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Community Insights: The Mycelium Method
POLLEN8 .
May 27, 2025
Dig differently: The Leone Brothers & The Mycelium Method
Joe and Sean Leone didn't set out to build a community. Joe was on a more traditional path - industrial engineering, software development, cybersecurity. But somewhere along the way, he got pulled toward creativity. First through comedy, then through writing, and eventually, through gathering people together around shared values, shared meals, and shared laughter.
Now, Joe and his brother are at the center of something quietly powerful in New York City: a nature-rooted, joy-led network called dig differently, with its latest evolution, The Mother Tree, taking shape as a physical co-creation space in Greenpoint.
It's not backed by a brand strategy or run through a sleek platform. It's more like a living, breathing ecosystem. And the brothers are tending it like a garden.
We're all just in the soil…
One of the metaphors Joe comes back to often is the mycelium network - the underground structure that connects mushrooms to trees, to roots, to life. It's invisible but deeply connected. Supportive without being controlling.
That's how he thinks about dig differently. The idea isn't to gather people into a fixed structure, but to support them just enough so they can grow in their own way.
"It all centers around the story of the mushroom, doesn't it? We're all existing in the same soil. Each of us needs to dig in our own unique way. However that journey unfolds for you, whether through therapy, spiritual connection, writing, or any other path, we all need to dig to uncover our most authentic selves… what we're really offering our members is that space to recognize that there isn't just one right path. We all need to dig, but how we do it will look different for each person. Yet despite those differences, we will all eventually emerge, surface, and find our way into the light."
Their events reflect that philosophy. They're creative, a little offbeat, and shaped by whoever shows up. Comedy shows in bakeries. Dance nights in flower shops. A roaming series called Falafel & Philosophy, where people eat good food and talk about big ideas.
And the coolest part is that more and more of those events are being dreamed up by the community itself.
Authenticity is Gravitational
The pair don't force growth. They're not "builders" in the social media sense. But somehow, the right people keep finding them.
One of the community's pillars is to lead with honesty. The way they show up - calm, funny, curious - makes people want to show up the same way. Upon speaking with Joe, he calls this "gravitational authenticity," and it's the center of everything they do.
There's no over-designed onboarding process. People come through word of mouth, or by stumbling into a conversation or a pop-up event. Communication stays intentionally simple - WhatsApp for close connections, Mailchimp for updates, and one inspiring invention called Mother Meatless, a texting-based "digital grandma" who sends out messages and sometimes just listens to community members.
"We kept Mother Meatless alive through Slicktext, creating this grandma persona that everyone believes is real—though this stays between us. The heartfelt exchanges people have with this fictional grandma reveal such beautiful vulnerability, showing us exactly what they're seeking and experiencing. These genuine interactions only strengthen our commitment to provide a safe space where people feel comfortable being completely open and honest. Over time, this authenticity extends beyond just sharing with "Grandma" to truly connecting with each other."
Joy as a Foundation for Trust
Joe talks about joy a lot as a deliberate design decision rather than an afterthought to his community activities and events. He works to lower the temperature in the room and create conditions where people stop performing and start getting as close to their true selves as they can. He finds that in order to build trust, people need to feel comfortable enough to let their guard down and this doesn't happen by forcing outcomes or overprogramming emotional outcomes.
"At the core of our values is simply having fun. In a world that's so serious, divided, and filled with anger, we're creating space to just enjoy ourselves again. When we embrace fun, we reconnect with our childlike nature—remember how quickly we'd make best friends on the playground, trusting completely without hesitation? That spontaneous connection is what we're trying to recapture, challenging as it may be."
Take their event series Falafel and Philosophy. The format is intentionally unpretentious. People gather at a casual spot, eat good food, and let the conversation evolve - from big topics like purpose and identity to smaller stuff, like what's actually the best falafel in the city. There's no moderator, no agenda, and no expectation to "perform."
The Mycelium Method
Dig Differently shows us that some communities can thrive when they mirror natural systems. Like mycelium networks, Joe and Sean's community creates resilience through decentralized connection points rather than rigid structures.
And what the brothers have cultivated mirrors what we're building at Pollen8 - communities that spread naturally, without forced growth. Like mycelium networks that strengthen natural systems through invisible connections, meaningful communities thrive when they develop organically through authentic relationships.
Joe noted that the strongest systems in nature don't control - they connect. This philosophy resonates deeply with our work supporting community builders across sectors. We've seen how the most resilient communities often emerge from simple, genuine exchanges rather than complex frameworks. Whether it's Mother Meatless texts or Falafel & Philosophy gatherings, Joe and his brother demonstrate that when you create the right conditions and step back, people naturally find their way to each other. At Pollen8, we're committed to helping more community builders discover this natural approach to connection.
Our goal? We want to understand how organizers are designing for connection and what platforms, tools, and choices are supporting that.
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What’s Next?
We’re fired up for what’s ahead and looking forward to seeing our Dot Connector community grow over the coming year. Our vision is to get sharper and closer to building something that truly works and transforms the work of community leaders/builders across the board.
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Onward and Upward,
The Pollen8 Team