A highly immersive workshop for changemakers, leaders, practitioners and teams across sectors, to prepare you to lead transformational change.
Learn tested and reliable leadership frameworks, tools, and processes you can apply in your own life, within organizations and across societal systems. Real-world application stories will inspire the concrete next steps you can take in your own context.
Join us on
October 18 – 22, 2026
Location:
Fitler Club
24 S. 24th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 USA
Find location on GoogleMaps
Early Bird Rate (by July 31, 2026): $4,500
Group Rate: $3,500 per person for 2 or more people from the same organization
Network Rate: $3,000 per person for 5-8 people from the same network, with special “Network Conveners rate”
(More info below for Group or Network rates)
Presencing Foundation Program (PFP)
The PFP is the Presencing Institute’s signature in-person program to learn and practice Theory U as a technology of transformation. It is offered only occasionally throughout the year, mainly in Europe. This is a rare chance to learn directly from Theory U’s co-founders, Otto Scharmer and Arawana Hayashi in the US.
This experiential workshop is designed for individuals, leaders, groups and networks at all levels. It introduces frameworks, tools, and practices for sensing and facilitating profound innovation and change both within organizations and across societal systems.
The program is designed as a U-process to allow you to experience this framework in depth.
You will join many others from across the globe and have the time to slow down, connect with core intention, and draw inspiration from the collective capacity this gathering generates. Expect to connect deeply with changemakers, innovators, and leaders across sectors, generations, continents, and political sensibilities. You will leave with a meaningful long lasting network. Aside from grounding in key aspects of the Theory U framework and tools, other components of the PFP are:
- Real world stories and case studies to support you in customizing the Theory U framework to your own situations at home.
- Case clinics that provide a structured approach to work through your specific challenges and projects with peer support. You will benefit the most from this workshop by coming with a concrete project or challenge you face.
- Social Presencing Theater (SPT), Theory U’s embodiment and social arts practice, is woven throughout the four days to deepen insight and experience.
And most importantly...
- Action confidence. The PFP is designed to help you sort out the work that is uniquely yours to do in these times of upheaval, and locate your innate confidence to act on that future.
What You Will Take Away from the PFP
- A shift in your “interior condition,” the place from which you operate, giving you leverage to lead from the future, rather than the past
- Specific prototypes and/or next steps to bring the insights you arrive at in Philadelphia to life
- Application stories that translate Theory U to real life challenges in organizations and ecosystems
- Concrete tools and practices you can use with your group, network, team, organization and yourself right away, including the newest edition of the Theory U book
- Practice in the application of awareness based systems change principles and practice for transformation
- New relationships across sectors and geographies global boundaries that you can draw on for solidarity and advice
- Deeper understanding of the underlying forces shaping our world, plus clues for finding the cracks and soft edges that invite breakthrough
Who Is This For?
- Individuals, groups and networks working in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who want to lead from the emerging future, rather than reenacting patterns of the past
- People who want a supported environment to find solid ground in a time of upheaval
- People looking for frameworks and tools to guide their teams, groups, networks and others through transformational change
- People looking for breakthrough solutions to “stuck” situations, personally and societally
- Students, young leaders and people on one of life’s many thresholds
- People dealing with societal polarization
- People on the Theory U Certification pathway
Ultimately, this program will be valuable to anyone feeling the tug of knowing their path is at a crossroads but hasn’t had the time to recalibrate.
Team
Otto Scharmer will be joining as keynote presenter on Monday and Tuesday of the program.
Pricing Details
Individual Rate: $4,950
Early Bird Rate (by June 31, 2026): $4,500
Group Rate* (2 or more people from the same organization): $3,500 per person
Network Rate* (5-8 people across organizations who share a common sector, geography or demographic and commit to acting collectively): $3,000 per person, and special “Network Conveners” discount (see all details below)
Pricing includes all course materials, morning meditations, and most meals.
*see full conditions below.
Please reach out to us if you are interested in subsidizing others.
Group Rate: (2 or more people from the same organization): $3,500 per person
Please register as a full group of 2 or more to receive the group rate. Please note that if members of your group are unable to attend, you may arrange for a substitute at least two (2) weeks before the program. If you are unable to find a substitute, cancellation fees will apply. If only one individual attends, the rate will revert to the full individual rate.
Network Rates (5-8 people across organizations who share a common sector, geography or demographic and commit to acting collectively): $3,000 per person, and special “Network Conveners” discount
Each network should be convened by a “Network Convener” who recruits the group, convenes them at least once before and once after the program. We are offering a special rate to Network Conveners in recognition of the extra work they will take on:
- Network Conveners who participated in the 2025 Philadelphia program: $1,500
- Network Conveners participating in the program for the first time: $2,000
Please register as a full group of 5 or more to receive the network rate. Please note that if members of your group are unable to attend, you may arrange for a substitute participant at least two (2) weeks before the program. If you are unable to find a substitute, cancellation fees will apply. Rates will revert to the group rate or full individual rate, depending on the numbers of people in your group.
Contact PFPinPHL@insytepartners.com to get a group or network code.
Dates & Schedule
The program runs from Sunday, October 18 to Thursday, to October 22, 2026.
You can check detailed timings here.
Accommodation
Accommodation is self-organized.
There are limited number of rooms available onsite at the Fitler Hotel.
Here you can find some hotels that are walking distance to the venue, across a range of prices.
- Motto By Hilton Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square (11-minute walk)
We have secured a courtesy hotel block with a rate of $181/night + tax. Please reach out to pfpinphl@insytepartners.com for the special booking code - Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square (15-minute walk)
- Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square (12-minute walk)
- The Windsor Suites (20-minute walk)
- AirBnB
Transport
Transportation is self-organized.
Fitler Club is located within walking distance of the Street Amtrak, Regional Rail station. Philadelphia International Airport is 15 minutes away. Newark Liberty International Airport is also serviced directly by Amtrak, under 1 hour from Philadelphia.
Cancellation Policy
The amount paid minus a $500 cancellation/processing fee will be refunded for all cancellations received in writing before September 18th, 2026. After that date no refunds will be granted for cancellations.
You may arrange for a substitute participant at least two (2) weeks before the program. Should the Presencing Institute need to cancel the program, participants will receive a refund of their tuition, but no reimbursement for booked flights or other travel or program-related expenses.
