Creating Trust and Belonging Through Peer Groups - A Conversation with Aiko Thurlow of InFounders
Description
We are grateful for having connected with Aïko Thurlow. Aiko is Ceo of InFounders:
In this compelling conversation, Aiko shares how she transformed her own lonely entrepreneurial journey into a mission to bring people together through carefully facilitated peer groups. After discovering the power of Masterminds, she founded her company to help organizations—from industry associations to corporations—create spaces where professionals can authentically connect, problem-solve together, and experience genuine belonging in an increasingly transactional business world.
Key Highlights
• Trust can be built quickly through intentional depth - Rather than waiting years for trust to develop naturally, Aiko's methodology invites participants to "go deep very quickly" by creating psychologically safe spaces with clear ground rules, confidentiality, and facilitated vulnerability from the start.
• The "hot seat" model delivers measurable ROI - Each session focuses on one person's most pressing challenge while 6-7 carefully curated peers (similar level, no competitors or direct reports) provide support through questions and shared experiences, leading to concrete next steps and ongoing accountability.
• Questions and stories beat advice - The secret to effective peer support isn't jumping to problem-solving mode, but instead asking curious questions to understand deeply, then sharing relevant personal experiences without expecting anything in return—letting others take what serves them.
• Belonging happens when we reveal what's behind the veil - Moving beyond water cooler small talk to structured conversations about real struggles creates profound connection and relief, as people discover they're "not as weird as they thought" and don't have to solve everything alone.
• Peer perspective prevents wasted time - When we're stuck in the weeds, peers with big-picture views can redirect our energy toward what truly matters, often saving "hundreds of hours" by catching misdirected efforts we're too close to see.
Just as Aiko's peer groups create intentional space for depth, accountability, and belonging within organizations, our People Strategy Power Hour provides leaders with the framework and tools to build cultures where trust and human connection aren't accidental—they're engineered into how we work together.
People Strategy Power Hour | Leadership Beyond Compass
Stay tuned for more conversations about leveraging people power for improved relationship and greater business impact.
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Connect with AÏKO:
InFounders
A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization).
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Adrienne & Tom
United States
