ben keene

  • Bula!
  • Slider
  • Social
  • Tribes
  • TV
  • Book
  • Blog
  • Milestones
  • Lessons
  • Contact
  • Bula!
  • Slider
  • Social
  • Tribes
  • TV
  • Book
  • Blog
  • Milestones
  • Lessons
  • Contact

  • Bula! 

    I like building tribes: communities with a shared purpose.

     

    these are the tribes I'm currently helping build.

     

    These are the digital tools i use to test & build new tribes.

     

    Connect if you want to join in or if i can help host or build your tribe

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  • tribes

    Escape the City

    On a mission to wake up the working world: School, Opportunities, Festival, Global Community.

     

    Role: Director

    Tribewanted

    Live differently for a little while. Community Experiences & Retreats in Umbria & beyond.

     

    Role: Founder

    Virgin Startup

    Not-for-profit Virgin company for Entrepreneurs.

     

    Role: Business Advisor & Event Host

  • Rebel Book Club

    Not your average book club.

     

    Role: Co-founding Rebel

    Schools for Life

    Schools that are changing the way we see education

     

    Status: Looking for unstatus quo educators

    Right to Dream

    Nurturing talent in Africa.

     

    Role: Long-term friend

    THNK

    Schools for Creative Leadership - Amsterdam, Vancouver, Lisbon

     

    Role: Founding Participant

    Roost

    Discover a world of treehouses.

     

    Status: Looking for roosters

     

    Pool Hunter

    Discover amazing places to swim

     

    Status: Looking for pool hunters

  • book

    "Couldn't put this book down - What a story. In a world where most of us fail to attempt anything bold, exciting or different it is refreshing to read of an entrepreneur who does so half the world away in a profoundly unique, intact Polynesian culture. Great pictures, too!"

    If you doubt whether a website could be socially relevant to the real world, an account of how it can and was brought about.

    "Ben has something of Richard Branson's boundless, relentless enthusiasm." The Guardian

  • blog

  • milestones

    2005

    Started 'Career Break Cafe' blog after driving to Timbuktu  to help people plan long-terms trips mid-career

    2006

    Crowdfunded the renting of Vorovoro Island in Fiji (with 1000 new tribe members): Tribewanted was born

    2007

    Survived an island fire, a cyclone & a political coup in the first year of island life

    2008

    Celebrated 3 years island success - BBC tv documentary & book: 'Paradise or Bust'

    2009

    Travelled to Sierra Leone & worked with Right to Dream on setting up the Craig Bellamy Football Academy

    2010

    Spoke at launch party of Escape the City before setting up camp for a year on the beach in SL

    2011

    Became a founding member of THNK: The Amsterdam School of Creative Leadership. 

    2012

    Supported the Ghanaian Paralympic team from Right to Dream with my fiancee at London 2012 

    2013

    Launched Tribewanted's first European project: Monestevole, a farm in Umbria, with Filippo Bozotti

    2014

    Advised entrepreneurs at Virgin Startup, wrote about 'Schools for Life', mapped the world's treehouses & made the first 'Escape to the Woods' festival

    2015

    Spent the winter hosting startups in Bali with Tribewanted (& pool hunting), started Rebel Book Club in London & led the startup tribe programs at Escape the City

    2016

    Full-tilt at Escape London - leading 2 more startup tribes & building our team. Rebel Book Club hits 20 books + 150 members

  • Lessons

    2005

    Its not what you start, its that you start. Selling online ads is hard.

    2006

    Braveness is rewarded but comes with significant responsibility. Don't complicate the mission.

    2007

    Tenacity is critical but being clear on priorities is not easy. Feedback can be good for the head but not for the heart.

    2008

    Ego can be the enemy if you're not careful. Power is better shared.

    2009

    New beginnings can revitalise.

    2010

    Taking on the biggest challenge not always the best business move but often the best life move.

    2011

    Keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.

    2012

    Inspiration can come from unlikely sources - stay open.

    2013

    Sometimes its good to pick low hanging fruit.

    2014

    Creativity should be central to most things.

    2015

    Mindsets shift with community. Scaling impact models not easy.

    2016

    Building a team (& family at the same time) is hard.

  • For speaking, hosting, & tribe building!