+CASE STUDY
Google POPS Leadership Summit
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Strengthening Culture Through Personal Stories
Interactive keynotes. Built on the power of storytelling.
Happy Clients
Hi, I'm Robert X. Fogarty
Robert X. Fogarty founded Dear World as a humanitarian project in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
The project gained global recognition for his interview and portrait style. He asked people one question. What message would you send to the world? They wrote the answer on their own body in washable black ink.
Since then we have built storytelling methods for organizations. They close the gap between the values a company writes down and the way its people actually experience them.
People tell stories to understand what they have endured, what they value, and who they hope to become. Our mission is clear: we connect people by helping them share the meaningful stories that shape their lives.
Write your future with us.
Opening keynote—ATD, 2,000 attendees
How the Dear World
interactive keynote works
Robert's work isn't about leadership theory. It is the actual work.
Our core 3-part process unlocks powerful connections
Act 1
Opening interactive keynote
Act 2
Portrait and Video Shoot
Act 3
Storytelling Closing and Photo Reveal
Our process can scale up or down with ease to match events of almost any shape and size.
Read more about our formatsThe Brain Tattoo Method
What it looks like
in a real room
Robert opens from the main stage and hands the room a prompt. People write the message they carry on their own skin. Some of them stand up and tell the story behind it, and by the closing session those portraits are on the screen while their owners speak.
Values Transformation
Close the gap
between values and experience.
We help organizations close the gap between what they say they stand for and how people experience their mission, vision and values. Here's what that's looked like in the room.
“We connected everyone in that room with Dear World.”
Mark D. Benjamin—CEO, Nuance Communications
“There is nothing wrong being extraordinarily authentic.”
Pierre Nanterme—Former CEO, Accenture (1959–2019)
“We became so much closer as a group.”
Coach Mike Krzyzewski—Duke Men's Basketball
More Voices
"I've been doing leadership summits and leadership events my entire career, and I can honestly say this was the best experience I've ever had."
Alex Chriss
CEO, PayPal
"Every Airman has a story — and this work made a huge difference in mine."
Lt. Gen. VeraLinn “Dash” Jamieson, Ret.
United States Air Force
"I've never seen an exercise break down barriers faster than this one. If you want a group to connect and bond quickly, I would highly recommend Dear World."
Malaika Myers
CHRO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
"Dear World opens the door to honest communication and gives students the courage to take risks and share their stories."
Stephanie Barksdale
Tulane University
"They provide a process that is authentic, safe, and memorable for us to truly tell our stories and listen to our colleagues."
Thomas Fuchs
VP, Market Analysis and Strategy, Genentech
"Dear World makes friends of strangers. Their process is remarkable because colleagues truly begin to understand the stories within their team."
Patty McCord
Former Chief Talent Officer, Netflix
Write Your Future
Real Impact,
Real Stories
Photo Archive
Our favorite photos
The Brain Tattoo photos and Portrait Process portraits we can't stop thinking about.
Start Here
Common
Questions
What does Dear World do at a corporate event?
Robert opens from the main stage and hands the room a prompt. People write the message they carry on their own skin, and our crew photographs them. By the closing session those portraits are on the screen while their owners tell the story behind them. The whole thing runs inside the agenda you already have.
What is the Brain Tattoo Method?
It is our name for turning a personal story into one sentence somebody can carry. Participants move past abstract words like resilience or belonging and connect them to something that actually happened to them. Then they write that sentence on their skin and get photographed holding it. People remember the portrait, and the message comes back with it.
Who books Dear World?
Usually an event planner, an HR leader, or an internal communications team. The events are conferences, leadership summits, sales kickoffs, annual meetings, and company retreats. We have done this for Google, PayPal, Walmart, and the United States Air Force, and for universities, hospitals, and associations.
How do we book Dear World for our event?
Send us the date, the city, and roughly how many people will be in the room. We come back with availability and a quote. Most clients start the conversation somewhere between three and nine months out. We do get last minute openings, so it is worth asking either way.
If your people are
navigating change,
this work helps them move forward.
Let’s talk about what your moment requires.