FAQ
Black Elephant is a next generation social network that builds in-depth connections between very diverse people through the sharing of emotions and vulnerability.
It’s a social network that makes people feel better and improves their mental health.
It’s also the ultimate landing tool, allowing newcomers to cities, regions, but also organisations and other milieus to build a network of meaningful and non-transactional relationships ahead of time that will radically transform their experience on the ground.
The technical term for a pack of pachyderms is a parade. Black Elephant parades are the building blocks of the Black Elephant network. They happen in groups of 9-10 people.
In-person Black Elephant parades allow members to engage with improbable people from their own backyard. They last 2 hours.
Virtual BE parades allow members to engage with improbable people from all over the world. They last 90 minutes.
As guests are invited to participate, they receive a set of questions to think about ahead of the parade. These questions prompt participants to open up and share difficult or intimate experiences. Guests answer these questions one after the other, generating an atmosphere of active listening and empathy.
Anyone can register to the Black Elephant platform via our website. A first parade will be proposed at the guest’s convenience. Once they have participated in a parade, the guest will become a member of the Black Elephant network and will be able to sign up for ulterior parades, as well as invite new guests.
To achieve the goal of fostering a sense of global community and interconnectedness, Black Elephant relies on the diversity of backgrounds of its participants. Our parades are not closed to any specifically, however, we have rules that every participant in a parade must follow.
Virtual Parades are 100% free. Our in-person events are subject to different pricing, depending on location.
Black Elephant was born from the observation that the great plague of our time is disconnect. We live in a time of high connectivity, yet low connection - society is more digitally connected than ever, yet most of us feel increasingly isolated. Black Elephant draws inspiration from addiction recovery groups, which focus on building connection by creating spaces where people can be open and vulnerable with "strangers".
Black Elephant provides a safe space for participants to share their experiences and engage in active listening, with the goal of forging deep and genuine connections. The two fundamental rules during a parade are confidentiality (who you see here, what you hear here, when you leave here, let it stay here) and intentional listening (a parade is a place to listen and share, not comment).
Please go back to the menu to see the top of our website: “who we are”.
The Black Elephant network is based on trust. More than a value, trust is a working method for us. We may record a parade for the sole reason of providing a higher quality experience to our users. Any information you share via our platform is strictly confidential and any processing thereof adheres to our privacy policy.
Participation in a Black Elephant parade, virtual or in-person, will grant you access to our network. You must have at least 1 parade to be a member of the network.
The members of the Black Elephant network are those who completed at least 1 parade.
Black Elephant is a global and dematerialized community accessible to anyone with a working internet connection. Our main office is located in Paris, while our team members are based in various locations across the US, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
To become a host, you must participate in at least 2 parades and co-host a parade with an experienced host. Contact the team to express your interest in-hosting via the contact form and we will be in touch with next steps.
Black Elephant has a B2C and B2B business model. The organisation is not monetizing the B2C model. Therefore, access to virtual parades is free. As for in-person parades, we ask guests to cover the cost of their meal and sponsor those who cannot afford to pay. In terms of the B2B, Black Elephant works with institutions to help them cement their communities at a fee. Besides this, we also generate revenue from merchandising. We do not generate any revenues from marketing. The values of our organisation are not compatible with making money from people’s personal data.
Our organisation is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standards of the EU and the European Economic Area. We take data protection and privacy seriously as an organisation. Our teams are constantly working to ensure that we have the highest security measures in place. We only collect data that users consent to and use this towards the end of organising parades and optimising users’ experience.