About When Together
A bit about me
I'm Lynn Berry, the founder of When Together.
Some quick facts: I've had 6 life changing experiences - changing my worldview; travelled to 17 countries, lived in 3; spent 20+ years in tertiary education; obtained 5 formal education qualifications; earned many informal ones, including Futures Thinking Specialisation, Inspired Leadership Specialisation, HeartMath coach/mentor.
My greatest influences: in my early
years, it was my family, where we lived and where I went to school; later, it was
travel, learning, and relationships.
My key characteristics: I'm a life-long learner, curious and creative. At heart, I'm an educator, an enabler and connector.
My purpose: creating a better world. While working, I had an urge to do something more meaningful, creative and useful. All the while wondering why I’m here and what my purpose is. I had to stop sitting and wondering and just do.
Where you'll find me: I post on LinkedIn and you'll find my writings on Substack (see Harmony Waves). I don’t have Facebook, TikTok.
Why When Together?
When Together has been an emerging idea from around 2020. Then I was concerned about the values for harmony. This, along with two other events, an intuitive painting course and a Presencing Institute program, inspired me to create a project on Harmony.
For this project, I painted 7 large paintings on themes I believed related to harmony. I then presented those paintings in online events using each one as discussion points.
In 2025, I tried something different, an Online Salon - a conversation - on topics such as hope and creativity using contemplative practices and energising activities. With around 6 people, I used prompts to structure the conversation. I listened more, talked less.
From the feedback, participants enjoyed getting to know others and engaging deeply on the topics covered. From that experience and the research on belonging, harmony and social cohesion, I founded When Together.
The idea behind this venture is to promote human connection and values that contribute to social cohesion as well as a friendlier, kinder place to live.
Why social change?
I'm interested in change that ensures fairness, justice, equality. I'm specially interested in a peaceful, harmonious society. How do we create this? We do know that when people come together we enhance understanding, stimulate ideas, and co-create visions for what might be possible.
Our When Together programs use conversations for social change. In communicating with others, we share information, we notice different points of views and diverse ways of thinking.
It is a powerful way for connecting
with others and for deepening
existing relationships. It is also esssential to our wellbeing and it enhances our sense of purpose.
‘’...participating in, and fostering,
social connection...improves
cognitive function, lowers stress,
and diminishes depression.’ (p203
Your Brain on Art).
And that’s not all! Your participation can help build confidence, deepen listening, and enhance curiosity. We are social beings. When we connect with others, we grow, we thrive, we feel a sense of belonging.
I love early morning walks. This one at Manly, NSW.
Values and Participation Practices
Our conversations are guided by values and practices
Values
Integrity, Trust, Curiosity, Respect, Transformative Listening, Compassion, Heart-led, Courage, Critical, Reflective and Creative Thinking
Participation Practices
The When Together approach involves awareness and contemplative practices to create a space for focus, respect and reflection.
The facilitator uses prompts to structure the conversation and invite contributions, while encouraging a stance of curiosity.
The When Together approach recognises all participants are experts of their experiences and values their contributions in learning about others.
It takes courage to speak in a group and to share thoughts, feelings, insights, and all participants are invited to support each other in this activity.
Openmindedness is encouraged rather than judgement to help the conversation flow and allow for broad participation.
What problem are you solving?
Whenever you start a new venture, the first question business and finance people ask is: What problem are you solving?
What problem I’m solving
Lack of community and connection which contributes to isolation and loneliness and thus reduces wellbeing.
Lack of human qualities and/or appreciation of those that make it difficult to connect with others. Note: the Social Media focus emphasises minimal transactions of likes and brief responses, encourages polar views and echo chambers; and overall has lead to superficial connection activities.
Lack of in-depth connections with others, possibly through negative social media experience, and thus fear of connecting and lack of trust.
Undervaluing the connection with others due to our own beliefs and assumptions.
How I am addressing this problem
This is a large, complex problem. I propose to counter some aspects of it by holding conversations on values and conditions for human flourishing. I delve into values, such as, love, kindness, hope, joy, what they are, why they are relevant, how to build, generate and cultivate them. In these conversations, participants are invited to reflect and share their views and in doing so connect more deeply with the content and, through this, with others. It is through participation that connection occurs.
In our conversation groups, we are modelling ways to create community and encourage participants to do the same in their own contexts. We model ways to contribute and to create welcoming communities, groups and individuals.
Our focus is on: how we connect, how we are welcoming, how we build trust using When Together's participation practice.
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