Once upon a time, two rather unruly women met in a boardroom. They began a long conversation, sometimes in writing, sometimes in person, sometimes drinking wine and staying up far past their bedtimes, about the larger meaning of their work. They asked each other challenging questions, like what stands in the way of nonprofits building longstanding, productive relationships?  and why don’t more businesses use relationship science instead of marketing science to gain repeat, loyal business? and why aren’t governments and their citizens in more balanced, reciprocal relationships?  They integrated pop culture, psychology, social science, art, permaculture, community building, and placemaking. There were no limits to where the conversation could go but it always came back to this: what does it take to build strong relationships between an organization and its constituents?

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