Help us give 25 men a weekend of rest.

Start a partnership conversation -> Or download the partnership deck (PDF)

25: Black & Brown men
3: Cities — CHI · DET · DC
20: Secluded acres · 3 homes
1: Brand per category

Trusted to build with

lululemon
SheaMoisture
CHICAGO BULLS
GUCCI
PEPSI

What that has looked like.

lululemon · Carried to morning movement

SheaMoisture · In the room where it's used

Used, not staged

01 · 2022 — Camp Kobe

Four years ago, we created some space.

Footage from previous Healing retreats

The men of The Healing resting on a granite overlook above autumn ridgelines

In 2022, The Healing brought together a group of men for a weekend centered on wellness, vulnerability and connection. Many arrived as strangers.

Four years later, the group chat is still active. They've prayed together, celebrated milestones, opened doors for one another and continued showing up.

This November, we're running it back — and expanding the circle.

02 · Why now

Rest is not a reward.

40.2%of Black adults reported getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night in 2024 — the highest of any group surveyed, and the least likely to wake feeling rested.CDC · NHIS 2024

120 minof time in nature per week is associated with reporting good health and high well-being, in research involving nearly 20,000 people.Nature

03 · The men

The men of The Healing gathered on a summit after a group hike — The men of The Healing · Chicago · Detroit · Washington, DC

Who will be there.

The goal is not simply to bring 25 men to Michigan. It is to create relationships that leave Michigan with them.

Cities: Chicago · Detroit · Washington, DC
Group size: 25 men, capped on purpose
Ages & professions: Shared as the cohort is confirmed
Relationship: The Healing community and invited guests

Men standing shoulder to shoulder in a close circle outdoors, hands joined in the middle

04 · The setting — Black Barn Ridge, Saugatuck MI

Twenty private acres. Three homes. No other guests.

Low light cutting through a stand of tall pines on the wooded property at Black Barn Ridge — Twenty private acres · Black Barn Ridge, Saugatuck MI

The open living room and kitchen inside The Gambrel with a double-height wall of windows — Inside The Gambrel · Living & kitchen

The Dutch, a raised house with a wide screened porch, set back on the lawn — The Dutch · Screened porch

The covered back porch of The Gable looking out into the trees — The Gable · Back porch

On the property

Cedar barrel sauna on a terrace — Barrel sauna

A hot tub set into a terrace with chairs beside it and autumn woods behind — Hot tub

Adirondack chairs around a fire pit with trails running into the trees — Fire pits & trails

A games room with a pool table and shuffleboard — Game room

05 · The retreat

A slower weekend, on purpose.

Fri — Arrive & exhale

Check-in, welcome, chef-prepared dinner and fireside conversation. A slower start to the weekend.

Sat — Move & connect

Morning movement, outdoor experiences, Vibe Checks, sauna and recovery, dinner, fireside fellowship — and time with nothing scheduled at all.

Sun — Reflect & return

Movement, breakfast and a final gathering before the men carry the weekend home to their cities.

The men of The Healing lined up along one long table, mid-meal and mid-conversation — One table · Every meal chef-prepared

Meals become their own form of programming.

Men raising cups together in a kitchen, mid-toast — A toast in the kitchen

A long kitchen island with stools under pendant lights — The kitchen · The Gambrel

A man with both arms up mid-celebration in a crowded kitchen — It gets loud fast

06 · Where brands belong

We're not looking for logos. We're looking for partners.

The product should belong in the moment, not interrupt it.

A man having his hairline edged by a barber at a retreat — Grooming, on site

A man seen from behind with both arms stretched overhead, a wider group moving together on the grass — Movement, outdoors

Men gathered at a kitchen counter over trays of food — Gifting & gathering

07 · What partners create here

What your brand actually gets.

A real product experience

25 men live with your product for an entire weekend, not a 30-second encounter. Footwear gets worn on trails. Recovery products become part of the sauna routine. Beverages sit around the fire. Grooming becomes the morning ritual.

Original storytelling

Photography, short-form video, participant reflections and founder storytelling from the weekend — content your brand can own and share, made in a setting you can't stage.

Alignment with the mission

Association with a 501(c)(3) doing real work at the intersection of Black and Brown men's wellness, vulnerability, connection, nature and rest.

A three-city community

Chicago, Detroit and Washington, DC aren't logistics — they're a community footprint. One retreat can open the door to three communities and year-round programming with The Healing.

08 · The arc

Partnership runs before, during and after the weekend.

Before
Meet the men. Why rest matters. The journey to Michigan. Pre-retreat storytelling across The Healing's channels.
During
Products in use, experiences, conversations, photography and film — your brand inside the weekend, not on top of it.
After
Participant reflections, published content, community activation in three cities — and the option to keep building together.

Reach, honestly stated

In person — 25 men, one weekend
Community — The Healing's base in three cities
Content — social, founder, participant and partner channels
Story — pre-retreat through post-retreat

09 · Ways to partner

Partnership tiers.

Community

$5K

Thoughtful brand integration and recognition across the weekend.

Brand recognition on-site and in recaps
Gifting and product placement moments
Social mention and community alignment

Inquire about Community

Supporting

$10K

Meaningful integration, storytelling and an aligned retreat moment.

Everything in Community
A named retreat moment — meal, recovery, game night
Original photo and video storytelling
Product trial with real feedback from the men

Inquire about Supporting

Category exclusivity

Anchor

$20K+

Deep integration across the retreat, elevated storytelling and your category closed to competitors.

Everything in Supporting
One brand per category — yours closes to competitors
Deeper integration woven through the weekend
Expanded content collaboration and founder story
First conversation on 2027 programming

Inquire about Anchor

10 · Category exclusivity

One brand per category.

Once a category is committed, it closes to competing brands. Categories are confirmed in the order commitments arrive, and everything is finalized by October 15, 2026.

Discuss exclusivity ->

11 · Partnership stories

What working with us has looked like.

A group of men standing in a loose circle on open ground, listening while one of them speaks

The Healing × Chicago Bulls

Wellness experiences and programming centered on mental health, vulnerability and Black men — built together, in community.

Close on a barber's hands working a straight razor along a man's jawline

The Healing × lululemon & SheaMoisture

Selected as a lululemon Here to Be grant recipient; SheaMoisture products integrated into retreat mornings — used, not staged.

Each partnership has looked different. That is intentional.

12 · Intentionally small

Twenty-five isn't a limitation. It's the point.

This is not thousands of impressions walking through a convention hall. It is intimate, experiential and human — and when a brand belongs in an experience like this, people remember who helped make it possible.

And the weekend is one chapter. The Healing is a community in three cities, and partnership can continue long after Michigan.

The men stacking hands in a tight huddle, seen from above

13 · Start the conversation

Four questions. Then we talk.

It doesn't need to be fully formed. Answer a few questions so we know how to approach the conversation, and we'll follow up to schedule a call.

Deadline: Partnerships and exclusivity finalized by Oct 15, 2026
Email: info@thehealingchi.org
For your team: Download the partnership deck (PDF) ->

Question 1 of 4

What brought you here?

You can change this later. We're just getting oriented.

What does your brand care about most?

Pick up to three — 0 of 3 selected.

What category would your brand represent?

One brand per category. This tells us what is still open.

Where do we reach you?

Partnership · Category open

Name

Work email

Title / role

Company

Tell us what you're imagining It doesn't need to be fully formed — a few sentences are enough.

Working investment range — optional

The men raising cups together in celebration

Let's build something that lasts.

25 men. Three cities. One weekend. A small group of partners.

Start a partnership conversation ->