our story
origins
Ashley Bonn's vision for Conscious Growth
began long before the organization existed.
.png)
While studying Leadership for Sustainability Education and Nonprofit Management at Portland State University, she was repeatedly asked a simple but profound question:
If we understand the ecological and social challenges facing our world, what responsibility do we carry to respond?
During that time, Ashley encountered The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk—a novel imagining a society where earth, air, fire, water, and spirit are honored as the sacred foundations of life. Its vision of reciprocity, community, and relationship became one of the earliest seeds of what would eventually become Conscious Growth.
Original five-elements logo hand-drawn by founder Ashley Bonn
foundations
Over the following years, that seed was shaped by Ashley's work in community organizing, placemaking, permaculture, music festivals, and her own journey of healing after the loss of her father.
Working with City Repair's Village Building Convergence, she witnessed neighborhoods transformed through collective action—people building gardens, natural structures, public art, and gathering around music, food, and conversation. At the same time, time spent in the forests, rivers, and mountains of Cascadia deepened her relationship with the living world.
These experiences revealed that ecological stewardship, cultural expression, education, and community building weren't separate pursuits—they were all part of the same living system. From this realization emerged a central question:
What if ecological stewardship, cultural expression, community resilience, and inner transformation could all be woven together?
That question became the foundation of Conscious Growth.
Early Stages
Ashley expanded this vision through her graduate thesis, imagining a regenerative educational hub where food systems, art, workshops, performance, gardens, and gathering spaces existed as one interconnected ecosystem rooted in reciprocity rather than extraction.
After graduating in 2019, she assembled a founding board and began building Conscious Growth. Workshops at festivals across Cascadia introduced the vision to artists, educators, and organizers eager to cultivate more resilient ways of living.
Later that year, Conscious Growth opened a temporary community space inside Portland's Lloyd Center Mall, hosting workshops, performances, markets, and educational events before officially becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in February 2020.
growth
Just weeks after receiving nonprofit status, the COVID-19 pandemic halted public gathering—but it also opened an unexpected door.
Conscious Growth transformed a vacant yoga studio into EARTH Space (Earth, Art, Resilience, Trade, and Healing), creating a living prototype of the organization's vision. Gardens, rainwater systems, workshops, performances, mutual aid, a free pantry, and community gatherings demonstrated what regenerative culture could look like in practice.
In 2021, EARTH Space became home to the first Conscious Growth Convergence. As the gathering expanded, it eventually moved into a forested ecovillage setting, where the experience evolved into an immersive journey inspired by the five sacred elements—Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit.
Today, the Convergence welcomes hundreds of participants each year, bringing together music, ecological education, ceremony, creativity, and community while continuing to deepen partnerships rooted in reciprocity, including long-term collaborations with Indigenous leaders and organizations.
current day
Today, Conscious Growth is expressed through three interconnected programs: the Conscious Growth Convergence, the ReVillaging Program, and Indigenous Partnerships.
Together, these initiatives bring the organization's mission to life: rebuilding relationships with people and place through ecological education, cultural regeneration, and community connection.
We believe healthy relationships—with ourselves, one another, and the living world—are the foundation of thriving communities. By weaving together practical skills, creativity, ecological wisdom, and shared experience, we hope every participant returns home with renewed purpose, meaningful relationships, and the inspiration to strengthen the places they call home.
