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 compassion, curiosity and purpose can shape how we can live more wholehearted lives.
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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 towards sustainable growth.
What we do
We Curate Experiences - From immersive retreats and creative residencies to intimate gatherings and seasonal workshops, Platform 13 provides the platform on which women can celebrate courage, curiosity, and belonging. Each program is grounded in place — shaped by the landscape, sense of place, and the gentle pace of rural French life. Guests are invited to pause, participate, and rediscover the satisfaction of learning, being and connecting — not for perfection, but for the joy of simply exploring.
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 - 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 who value integrity, creativity, and shared purpose. Together, they carry the spirit of the estate into the wider world: proof that belonging can travel home with you, and that meaningful change begins in building a relationship with ourselves.
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 can be both elegant and attainable - and that sustainability done with soul, becomes an act of beauty.
Our approach
The Delivery
Everything we offer begins with presence. We pay attention first — to what’s being said, and to what isn’t. From there, we shape experiences with intention and follow through with care. Whether it’s an immersion, a piece of writing, or a gathering around a shared table, we believe meaningful work happens when clarity and creativity are allowed to coexist. Thoughtful structure doesn’t limit imagination — it gives it somewhere safe to land.
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The Heart of the Work​
​Platform 13 is grounded in a simple, demanding practice: showing up honestly. Our work asks for courage — the courage to be seen, to listen without fixing, to belong without pretending. We believe connection is not created through performance or perfection, but through authenticity, shared values, and the willingness to stay present even when things feel uncertain. This is where growth happens — quietly, collectively, and over time.
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The Giving Back ​
At Platform 13, contribution isn’t a program — it’s a posture. Giving back means participating fully in the world around us: supporting people, ideas, and ways of living that value care over extraction and connection over convenience. We believe community is strengthened when everyone has a role to play, and when generosity is woven into daily life — not as obligation, but as an expression of belonging.
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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
