The Belonging Lab

Belonging doesn’t happen by default.
It happens by design.

Speaker and social wellness strategist Eli Walker hosts The Belonging Lab - her interactive 45-minute deep dive into the art and science of connection. The Belonging Lab is a practical, roundtable-style virtual gathering designed for HR, community and people leaders, as well as founders and event organizers responsible for engagement and culture.

You’ll learn how to use her signature P.L.A.Y.™ Method to design belonging into your gatherings, whether you lead a team, live events, or are building community from scratch.

Expect stories, live coaching, laughter, and experiments that help you practice belonging, not just talk about it.

Welcome to The Belonging Lab —

Part playground, part think tank and part social experiment.

Join Eli on Zoom every 3rd Tuesday of each month at 1pm EST

Register for the next live session

What's the problem?

/

What's the problem? /

A woman with red hair, wearing a dark blazer, teal top, and blue scarf, sitting at a desk with a microphone, a laptop, and a notepad, smiling.

Most organizations and events struggle with the same issues:

  • People show up, but don’t participate

  • Connection feels forced or awkward

  • Icebreakers fall flat

  • Energy drops fast

  • The event ends and nothing actually changes

Attendance ≠ engagement. Community ≠ belonging.

Sparking a sense of belonging—(mostly through play)—is the missing piece. Good news? It can be designed. And at The Belonging Lab, Eli will teach you how.

  • The Belonging Lab is for people whose job it is to get groups of humans to engage.

    That includes:

    • HR, People Ops, L&D, and Employee Experience leaders

    • Internal culture and communications teams

    • Conference and event planners

    • Retreat and offsite organizers

    • Community and membership directors

    If you’re responsible for engagement, culture, or experience, this lab is for you.

  • People don’t disengage because they don’t care. They disengage because most experiences aren’t designed for connection; they’re designed for relaying information.

    The Belonging Lab teaches you how to design live experiences - (think meetings, off-sites, conferences, and team gatherings) - where people participate willingly, connect naturally, and leave feeling energized instead of drained. You’ll learn:

    • How to design environments and live experiences that spark belonging fast

    • How to invite participation at events without forcing it

    • How to use play strategically (not awkwardly or eye-roll-worthy)

    • How to facilitate more inclusive rooms (both virtually and in person) in real time

    No forced fun, no awkward icebreakers (promise!), and no emotional labor.

  • Super cool folks! You’ll be in a room full of fellow community and people leaders, event organizers and facilitators like yourself. Belonging Lab is not just an educational space; it’s also a fertile virtual space for friend-making and strategic networking.

  • Fair question. Eli’s Belonging Lab is grounded in real world experience, (ahem, not just theory), and pre-tested in corporate, civic and cultural spaces.

    Also? Eli is an expert performer, storyteller and immersive facilitator. So, you’ll not only learn belonging hacks for the modern world, you’ll experience them for yourself in real time. (High five!)

FAQ

Register for the next live session