Climate Adaptive.
Economically Sustainable
Spaces for Thriving
Designed for Wellbeing
At Cicada Grove, we focus on creating economically sustainable, climate-adaptable spaces that foster thriving communities. Rooted in solarpunk values, permaculture practices, and a commitment to mental health and community building, we aim to build a future where sustainability and well-being coexist. We have a small plot of land in central Virginia with a beautiful natural water source, perfect for ecological R&D and community projects to seed our growth. We're currently raising funds for eco-friendly infrastructure and sustainable community spaces. Your support will help create a model for a better, more resilient world.
The Team
Maria Sosa
Originally from Venezuela, Maria is a bilingual (English/ Spanish) therapist. She is sought after by the most influential companies globally, and her work in relational dynamics provides invaluable insights into individual and collective well-being.
Her private practice, www.holisticallygrace.com, supports not only her personal clients, but also the broader public through her network of hundreds of thousands of readers, viewers and listeners.
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Rick Dean
Investment & Community Development
Heralding from Oklahoma and currently pioneering in California, Rick has managed non-profit projects with budgets in the 100s of millions, resulting in affordable housing solutions and healthier communities.
He’s a dad, husband, musician, gameplay designer and oracle. If you’re lucky he may give you an I Ching (Book of Changes) reading.
Gretchen JUDE
Art Programs and Residencies
Gretchen Jude is an experimental performer, composer for film, and professor of sound and media. Raised in the wild state of Idaho and based in Salt Lake City, Gretchen grounds her practice-based research in a deep sense of place. Years living in Japan have shaped her approach to life as well as music.
As Anemone Anomaly, Gretchen explores her fascination with the complex interactions between nature and technology. At Cicada Grove, she aims to engage her embodied pragmatism and collaborative spirit in support of forward-thinking creators.
Conner Lacy
Founder
Conner (aka “Teapot”) is an artist, inventor and founder of Cicada Grove. He has a unique blend of technical expertise and creative vision, and has spent the past two decades solving complex problems across industries.
At Cicada Grove, he applies his interdisciplinary expertise to develop spaces that thrive in harmony with the environment. Drawing on principles from permaculture and the solar punk movement, Conner envisions a future where economic viability, mental well-being, and ecological resilience coexist within diverse communities.
Amber Dean
Process & Marketing
Devoted to making sustainability actionable and accessible, Amber mobilizes industries by expanding nature based solutions and climate resilience.
She obsesses over:
strategies for adapting capitalism to climate change realities.
generating ecological and socioeconomic stability by investing in nature
operating principles for civic good
Mama bear, partner, fearless creative, articulate general badass, scorpio, witch.
BARTON MCGUIRE
Sustainability & Operations
Barton McGuire is a forward-thinking business leader and technologist with a inventive approach to management and innovation. He holds an MBA from Harvard and has founded multiple companies. McGuire blends his passion for design with his knack for exploring uncharted territories. His philosophy centers around experimentation, which often involves pushing the boundaries of traditional processes and seeing where unconventional methods can lead, whether in business or product development.