Hubs, Humans & Half-Baked Potatoes
Better Together America: How Civic Hubs Are Weaving Democracy from the Ground Up
What happens when you gather 30+ local democracy builders in a room and ask them to bring their “half-baked potatoes”?
You get something extraordinary.
Starting May 1st, Better Together America (BTA) hosted its first Civic Hub Builders Convening in Denver — a milestone moment in the grassroots pro-democracy movement. What emerged was not just new tools and strategies, but a renewed sense of shared purpose. As one participant put it, “We came for frameworks — and stayed for the relationships.”
🧭 What Is a Civic Hub (and What Isn’t)?
A civic hub is not just another coalition or campaign. It’s a place-based, people-powered network rooted in the needs, strengths, and vision of its community.
What it is:
Broad-based and collaborative
Centered on belonging and civic capacity
Nonpartisan but deeply values-driven
A catalyst for real local solutions
What it’s not:
Partisan or issue-exclusive
Dominated by a single org or leader
Prescriptive or one-size-fits-all
“We are building community power to solve problems — because current systems alone are no longer enough.”
— BTA Convening Slide Deck
🥔 The Half-Baked Potato Principle
A now-iconic metaphor from the gathering: bring a half-baked idea — not a finished program. Leave room for others to “finish cooking” with their own experience, insight, and creativity.
This principle reflects a core truth: co-creation builds trust, and trust builds durable democracy.
🫶 Relationships Are the Strategy
“The heart of movement building isn't knowledge — it's connection.”
— Vinay Orekondy, BTA & Grand Bargain Project
From opening night storytelling circles to breakout workshops, the Denver convening prioritized relationships. This is how civic muscle is built — not just by talking about democracy, but by practicing it together.
Participants reflected on the strategic tensions they’re navigating:
Speed vs. diversity
Government partnerships vs. grassroots purity
Short-term wins vs. long-term capacity
BTA encouraged hub builders to embrace these tensions, not resolve them — to hold complexity with care.
🛠 Infrastructure for a “Bigger We”
Beyond inspiration, BTA shared concrete supports:
A shared civic exchange platform for fundraising and visibility
Website tools and templates for local hubs
A learning network and peer cohorts launching this summer
These back-end systems matter. They make it easier for local hubs to connect, share, and scale — without sacrificing autonomy.
🌉 Why This Matters Nationally
As Mark Gerzon noted during the TTUS Nexus Forum:
“We have a lot of organizations, but we don’t have a lot of communities that are networked.”
Civic hubs offer a solution: connect the dots between national frameworks and local lived realities. If done well, they can become the foundational infrastructure for a healthy, participatory democracy.
📣 Want to Join the Movement?
🌍 Explore Better Together America
🤝 Connect with hub builders like Duncan Autrey (Omni-Win Project) & Vinay Orekondy (Grand Bargain Project)
🧑🍳 Got a half-baked idea? Share it with #BetterTogetherAmerica and we’ll amplify your work.
This is the long game. But it starts small. One hub. One conversation. One step toward a civic culture where all people, in all places, belong — no exceptions.
Tags: #CivicHubs #BetterTogetherAmerica #ThrivingTogether #Belonging #MovementBuilding #Democracy