We recently connected with Tes Cohen and have shared our conversation below.

Tes, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

I’m anti-panel.

Let me explain: panels are an inherently passive experience. A few people talk (often for too long) and the audience (that’s full of brilliant people) sits quietly, waiting for a rushed Q&A (if there’s time for one at all).

As a facilitator, I believe the real magic happens when we unlock the wisdom in the room, not just on stage. That’s why I design gatherings where intentional connection and participation isn’t an afterthought, it’s the entire point. Whenever I’m invited to support the design of a conference, I ask: how can we design for authentic connection, not just passive consumption?

Perhaps a reframe: I’m not anti-panel, I’m pro-participation.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Tes Cohen, Founder and Chief Gathering Officer of Gather Better (gatherbetter.co), where I help purpose-driven organizations design and facilitate gatherings that are full of connection and drive impact.

I’ve spent the last 15+ years working in social impact, from nonprofits and philanthropy to international development and education. Across every setting, one thing is always true: how we gather shapes what’s possible. Meetings, trainings, conferences, and retreats can either drain people or move work and relationships forward.

I started Gather Better because I saw too many well-meaning gatherings fall flat. I believe we can and must do better, especially in purpose-driven work where time, energy, money, and trust are sacred resources.

With Gather Better, I offer:

-Design and facilitation support for one-off gatherings like retreats, workshops, and convenings.

-Facilitation of signature reflective leader workshops (virtual or in-person) on topics like nurturing your inner rested leader and crafting and living into your life purpose

-A cohort program that guides leaders to level up their gathering skills in supportive community.

I’m especially proud when someone reaches out to share that I inspired them to make one small shift at a gathering and it made all the difference.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

As someone who’s not especially active on social media, my biggest piece of advice: pick your lane and stay there.

Choose the platform that aligns best with your business and audience (LinkedIn, Instagram, etc) and focus your energy there. Don’t try to do it all.

Since my work centers on supporting people in the workplace, LinkedIn is mine.

One thing that’s helped me consistently grow my audience is hosting a free monthly gathering called Gather ‘Round. It’s a monthly virtual meet-up where people bring a gathering challenge (like how to increase engagement in virtual meetings) and we workshop it together in community.

In the registration description, I include a simple note: “By signing up, you’ll also receive my newsletter featuring upcoming events and gathering inspiration. You can unsubscribe at any time.”

While I generally try to avoid offering unpaid labor, Gather ‘Round is an authentic marketing strategy for me. It’s a value-driven way to create content to share on LinkedIn, grow my audience, and, most importantly, provide an opportunity for people to experience me and my work first-hand.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One of my biggest inspirations as a business owner and gatherer is adrienne maree brown, author of Emergent Strategy, Holding Change, Pleasure Activism, and more. Her work has been a grounding force in how I approach leadership, collaboration, and gathering design.

In Emergent Strategy, adrienne outlines five key pillars (inspired by the work of queer Afro-futurist writer Octavia Butler) — like fractals, adaptability, and resilience. These ideas aren’t just concepts, they’re super practical when it comes to designing how people work, learn, and grow together.

One pillar that has deeply influenced my entrepreneurial thinking is interdependence, the idea that we are not meant to do this work alone. Interdependence shows up in everything I do including how I structure Gather Better’s cohort program, Impact Lab, where participants learn with and from each other, not just from me.

adrienne’s work reminds me that change happens at every scale: how we are in the small moments is how we are in the big ones. That’s at the heart of what I do at Gather Better: helping people bring more intention, connection, and possibility into the ways we come together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gatherbetter.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tescohen/

Image Credits

Leigh Orne