The Vanguard Retreat
Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
1st Sep - 5th Sep 2025
Join 14 Design Leaders from across the globe for an immersive four-night, five-day experience—intimate, slow-paced, and thoughtfully curated to enable deep conversations and meaningful connections across industries.
Participation Fee : £ 3,800/-*
Some leadership work can't be done in rooms you're used to.
Design Leaders today shape more than products, they shape how the world works.
And that calls for space…
to step back,
to question,
to reorient.
The Vanguard Retreat for leaders is a series of immersive experiences to pause, reflect and recalibrate.
More than a program, it’s a shift. Just honest, unfiltered peer-led inquiry with fellow leaders from across the globe. With structure where it matters and openness where it counts.
This is thinking with your whole self.
It is designed for slowness.
A deep dive across various themes
-
Power and responsibility in design
-
Unlearning as a leader
-
Post-AI leadership
-
Systems thinking in a fragmented world
The Vanguards joining from around the globe
Bikash Jyoti Biswas
Head of Design - Ather Energy
Ather Energy is a pioneering Indian EV company revolutionising urban mobility with smart, high-performance electric scooters. With cutting-edge technology, fast charging, and intelligent connectivity, Ather is shaping the future of sustainable transportation.
Eugen Boico
Director - NRG / Publicis Moldova
NRG Media is a dynamic creative agency crafting bold, innovative campaigns that connect brands with audiences through storytelling and digital excellence. Publicis Moldova is a leading marketing and communications agency that blends creativity with data-driven insights to build powerful brand narratives.
Tamara Parraguez
Founder - Love&Fear Studio
Love&Fear Studio is a boundary-pushing creative agency that merges bold storytelling with emotional intelligence to craft unforgettable brand experiences. Balancing innovation with intuition, they transform ideas into impactful visuals and narratives that resonate deeply.
More Vanguards Coming up!
You walk into an enriching experience
A historic estate
Peers from diverse worlds of design
Slow meals with unfiltered dialouge
Feedback from Design Leaders
-
![]()
Hardik Pandya - EX SVP Product & Design @Unacademy
The Retreat was meticulously planned, had a balanced structured, thought-provoking design discussions with open-ended conversations. The location helped disconnect from daily work and engage meaningfully with like-minded individuals. Unlike typical conferences, this experience enabled deeper connections and valuable exchanges. Mohit and team excel at curating these retreats. I highly recommend attending if you get the opportunity.
-
![]()
Binoy Cyriac - Head of Motion & Creative Design @Gojek
The retreat by the Extended Pack Collective wasn’t just inspiring—it shifted my perspective, reinforcing the power of diverse experiences in shaping meaningful, purpose-driven design. While the impressive work by designers from various organisations stood out, the real impact came from conversations on design ethics, the future of design, and building a design-first culture in India.
-
![]()
Asis Panda - Head of Design @PayU Credit
Engaging with diverse thought leadership in design was a refreshing break from the mundane. This is a crucial opportunity for designers to step beyond their practice, connect with peers, share insights, and learn from industry leaders, enriching their expertise.
-
![]()
Lokesh Zope - Head of Design @Traya Health
The Extended Pack’s retreat was a refreshing pause, offering deep connections, fresh perspectives, and a profound sense of fulfillment. Engaging with talented designers and their journeys reignited my curiosity and hunger to learn. It reminds you to empty your cup, embrace continuous learning, and grow alongside some of the best design minds from around the world.
Intellectual, reflective, and human.
It is for those who want to sit with big questions, uncomfortable debates, and perspectives beyond their own. It’s for those who value intention over volume, inquiry over instruction, and presence over performance.
If that’s you,
you’re invited to step in.
Quietly. Fully. Thoughtfully.
The work is invisible untill it isn’t.
This retreat won’t give you slides to present. But it may shift the way you enter a room. It may change the questions you ask. It may remind you what you forgot, when leading became all you did.
Joining the retreat is an entry into the EPC Design Leadership Network and much more…
Year-long access to EPC content
Future dinners, and global gatherings
Invitations to host workshops or lead conversations
A circle you can return to consistently
FAQs
-
If you're a designer eager to grow, evolve, and connect, DesignScape offers a unique opportunity to step away from the everyday hustle and engage in a thoughtfully curated experience. Through candid, cross-industry conversations, you'll gain insights from designers across geographies, build meaningful connections with peers and industry leaders, and immerse yourself in high-impact discussions that go beyond surface-level chatter.
DesignScape isn’t just about learning—it’s about intentional growth. It provides the space to slow down, reflect on your journey so far, and explore your next steps with the guidance of experienced leaders. With a carefully designed agenda that prioritizes quality over quantity, every interaction is purposeful, ensuring you leave with fresh perspectives, actionable insights, and a renewed sense of direction in your practice. -
Our mission is to maximise value through meaningful exchanges at these events. The Wolffkraft® team carefully reviews all applications to curate a well-balanced cohort of designers from diverse industries and experience levels. Once you apply, you’ll receive a confirmation within 3–4 days, after which you’ll have 48 hours to secure your spot.
-
The participation fee is $850 per designer, which includes a carefully curated 4-night, 5-day stay at the villa. This covers airport transfers for international attendees, all meals at the residence, and the curation and moderation of the event—ensuring a seamless and enriching experience from start to finish.
-
Accommodation will be on a shared basis, with rooms allocated separately for male and female participants. All meals will be freshly prepared on-site by a team of expert chefs who will be with us throughout the experience. Meal preferences and dietary requirements can be accommodated to ensure a comfortable and personalized stay.
-
As a bootstrapped studio, we fund these initiatives with the designers' and community's best interests at heart. We strive to keep costs minimal, covering only the essential retreat expenses. While full payment is ideal, we understand financial constraints and offer a 0% interest, three-month instalment plan to make participation more accessible.
-
Yes, you can! The event will take place at the villa, and while we may or may not step out during the scheduled days, you’re welcome to plan your personal time before or after the event dates.
The Vanguard Retreat for leaders is a series of immersive experiences to pause, reflect and recalibrate.
It is crafted for the leaders to step away from the daily rhythm of being a leader, slow down, and engage in deep, unfiltered dialogue with fellow leaders from across the globe.
Design leadership today operates within power structures, economic forces, AI-driven decision-making, and systemic global challenges. The decisions made by design leaders no longer shape just industries—they influence societies, ethics, and the fabric of daily life for societies.
This calls for a deeper reflection on leadership in a shifting world. Engaging in a cross-industry exchange, and learning from the unique approaches and instincts of other leaders, can challenge assumptions and unlock new ways of thinking.
Conversations around food, fire, and walks
How do we curate the group?
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
What to expect?
Stay at an exclusive beautiful villa amidst nature
4 reflective and thought-provoking days in Sri Lanka alongside designers from various industries
Inspiring talks by designers and leaders across industries
Thoughtfully curated panel discussions with design leaders
Hands-on activities to recharge your creative juices
1-1 advisory sessions with the design leaders
Networking among designers from Sri Lanka and India
Indulging in Sri Lankan culture and cuisines
Hardik Pandya
EX- SVP Product & Design at Unacademy
The Retreat was meticulously planned and had balanced, structured, thought-provoking design discussions with open-ended conversations.
The location helped me disconnect from daily work and engage meaningfully with like-minded individuals. Unlike typical conferences, this experience enabled deeper connections and valuable exchanges.
Mohit and his team excel at curating these retreats. I highly recommend attending if you get the opportunity.
Biony Cyriac
Head of Motion & Creative at Gojek
The Extended Pack Collective retreat wasn’t just inspiring—it shifted my perspective, reinforcing the power of diverse experiences in shaping meaningful, purpose-driven design.
While the impressive work by designers from various organisations stood out, the real impact came from conversations on design ethics, the future of design, and building a design-first culture in India.
We Designscaped with over 50 Designers in the past
India • UAE • UK
Designscape is a Signature event crafted by the Extended Pack Collective.
The Extended Pack Collective, powered by Wolffkraft® is an elite club for talented designers worldwide. It unites creative minds from various continents who, through their intentional actions and design practices, aspire to inspire future designers and shape the future responsibly.
This club offers unique opportunities to learn, grow, inspire, and create a significant impact. It equips them with extensive resources to gain new experiences, explore the world, connect disparate ideas, and access high-impact opportunities, enabling them to shape the future of design.
Membership in the Extended Pack Collective is a mark of distinction. The Wolffkraft® team meticulously selects active designers in various industries, from startups to large corporations. These designers, driven by a strong purpose and robust design philosophies, have the potential to inspire next-generation businesses and society at large.