach out before booking and we can talk through.
The tour material is inspiring AND heavy. We are walking through the history of slavery, escape, and Black community-building under harsh conditions. We have built rest, art-making, and reflection into the day for this reason.
This is a lived learning experience, not a workshop or a training. No slide decks. No takeaways document. No framework lecture. The teachers are the city, the ancestors, and the people at the table.
We are investing in the community we are witnessing. Every venue and vendor we are working with is locally owned.
Our witnessing is on the land of the Lenape. The land stewarded by the Lenape was stolen by European colonizers, who repeatedly broke treaties and promises to the Lenape. We are donating a portion of our proceeds to the Lenape Tribe to support their ongoing efforts to honor their Lenape ancestors by strengthening their sovereignty, preserving their culture, and promoting the well-being of Lenape citizens
JOIN US AT THE TABLE
This Sojourn is for you if...
You’re carrying a team, organization, community, or movement and quietly wondering who is carrying you.
You’ve spent years advancing equity, justice, belonging, healing of human-centered leadership and feel grief watching hard-won progress come under attack.
You’re tired of being told the choices in front of you are the only ones available.
You’re hungry for fresh possibilities and skeptical of performative optimism.
You want to connect meaningfully with people who feel the same weight, and are devoted to building what comes next.
You suspect the next era won’t come from pushing harder but with cycles of rest with purpose.
You’re curious about the 1838 free Black community of Philadelphia, the Maroons, the Beguines, or any of the freedom communities and felt a quiet jolt of recognition.
No expertise required. You need to be willing to walk, to make, to eat, and to talk honestly with the people at the table.
MEET OUR PHILADELPHIA CO-HOST
Meet Stephanie Zhong
Stephanie is a brand alchemist and Human Design leadership coach who helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs, coaches and leaders turn their brilliance into a movement-worthy message that grows their visibility and impact.
A NOTE FROM ALLI
Philadelphia was the first city I lived in as an adult, and it feels ideal to host the inaugural Sojourn here, where our nation's complex history of freedom will be on full display. I am building it with my co-host Steph, who lives in Philadelphia and knows this story from the inside.
I have wanted to make something like this for a long time. An experience for visionaries that is part walking, part making, part eating, part listening. A journey where the ancestors become our teachers and their experiences are the curriculum. You end with your cup full, having uncovered something in your body that you did not know before.
If that sounds like something your spirit needs, come explore the ground where people created what seemed impossible, together.
— Alli
RESERVING YOUR SEAT
Booking Now Open!
22 seats total, and they are filling.
A few notes on payment logistics:
-
Full payment reserves your seat.
-
25% of the payment is nonrefundable. Refunds are available based on the following schedule:
-
50% refund is available from June 30 to July 29, 2026.
-
25% from July 30 to August 14, 2026.
-
The full schedule, including windows that have already closed, lives in our Terms and Conditions.
-
After August 14, the Sojourn is non-refundable, but your seat is transferable to someone else with notice or to a future Subversive Sojourn.
Split your purchase into smaller, manageable payments with Klarna financing.
Financing provided by Klarna. Subject to credit approval. Plans range from 3-24 months with interest rates beginning at 0.00% APR
BEFORE YOU BOOK
A few things people ask...
Is travel included for overnight guests? No. The Overnight rate includes two nights at the Diplomat, our private residence in Old City, with your own bedroom and en-suite bathroom, Thursday and Friday nights. You are responsible for getting yourself to Philadelphia.
Can I bring a partner or a friend? Each ticket is for one Sojourner. If you would like to come together, please each book your own seat. The journey is built around the cohort being together. Our shared room option is a lovely way for two friends to travel together.
What if I want to come early or stay later? We love this. Reach out and we share some ideas to help you make a weekend of it. Philadelphia has more to offer than one day can hold.
What if I have dietary needs? We will ask about dietary needs after booking. Our caterers can accommodate most needs with notice.
What if I need to cancel? Cancellations through July 29, 2026 receive a 50% refund. From July 30 through August 14, 25%. From August 15 on, the Sojourn is non-refundable, and your seat is fully transferable to another person with notice. Full details are in our Terms and Conditions.
How are you making the Sojourn trauma-informed? The history we are walking through is heavy. The journey is designed with intentional rest, art-making, and community to hold what comes up, and the cohort stays together through virtual sessions after the day so no one carries the experience alone.
Will there be more Sojourns? Yes. Houston, Oakland, Detroit, and Alabama are in development for 2027. Sign up for the email list to hear about them first.
Come Witness with Us.
Philadelphia.
Sovereignty & Solidarity.
Split your purchase into smaller, manageable payments with Klarna financing.
Financing provided by Klarna. Subject to credit approval. Plans range from 3-24 months with interest rates beginning at 0.00% APR