The Third Spaces that Shape Us

We've been thinking a lot about third spaces lately. Those important places outside home and work where transformation happens.

Where iron sharpens iron.

Where the weak and strong do life together.

Where we become who we're meant to be.

Maybe it’s because we’re dreaming and strategizing for our headquarters and innovation hub in Recife, Brazil. Or maybe it's because we keep seeing what happens when these spaces do not exist. Either way, psychologist Jim Wilder emphasizes the importance of these spaces for each of us to do life together learning from one another through “shared experience, modeling, and mutual growth.”

There's something deeply human happening in these spaces that we can't quite replicate anywhere else.

The Relational Core of Human Experience

At our essence, being human means being relational. We exist within each other's narratives, not entirely autonomous and not entirely subsumed, but beautifully interdependent from birth to death.

No one is truly isolated. No one becomes their fullest self alone.

Yet these vital third spaces are disappearing from our communities. When they vanish, something essentially human is lost. 

Understanding What's at Stake

The documentary “Join or Die,” which presents compelling research on how community engagement shapes society’s health.  This echoes social researcher Seth Kaplan's insights where he offers a truth that resonates deeply with our work:

“Relationships are central to any society’s health, and society is upstream from politics and economics.”

Before institutions, there are relationships. Strong communities are not built top down or bottom up alone. They are built sideways, through everyday people choosing to care for one another.

What We're Building at DreamRoot

The existing Arte Suave and Sertão DreamRoot Training Centers in Brazil and the Resource Center in Haiti are not just places to train jiu jitsu, get tutoring help or host leadership workshops. They are transformative spaces where young people find belonging and mentorship, values like respect and accountability take root, futures are reimagined beyond current circumstances, and people from all backgrounds co-create something magnificent together.

A mother from Arte Suave recently shared, "I finally found a place I can trust for my child." Living in a dangerous neighborhood, she found relief knowing her child was safe, surrounded by mentors who model hope and possibility.

The tangible outcomes speak for themselves:

→ Youth choosing education over the streets

→ New businesses emerging from relationships formed

→ Jobs gained through community connections

→ Families strengthened and restored

→ Rising confidence and hope across generations

These are not isolated successes. They are catalytic moments that ripple outward, impacting entire communities.

The Vision Ahead

This proven impact fuels our vision for a DreamRoot headquarters and innovation hub in Recife. We have witnessed real transformation in our existing spaces, not only in the physical training centers and surrounding neighborhoods, but also in the relational space created between people. That same environment is cultivated through leadership workshops, coaching conversations, and networking gatherings, both in person and virtually.

A local hub would amplify this work by creating:

• Expanded programming and training capacity

• Enhanced regional partnerships and the ability to welcome international visitors

• Greater accessibility for under-resourced communities

• More systematic approaches to bridging socioeconomic gaps

• Multiplied impact across the region

We are actively seeking partners and funders who recognize that investing in spaces is investing in human potential. Partners who understand that systemic change begins by creating conditions where transformation can take root.

Systems Thinking and Social Change

Systems thinking teaches us that what we practice at a small scale sets the pattern for the whole system. 

Churchill observed, "We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us." This truth extends beyond architecture. The spaces we create shape communities, and communities shape societies. What we practice at a small scale sets the pattern for the whole system.

Chris Arnade writes powerfully about how neighborhoods shape us. While individual agency matters, the activation energy to overcome your environment is not available to everyone.

This is why accessible third spaces in under-resourced areas are critical. They serve as bridges, creating consistency, allowing trust to form, and opening new visions for what is possible.

An Invitation to Partnership

Building true community requires intentionality. It demands effort and sometimes sacrifice, but this is how we facilitate human flourishing at scale. DreamRoot's programming and training centers are living examples of what becomes possible when we invest strategically in people and places.

Our headquarters vision represents more than a building. It embodies a commitment to standing in the gap, being a bridge and setting the table for people to rise, venture out, and contribute as we come into our fullness together. It is a beacon of possibility, declaring: human flourishing is possible here and you matter here.

If this vision resonates, if you believe in the transformative power of third spaces, we invite connection. Whether through partnership, funding support, or amplifying this message, you become part of making this vision a reality.

What third spaces have shaped you? Where do you see opportunities to create these vital connections in your community?

Thank you for being part of this story and for believing that when we create spaces for people to connect and mutually contribute, everything changes.