Founder EQ Retreat:
Transform Your Leadership
in Just 3 Days

An immersive retreat where entrepreneurs build self-awareness and interpersonal leadership skills alongside a key colleague. Based on Stanford's legendary T-group methodology.

"This workshop is the single best workshop I've ever participated in. The value for me and my company will be lasting."

Jack Conte

Jack Conte

Founder & CEO, Patreon

"T-group was probably the highest ROI way I could have spent 3 days.”

KJ Erickson

KJ Erickson

Founder, Simbi (YC S16)
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As Your Company Grows,
Getting the Interpersonal Piece Right is F*cking Hard

You can't do it alone. As your company grows, the importance of key relationships grows too. Yet most founders dramatically underinvest in the skills that make relationships thrive.

65%
of startups fail because of team conflict
3 in 4
founders report feeling lonely and isolated
30%
higher divorce rate among entrepreneurs

The Good News

In just 3 days, this Founder EQ Retreat will fundamentally change how you show up in your most important relationships. You’ll walk away with:

Clear Self Awareness

  • Learn how others experience you – incl. first impressions
  • Understand your emotions & unconscious beliefs

“This pushed me to understand myself at a deeper level than ever before. It was transformative.”

Nicolas Dessaigne

Co-Founder, Algolia (YC W14)

Honest Feedback Skills

  • Learn to give & receive feedback in any situation
  • Learn how to repair with people when things go sideways

“Now I trust myself in hard conversations. I’m way more effective as a feedback giver and receiver.”

Yunha Kim

Founder, Sleep Reset

Higher EQ in Groups

  • Improve your listening, empathy, and influence skills
  • Learn to read the room

“This retreat gave me an entirely new lens for understanding feedback and team dynamics. It’s one of the most transformative experiences I’ve had.”

Jess Ladd

Founder, Callisto (YC W18)

Shared Toolkit with Your Partner

  • You'll both become better, more resilient leaders
  • Leave with a shared language for growth & connection

“Going through this with my co-founder strengthened our connection and gave us communication tools we still use today — both in our relationship and with our team.”

Ryan Woodbury

Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Needed

Bring a Partner

During most T-group retreats, you attend and build these skills solo.
While they're pretty amazing, the downside is that it's all on you to practice what you learn afterward.

We decided to create a T-group retreat where you can bring a key colleague along with you.

Ask yourself:
“Which professional relationship, if strengthened, would most support my growth right now — as founder and as a person?”

How It Works

T-Group image of people sitting in a circle and practicing together

Built on the proven T-group methodology that powers Stanford Business School's legendary "Touchy Feely" course, this retreat is a real-time laboratory for human connection.

  • 12 pairs
  • Two groups of 12
  • You & your partner are in separate groups, but debrief together
  • 3 immersive days (plan to be OOO the whole time)
  • Practice new communication skills live with your group
  • Notice your feelings and inner stories
  • Give & receive honest feedback
  • Reflect between sessions

See Q&A for more details

Facilitators

Michael Terrell

Michael Terrell

  • Executive coach to founders for 15+ years
  • Stanford-trained T-group facilitator since 2012
  • Author of The Inside-Out Effect
  • Husband, kitesurfer, dog dad
Thoraya Halhoul

Thoraya Halhoul

  • Leadership consultant for 25+ years
  • Stanford-trained T-group facilitator since 2001
  • Expert in org design & team effectiveness
  • Experienced sailor and wind chaser

We've worked with founders & execs from

What Founders Are Saying

“Wow. Eye opening. I loved it.”

Ben McKean

Ben McKean

Founder & CEO, HungryRoot

“Thanks for this unforgettable experience. I’m a better leader because of it.”

Jeff Scheur

Jeff Scheur

Founder & CEO, NoRedInk

"T-group produces guaranteed epiphanies that you can translate into meaningful action."

Frank Macreery

Frank Macreery

Co-Founder & CEO, Aptible (YC S14)

"It gave me a superpower in self-awareness that transformed both my company and personal relationships."

Chris Tsai

Chris Tsai

Co-Founder & CEO, Resolve

"It transformed how I lead, communicate, and connect with others - both professionally and personally."

Peter Frischmann

Peter Frischmann

Co-founder & CEO, Sepion Technologies

“I came away with concrete feedback on how I could be a more confident, effective leader and interpersonal tools that I can use every day.”

Gauri Manglik

Gauri Manglik

Co-founder & CEO, Instrumentl (YC S16)

“This retreat was an amazing experience in deepening my self-awareness and interpersonal communication skills.”

Sarah McDevitt

Sarah McDevitt

Founder, Core Wellness

"T-group was the most rewarding professional development experience I’ve ever had.”

Jason van den Brand

Jason van den Brand

Founder, Lenda

“I can’t recommend this retreat highly enough.”

Jonathan Asmis

Jonathan Asmis

Co-Founder & CEO, Landed (YC W16)

Next Retreat

When

November 5-7, 2025

Wed at 10am - Fri at 5pm

Where

Investment

$3750 per person

What's included?

Group Size

Limited to 12 pairs

(24 total participants)

Q&A

What’s the ROI? (aka should I spend the time and money?)

Researcher Noam Wasserman famously found that 65% of startup fail due to team dynamics issues. Google’s “Project Aristotle” research found that psychological safety and the honest communication it fosters is the most crucial factor for high performing teams.

Hell, if you just take a moment to think about your most important founder relationships – what’s the value of communicating & connecting better with those people?

We hope the intuitive answer is: a lot.

It’s easily hundreds of thousands of dollars saved on: not making the wrong hire, not avoiding that hard decision, or thrashing the team around due to your disagreements and misalignments. It’s you getting countless hours of sleep back because you improve a key relationship. And it’s the immense psychological value of feeling more connected, more supported, and less alone on your founder journey.

What’s included in the retreat?

The retreat is fully inclusive — lodging, chef-prepared meals, and all group programming are covered. You’ll stay in your own private room with an en suite bathroom at the beautiful Westerbeke Ranch. Your fee also covers a 1:1 coaching session with one of the facilitators after the retreat.

What’s a T-group?

You can find out all about T-groups here (big thanks to my friend and colleague, Ed, for putting this together!) 

What’s the schedule like?

It’s an intensive learning experience. You will spend 20+ hours over the three days in T-group with breaks for meals, snacks, conceptual learning, and reflection/application. You will also have breaks for rest & time in nature (the grounds are beautiful!). Given the fullness of the schedule, please plan to be OOO the whole time.

Who can attend?

Anyone who identifies as an entrepreneur, owner, or founder + a colleague of their choosing are eligible to participate, this includes former founders or founders who are between companies. 

There is one eligibility exception: due to our large number of tech founder participants, we cannot accept VCs/startup investors for psychological safety reasons.

Can I attend solo?

Yes. While you’ll miss out on the chance to immediately apply these skills together with someone you work closely with, there is still significant learning and value to attending the retreat by yourself. If you plan to attend by yourself, please indicate that on your application.

The fee for solo attendance is $4.5k.

What if my partner and I are in an active conflict?

You’re in the right place. 💪

You won’t be asked to process conflict publicly or share anything you’re not ready to share. 

You’ll each be in separate T-groups so you can reflect and grow individually, while still coming together to share learnings and insights throughout the weekend.

Why aren’t my partner and I in the same T-group?

T-groups work best when you can safely explore new ways of being and communicating— and that’s typically easier when you’re not in a room with someone who knows you well. 

The good news: there will be multiple moments throughout the retreat to share and apply your learnings with your partner.

Do you offer any discounts?

We reserve a few discounted spots per retreat for those who need them. If you want to attend but are unable to pay the full fee if accepted, please select that option on your application.

Once I’m in, are there refunds if a schedule conflict comes up?

Unfortunately, there are no guaranteed refunds once you’ve paid to secure your spot. 

If you, your partner, or both of you need to cancel, we will try our best to fill your spot from our waitlist. If successful, we will refund you. If not, we will not be able to offer you a refund. 

If it turns out that one of you cannot make it, we recommend filling that spot with another teammate or colleague.

Given that we cannot guarantee refunds, please hold the retreat dates firmly in your calendar once you and your partner have signed up.

What happens after the retreat?

You’ll leave with practical tools, a deeper understanding of your own patterns, and a new communication super power. And you won’t be alone. You and your partner will very likely find yourselves applying your
lessons learned immediately, shifting your relationship in meaningful ways.

You’ll also have the opportunity to stay connected to your fellow participants, and to schedule a follow up coaching session with one of your facilitators.

Join the retreat that has transformed hundreds of founders and their most important relationships

Apply For Your Spot