SUM

What is SUM?

SUM is a Chicago nonprofit that plans and leads team retreats, wellness sessions and group outings outdoors, in parks, preserves and lakefront landscapes within reach of the city. It is a registered 501(c)(3), founded in 2022, with an office on South Wabash Avenue in the South Loop, and Josh Ellis serves as executive director. Its premise is simple: help more people spend more time outside, more often, and make that easy. Team retreats are a core program. SUM describes them as curated offsite sessions, from a few hours to a full day, that help a group work on a focused objective while using time outside to deepen connections and give people room to breathe. Among the retreats it lists are a full staff retreat for the Wetlands Initiative at Indiana Dunes National Park, a senior leadership retreat for the Regional Transportation Authority, staff rejuvenation days for PODER and the Southwest Organizing Project, and a visioning retreat for the Chicago chapter of Lambda Alpha International. On the SUM site, the RTA's chief of staff credits the team with giving staff a structure "to connect in a meaningful and valuable way," and Lyndon Valicenti of Daylight describes a day in the Palos Preserves spent getting the organization aligned. Alongside retreats, SUM runs recurring wellness programs built on movement and mindfulness, such as forest yoga, guided meditation and awe walks. It has run a monthly series of hikes, kayaking and forest therapy for the Burke Group, and a monthly series of walking discussions in the Loop for staff of the Chicago Community Trust. Testimonials on the site come from staff at Access Living, the American Planning Association and Christopher B. Burke Engineering, among others. SUM also works with schools, youth groups and community organizations on field trips and outdoor exploration around the Chicago region. As of June 2026, the organization says it has led outdoor experiences for 3,200 people. For a company that wants a half-day or full-day reset close to the city, rather than a fly-in program, SUM is a facilitator built around that format.

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Based

South Loop, Chicago

Founded

2022

Setting

Outdoors near Chicago

Event formats

• Staff & leadership retreats
• Wellness & mindfulness sessions
• Team outings

Past events