FOR THE IDEA YOU CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT
October 14-17th 2026 · Saranac Lake, NY
A few days of good trouble to see what unlocks when you stop trying to figure it all out alone.
THE IDEA
Camp Co-Conspirator is a retreat for people with an idea that keeps following them around. The project you can’t quite explain yet, but you just know would connect you with your people, if you could just get it out of your head and into the world.
WHAT WE'LL DO
DRAW IT OUT
Artistic talent optional. ;) Getting the idea out of hiding is not. Then we can shape it into something bigger, stranger, and more possible.
MESS WITH IT
Pull it apart. Turn it sideways. Try some structured experiments that let you play with the edges without losing your way.
INVITE OTHERS IN
Forget hot seats and mastermind posturing. There are better ways to gather reactions, connections, and new angles from co-conspirators.
FOLLOW THE THREAD
Leave knowing what's asking to be built. Don’t worry, no one expects you to solve your entire life in a weekend (that would be weird).
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT FIGURED OUT
WHY I'M HOSTING THIS
I’m Erica. I like helping people figure out what’s possible when they stop trying to solve everything alone.
These days, I’m a Strategist at &Human, a connection design studio specializing in helping
civic leaders and communities make better decisions together.
The way I design collaborative experiences draws on a lifetime spent in creative spaces → from art-school critiques and textile studios, to the museum world, founder brainstorms, and more creative writing groups than I can count.
Camp is an excuse to bring all of that together a group of people who have no shortage of generosity when it comes to helping each other with their ideas.
WHO'S COMING
Here’s a snapshot of who’s already in the mix, based on what I know about each person firsthand:
Folks who are curious, capable, and a little bit obsessed with asking better questions. They’re business owners. Creatives. Travelers. Storytellers.
They have some pretty interesting ideas of their own, like...
Documentary films, big essays, books in progress
A podcast that could become live conversation series
Cafes and other small business ideas with purpose
Plus a few ideas that defy categorization
This was the view on a random Wednesday last October,
driving my arthritic cat to the vet.
EVERY GOOD IDEA NEEDS CO-CONSPIRATORS
Bring the thing you can’t stop thinking about.
Come think alongside people who are rooting for your ideas and curious about where they might go. Sometimes the thing you’ve been carrying alone starts to shift when you have good people to think with.
BEFORE YOU PACK YOUR BAG
The answers to the questions you might be wondering about.
Good meals → Conversations with interesting humans → Time to marinate, write, process → Unstructured time → Probably some fires → Definitely lots of snacks.
I’m excited about the facilitated sessions we’ll share, for example:
→ There’s one that will show you what your idea actually does to people
→ Another designed to reveal possibilities hiding inside your worst-case scenarios
→ And another that will give you perspectives you couldn’t have generated alone
I’ve designed these collaborative hours to shake us out of the standard mastermind/hot-seat script, drawing on a lifetime spent in creative spaces → from art-school critiques and textile studios to the museum world, founder brainstorms, and more creative writing groups than I can count.
Camp is for people with an idea that won’t leave them alone.
Maybe you’re making a documentary. Starting a business. Writing a book. Making a podcast. Building something for your community. Or trying to figure out what the hell this thing wants to be when it grows up. You don’t need to have it figured out. In fact, half-formed is welcome.
We’ll be a small group of just 6-7 people, all of whom tend to blur the lines between entrepreneur, creator, artist, and general person-who-can’t-stop-making-things.
What matters is that there’s something you’re curious about or plotting that you’d like some space and interesting humans around while you figure out what’s next.
One of those interesting humans will be a local artisan I’ve invited to spend some time with us. They’re deep into following their own weird idea, and I’m excited to give us a little inspiration from someone who’s far enough down the road to remind us what’s possible.
At my house ☺️
Camp will take place at my home, a rambling 1920s Tudor-style property tucked into the side of a mountain in the Adirondacks.
When we bought it, the idea was that it would be a place of togetherness: a house where people could gather, have long conversations, eat good food, and generally make themselves at home. So it feels pretty perfect to be turning it into Camp.
Then I peeked at the numerology of my house number:
It’s a 3 house, which apparently is all about expansion, expression, enthusiasm, fun, and optimism. My gut must have picked up on this when we toured it.
There’s even a little local lore: Einstein rented it as a vacation home back in the day.
And one important piece of Camp infrastructure:
You must like cats.
I have four. They are not technically on the guest list, but they do own the place.
$1,250 for a private room or $995 for a shared room.
That includes your room, all meals, and any excursions we do together. Travel to and from the Adirondacks is not included.
Private and shared rooms are available, and bathrooms are shared.
Is this actually camping?
No. I’m outsidey. I’m not outdoorsy.
You won’t need camping gear, hiking boots, or any particular wilderness skills. You will get a taste of what the Adirondacks can do for your brain and your imagination.
When do I arrive and leave?
Plan to arrive early on October 14 and depart late on October 17. That gives us the full three days together without making anyone sprint through the experience.
You can fly into Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear or Plattsburgh International Airport. If you’re driving, I’ll send the full address and arrival details after you register.
You’ll get a confirmation with everything you need to know for now, and I’ll be in touch with the details as Camp gets closer.
Once the room assignments are finalized, I’ll send you the full rundown: where to go, what to bring, arrival and departure details, and what to expect.
I’ll also be in touch about your project/idea before we arrive so I can make sure the time we spend together is actually useful to you.
Camp Co-Conspirator
Fall 2026 · Adirondack Mountains
Good ideas need accomplices. They just do.
More good trouble, occasionally.
© 2026 Erica Breuer, Inc.
All rights reserved.