Ready to Start a Stoa?
Join hundreds of leaders around the world who've started Stoic communities. You don't need to be an expert in Stoicism to start a stoa, just a genuine interest and the willingness to bring people together. This roadmap walks you through setting up your group, from first idea to first meetings.
Already running a stoa? Register Your Stoa.
Your Roadmap to Starting a Stoa
The Stoic Fellowship doesn't dictate how you run your group. Beyond a few basics for member stoas, you're free to build the community that best serves the people around you. These seven steps are the path most new facilitators follow.
Step One Ground Yourself in Stoicism
You don't need to have all the answers, but you should be comfortable talking about the basics. If someone asks something you can't answer, it's fine to say so, as Socrates did, and look into it together.
- Start with Stoicism 101, a brief outline of the philosophy's core ideas.
- Go deeper with our study resources: books, ancient texts, videos, and courses.
Step Two Decide What Kind of Group You'll Run
A few decisions to make before you launch:
- Where: in person, virtual, or a hybrid of both.
- How often: we suggest meeting at least monthly, ideally on the same day, time, and place (for example, the third Sunday of each month at 4pm).
- How big: discussion works best with about 8–12 people. Larger groups may want to break into smaller circles. It's okay if your first several meetings are smaller; it takes time to grow.
- How you'll run meetings: there's no required format, but decide on one before your first meeting. See our sample Stoa Meeting Guide and the Run a Stoa guide for approaches that work.
Step Three Find a Place to Meet
Look for somewhere quiet and easy to reach. Noisy places don't work, and restaurants aren't great either, since you'll have to talk between food orders. Places that work for many communities include:
- Outdoors (hiking or sitting, weather permitting)
- Indoor public atria
- Reserving a room in a library, university, community center, etc.
- Quiet coffee shops, pubs, or bars without table service
- Members' homes (not recommended for new stoas)
Meeting virtually? Choose a video platform your members can join easily, and use the same link each time.
Step Four Plan Your First Few Meetings
- Choose your opening topics. Give every meeting a clear focus, such as a topic, a reading, or a format you repeat. Open-ended meetings tend to wander. Our Recommended Topics for New Stoas offers a ready-made sequence for your first several months.
- Set a few ground rules to share at the start of each meeting, such as staying on topic and giving everyone a chance to speak. See sample ground rules.
- Plan your first meeting. Many stoas open with introductions and a short talk on what Stoicism is, followed by discussion.
Step Five Get the Word Out
A calendaring or event service is a great way to help people find your stoa and RSVP for meetings. Good options include:
- Meetup - offers a free, limited version that is well suited to new or small stoas. Learn about Meetup Starter.
- Luma and Eventbrite - both are free, with additional services available for a fee.
We don't advocate for any particular service. Each region seems to have its own preference for what works best, and there are other options we haven't listed here.
Prefer not to use an online event service?
Post paper flyers in appropriate settings, such as community bulletin boards. Download a flyer template to get started:
- Flyer template - US Letter (PowerPoint)
- Flyer template - A4 (PowerPoint)
Step Six Register Your Stoa
When you're ready to launch, register your stoa. Once we've reviewed it, we will:
- Add your group to our map of stoas.
- Connect you with people in your area who have told us they're looking for a group.
- Stay in touch through one-on-one emails or chats as you get started.
Step Seven Hold Your First Meetings, Then Become a Member Stoa
Running a stoa is its own craft, separate from learning Stoicism itself, and you'll develop both as you go. As you hold your first meetings, turn to our Run a Stoa guide for ground rules, tips on leading discussion, and ways to keep your group going.
After you've held a few meetings, you're eligible to become a member stoa. Member stoas join a global network of facilitators, including our monthly Facilitator Roundtable, and agree to our Terms and Conditions. You can choose membership when you register, or let us know once you're ready.
Have more questions? Contact us. We're happy to help.