Frequently Asked Questions
THE BASICS
Kin is for people who are ready to build genuine connections with others. Kin Universe is a place where people have fewer agendas – so if you’re looking for a date, Kin isn’t the place for you!
To participate, you must be ready for vulnerability, bravery and conversations that don’t involve power over someone else. We don’t promise to pair everyone who fills out a questionnaire. There may be people who are not a good fit – or not a fit yet.
Kin is a brave space, not a “safe space” as that term is currently understood: this experience requires you to be vulnerable and confront areas of your beliefs and world views that may make you uncomfortable.
Kin is a tool that builds connection across differences beyond race. Kin fits into organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs but the differences Kin can bridge are bigger than race or traditional perspectives on DEI.
MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The details on how and where to meet are left up to the pairs. Usually, pairs begin with virtual meetings or phone calls and gradually move to in-person meetings.
Over the last 5 years, Kin Universe has evolved both the way people are matched and the best ways to guide conversations between people to create trust, equity, and vulnerability. The pandemic moved these conversations from in-person to digitally facilitated, providing the ability to broaden who can participate in Kin Universe, making the pool of conversation partners even more diverse.
Kin Universe matches people based on a survey assessing people’s goals, personality, and background. All information shared with Kin via survey or otherwise, will not be shared beyond the team at Kin and only used for the purposes of your participation in Kin Universe programming.
Anyone can apply to be a part of Kin Universe! However, not everyone who applies is accepted. Our team looks at an applicant’s readiness to participate as well as whether or not there’s a good match for them available in the Kin Universe already.
KIN Universe if for people who are ready to expand their perspective and increase their connection to themselves and others. It is for people ready to have authentic conversations outside of typical power dynamics.
Kin is a way for people to build genuine and meaningful connections across different cultures and perspectives. Kin is rooted in a series of six conversations between two people that slowly creates trust, understanding, and connection that allows for meaningful conversation about our differences.
Kin provides a process for individuals that want to broaden their listening and communications skills and personal connections, and for organizations who want to build genuine trust and collaboration across their organization.
KIN Universe invites pairs to have six conversations. The pace of those conversations is up to the individuals. Some pairs have one conversation a week, so their journey takes six weeks. Other pairs spread their conversations out across many weeks or a few months. The length of the KIN Universe journey is totally up to the partners but we recommend pairs meet no less than once per month in order to maintain the momentum of the relationship.
Kin Universe is free for individuals who are selected to participate, but there’s no guarantee that an applicant will be accepted to participate.
The cost for organizations varies based on the size, structure, and specific needs of your organization. Our team will develop a custom proposal for how your organization can leverage the Kin Universe tool to advance equity and inclusion, and ultimately increase meaningful connection, communication, and collaboration across your teams and organization.