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Build connection in any conversation

With guided prompts and thoughtfully designed questions, the Together To Gather deck builds your reflexes for opening pathways of understanding. You’ll finally know what to say to build moments of lasting connection.

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A group of women sitting in a circle outdoors on chairs and a ledge, participating in a discussion about meaningful connection, with trees and a stone building in the background.
A woman with glasses and a plaid shirt holding a microphone is speaking at a panel discussion seated among several other people in a conference room.

Everyone is talking at each other. Who’s actually listening?

Conversations are the backbone of collaboration, and leadership, but most interactions feel surface-level or accidentally transactional:

“They bicker so much, major trust issues there…”

“Our meetings are just info dumps.”

“Well, I’ve been trying to get them to actually talk!”

“Nobody’s really coordinating us.”

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This doesn’t need to be your reality forever…

Two women sitting on a couch in a cozy cafe, facing each other and engaged in conversation, each holding an orange disposable coffee cup.

Being magnetic in conversation is rarely something you’re born with—it's a skill you build.

You can learn to structure conversations with questions that move you past typical greetings and small talk, into exchanges that build trust and understanding.

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Intrigue

Create curiosity, without feeling like you’re "dominating the conversation.”

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Presence

Go from thinking what to say next, to naturally planting seeds for lasting connection.

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Activation

Establish a dynamic where listeners are receptive to ideas, solutioning together.

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The Philosophy Behind The Cards & Questions

Co-created by Lia James, Founder of  &Human and The Traveling Table series, and Jessie Shternshus, CEO at The Improv Effect, the Together To Gather deck is born from the belief that, while genuine connection might feel elusive, it's an undeniable core need.

Connection begins with the questions you ask.

Drawing on their work creating lasting bonds for teams at global organizations, Jessie and Lia created the deck to help you facilitate deep connections through story sharing questions rooted in evidence-based relational design methodologies. 

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"Together To Gather is a remarkably effective tool for building team dynamics.” 

 “Our group of ten co-workers experienced a significant, measurable increase in connection, which translates directly into better collaboration for hard conversations. This game is quick, deeply engaging, and meets everyone exactly where they are, allowing for interactions that are funny, deep, or light without ever requiring anyone to over-share. The fact that the team has enthusiastically requested to keep playing it after completion is the strongest possible endorsement."

— Casey Schlotter, Senior Engineering Manager, Clever Inc

Make them feel seen, heard, & ready to contribute

Use the deck to build connection across any gathering…

Organizational / Professional

  • Organizational Gatherings

  • Team Meetings

  • Workshops & Trainings

  • Offsites & Retreats

  • Board & Leadership Meetings

Community / Social

  • Social Gatherings

  • Meetups & Networking Groups

  • Conferences & Summits

  • Placemaking Initiatives

  • Community Development Events

Creative / Collaborative

  • Creative

  • Collaborative Spaces

  • Brainstorming Sessions

  • Storytelling Circles

  • Salons & Discussion Groups

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Never leave connection to chance again

The Together To Gather Conversation deck  gives you the questions, prompts, and relational insights you need to turn every interaction into a moment of engagement and understanding.

Start connecting with intention today.

Get the Deck
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A deck of cards titled 'Together' with a tagline about inspiring deep connection, fanned out on a dark wooden surface, with some cards displaying the words 'Story Starter'. A string of gold lights is partially visible to the right.