The thread binding together Shaylyn Romney Garrett’s perhaps unorthodox career path – spanning diverse fields of research, writing, activism and social entrepreneurship – is community. “I’ve studied it, experimented with it, been fascinated by it, and been frightened by it,” she says. After a 3-year-long personal healing journey, Shaylyn experienced the wisdom in the old adage “If you want to go far, go together.” That led to starting Project Reconnect and a year of engaging in a series of radically simple but transformative monthly challenges – 15-minute connections, meeting neighbours and hosting dinner parties. Shaylyn is a co-author along with best-selling author Robert D. Putnam of The Upswing: How America Came Together A Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again, which has been acclaimed “a magnificent and visionary book,” and “a must-read for those who wonder how we can reclaim our nation’s promise” to once more turn the macro tides from “I” to “We”.