A retreat for human flourishing, cultivating the mindset a planetary future demands.

Island of Knowledge was founded by Marcelo Gleiser, theoretical physicist, public intellectual, and Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College, and by Kari Gleiser, a licensed clinical psychologist with a Ph.D. from Boston University who specializes in complex trauma and dissociation.

It was designed to host leadership retreats, think tanks, and courses. Its retreats are immersive offsites for senior leadership groups, grounded in systemic and regenerative thinking for leaders attuned to a fast-changing world.

The retreat takes place at the Oratorio di Barottoli, a historic site in the hills above Monteroni d'Arbia, in Tuscany, where the Italian Renaissance was born in the 14th century. Now owned by the Gleiser family, the church has been carefully restored as a retreat and conference center, preserving its original beauty and works of art.

Today, the Island of Knowledge welcomes thinkers, leaders, and seekers through a growing set of offerings: IOK In-Sight, a five-day experience guided by Marcelo Gleiser where "seeing, being, and knowing meet"; invitation-only Think Tanks on questions such as What is life? and Is there purpose in the universe?; exclusive courses on science, philosophy, and religion; and psychotherapy training led by Kari Gleiser.

The visual concept comes from the central idea of Marcelo's book The Island of Knowledge: "As the Island of Knowledge grows, so do the shores of our ignorance – the boundary between the known and unknown. Learning more about the world doesn't lead to a point closer to a final destination — whose existence is nothing but a hopeful assumption anyways — but to more questions and mysteries. The more we know, the more exposed we are to our ignorance, and the more we know to ask."

In the symbol, two islands meet, forming at once a chalice and an hourglass: one holds knowledge, the other measures time. Two ancient symbols for an urgent task, sharing and celebrating true knowledge in a time of planetary urgency.

Symbol exploration

Logo

Graphics

Island of Knowledge graphic: flowing lines shaped like an hourglass beside the title

Island of Knowledge program layout with flowing hourglass lines on black.

Island of Knowledge layout with a grid of luminous hourglass forms on black.

Applications

Island of Knowledge business cards on black.

Island of Knowledge program pages for forest bathing, yoga, and hiking, with landscape photos.

Grid of Island of Knowledge hourglass symbols in varied textures and colors.

Website

Branding, Information Design, Website: Fabio Issao

Year: 2023 — present

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Get in touch

fabio.issao@gmail.com

T +55 11 96858 6245