Who we are
Every vision begins with its Founders - those who dare to imagine, then enter the arena and build their dream​. Platform 13 is that dream and the shared creation of Vanessa Grant and John Duffield, partners from different worlds, united by a belief that design, culture and purpose can shape how we live.
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Vanessa, a designer and cultural entrepreneur, has spent over two decades shaping spaces and experiences that bring ideas to life with beauty and intention. As CEO, she leads Platform 13's creative vision and narrative direction, ensuring design and purpose move hand in hand.
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John, whose background spans international finance, estate management and governance, brings the structure and stewardship that turn vision into reality. He oversees the financial and operational foundations that keep creativity grounded and growth intentional.
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Together, they are shaping Platform 13 around a historic estate in South-West France - not as a backdrop, but as a collaborator. Their combined experience in design, culture and finance ensures the project is guided by imagination and integrity, with a. clear path the sustainable growth.
What we do
We Curate Experiences - From immersive retreats and creative residencies to intimate gatherings and seasonal workshops, Platform 13 curates experiences that celebrate courage, curiosity, and belonging. Each program is grounded in place — shaped by the landscape, local artisans, and the pace of rural French life. Guests are invited to pause, participate, and rediscover the satisfaction of learning, making, and connecting — not for perfection, but for the joy of simply doing.
We Steward a Place - Our estate in southwest France is to be both home and host to this work. Its rooms and gardens hold the rhythm of daily life: hands in the soil, ideas at the table, fires lit against the evening chill. Every space, detail, and decision reflects a commitment to sustainability and grace — proving that beauty and practicality can coexist when led with care. We Build Community
We Build Community - Beyond its walls, Platform 13 extends into a growing network through the Brave Seeds - Platform 13's voice - member programs, and collaborative partnerships.These connections form a living community — women and allies who value integrity, creativity, and shared purpose. Together, they carry the spirit of the estate into the wider world: proof that belonging can travel, and that meaningful change begins in relationship.
Our philosophy
At Platform 13, we believe that beauty and belonging are not luxuries, they are foundations for lives well-lived. Everything we create begins with three simple principles: listen skilfully, design thoughtfully, deliver carefully.
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These values guide how we restore, host and collaborate. Whether cultivating the land, designing a space or shaping a residency, we work from the same conviction - that structure and imagination, discipline and warmth, can thrive side by side.
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Our philosophy lives in practice.: caring for what's here, crafting with intention and connecting through shared experience. By blending creativity, culture and stewardship, we're proving that thoughtful living ca be both elegant and attainable - and that sustainability done with soul, becomes an act of beauty.
Our approach
The Delivery
Everything we create begins with three simple principles: listen deeply, design thoughtfully, deliver with care. Whether hosting a residency, developing a program, or cultivating the land itself, we apply the same philosophy — that structure and imagination, discipline and warmth, can thrive side by side.
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The Heart of the Work​
​At its core, Platform 13 is a practice — of courage, stewardship, and connection. Our work sits at the intersection of creativity and enterprise, not to preserve the past, but to shape the future of how we live, create, and belong.
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The Giving Back ​
Giving back is part of daily life at Platform 13. From caring for our resident donkeys to supporting local growers and craftspeople, every act of stewardship strengthens the circle we live within. We believe community is built through participation — by tending the land, the animals, and the relationships that sustain it — ensuring that what we nurture here continues to give beyond our own gates.
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Join Us
There are many ways to become part of our movement at Platform 13 - from reading and reflecting to participating, creating or investing in the movement itself. ​
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Read & Reflect​​
Subscribe to "Brave Seeds" - the voice of Platform 13. A twice-monthly newsletter, sharing reflections of life in France, creative insights, and behind-the-scenes notes from the Estate.
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Join & Participate ​
Become a Member - access exclusive Brave Seeds articles, community events and invitations to future Soulstice gatherings and residencies.
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Visit & Experience​
Attend a Solstice Immersion - women-only creative retreats and renewal experiences launching in September 2026, set within our restored French Estate.
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Support & Invest​ *
Partner with Purpose - for aligned investors and collaborators who see value in legacy, culture and creativity as vehicles for sustainable growth.​
* Details of various tiers of investment opportunities are available on request
