Camp Tailwind Is An All-Inclusive Summer Camp Weekend!
roundtables
Camp Tailwind roundtables are designed to build relationships within our community and create space for every participant to share, problem solve, and support one another.
workshops
Our workshops are designed to be highly interactive conversations about topics that impact our participant's businesses and lives.
Workshops & roundtable topics included: leadership, organizational design, hiring, marketing, life & business integration/ balance, hacking your schedule, working with investors & board members, building a board/ advisory board, creating a podcast, leveraging your podcast for marketing advertising, professional speaking, book writing. andpublishing for your brand, and more.
fireside talks
Camp Tailwind Fireside Talks are engaging and entertaining talks given by selected mentors, based on the needs of our participants. We invite a handful of powerhouse mentors to give Fireside Talks over the course of the weekend, on a wide range of business and life topics. Past Fireside Talk subjects included: Innovation, Stories and Strategies From Failures, Sex & Relationships For Entrepreneurs, Investment & Managing Your Finances, Negotiation Strategies, and more.
all the fun camp activities
Our optional camp activity sessions are great opportunities for casual conversations or unforgettable adventures. Experience the great outdoors in a canoe on the lake, an adventure through the ropes course, a morning yoga class, a hike through the forest, or just relax and take a walk down to the dock, or test out a Muskoka chair with an incredible view.
an authentic canadian summer camp experience
Get comfortable, let down your hair, take off your shoes and throw on some flip flops or sneakers. There's no need to dress up, our host site Camp Tamakwa is reserved exclusively for our group. We’ll be sleeping in shared cabins (not tents!) with indoor plumbing and experiencing life at one of Canada’s most well known summer camps, owned by the founders of Roots Canada, and the setting of the movie “Indian Summer”. It doesn’t get much more Canadian than this!
delicious and nutritious meals & snacks
Enjoy healthy, delicious meals, snacks, and drinks! Everything’s included! We might be at camp, but we're not serving camp food! Our in-house chefs design special menus for our group, and can accommodate all your dietary needs, from vegan to gluten free to paleo and everything in between.
“Camp was an awesome experience, because I was surrounded by other entrepreneurs who are truly focused in their business. What I loved were the opportunities for deeper connection, because there wasn’t quite the same rushed feeling that you get at conferences. It’s a relaxed and welcoming environment where you can be yourself and step to the edge of your comfort zone too.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s Included In My Ticket To Camp TAILWIND?
Camp is just the beginning of your opportunities to connect with and learn from a community of supportive, generous, ambitious, and driven female entrepreneurs. Your ticket includes:
Your all-inclusive ticket to Camp Tailwind (accommodation, delicious catered food, beverages (alcoholic & non), hands-on workshops, your curated mastermind group, fireside talks, and camp activities)
A private no-pitch Facebook group, where you’ll be able to connect with and learn from your peers and mentors
Who's attending? Am I a good fit for this event?
We believe that we can create the best experience for entrepreneurs with active businesses (beyond the idea stage) so for Camp Tailwind we’re curating a guest list of women entrepreneurs , who are continuing to grow their business (or launching their second, third, or fourth businesses).
Too many women, at every stage of business and every experience level, suffer from imposter syndrome and the belief that they’re “not ready” for an experience like our Camp, or a community like this. If you’re not sure, we invite you to complete the application today.
Camp Tailwind is for you if:
Your business is generating revenue or funding
You are working full-time in your business
You have at least one employee, or you are on the verge of hiring team members
You have a great service or product, and you’re working hard to grow your business
You’re open to learning from expert mentors, and from your peers
You’re open to sharing openly about your experience in your business, and in previous careers, and using your experience and knowledge to support the women around you.
Our community members include tech company founders, manufacturing business owners, cannabis entrepreneurs, marketing and PR company owners, a vintner (with amazing wines!), a superfood company founder, health and wellness pros, a sex therapist, a construction company owner, an inventor, and more. The diversity of our community members leads to incredible depth of conversation, and so many innovative ideas and business support for all. Our events are not about one single individual or guru on stage. Each and every one of our participants is chosen for their ability and willingness to give, share, and learn from every member of the community.
Camp Tailwind is not for you if:
You are part of a multi-level-marketing business (like Young Living, Monat, etc) (Sorry, we love you and we’re happy to refer you to another group, but social marketing/ MLM participants aren’t a fit at camp)
You are in the ideation phase and don’t have an operating business
You don’t have a MVP (minimum viable product) or any market traction yet
What if I don't know anyone? Can I come alone?
Yes! 75% of the participants at our last camp didn't know anyone, and now we’re happy to call them Community Members. You'll also have a chance to "meet" everyone in the private Camp Facebook group before the weekend. Our events are highly interactive, and with a highly curated cabin group, you're guaranteed to build genuine relationships in no time!
Are people going to sell from the stage or pitch things all weekend?
No. We don't have a stage and the Camp Tailwind and all our events 100% pitch-free-zones. We take this rule extremely seriously. Leave your business cards at home, and relax into real conversations without worrying about anyone having ulterior motives. We encourage our community members to work with one another by choice. It happens naturally when incredible entrepreneurs share their skills. Our community is based on respect, giving-first, and we grow through real, authentic connections. We promise not to pitch you, and neither will other community members. You're safe here.
How Do I Get To And From The Venue?
You have two options: you can hop in a carpool from the airport if you’re flying in, or from Toronto, or self-drive the beautiful road through Algonquin Park up to Camp Tamakwa, the home site for Camp Tailwind. We’ll also help you arrange carpools in the private Facebook group before the weekend. (Have a helicopter or float plane that you. want to fly in? We welcome it! Email us at hello@dovetail.community)
Can I bring my partner or kids?
The value of Camp Tailwind is in the learning and connecting with other community members, and it can be difficult to be fully present with your partner or kids in tow (unless your partner is a woman and is also an entrepreneur with a business). We have limited space available for fewer than 250 participants at this event, therefor we will not be able to accommodate partners or children, unless there are extenuating circumstances (send us a note if you’re not sure!). We may open future events to families and children, so please do let us know if this is something that you'd be interested in!
Can you accommodate special needs?
We strive to be as inclusive as possible, so please apply and make note of the accommodation you may need, or email: hello@dovetail.community and we’re happy to hop on a phone call to discuss. Please note, dietary requirements can all be accommodated, and approximately 80% of our past participants have had special dietary requirements.
What's the cancellation policy?
Are tickets transferable?
We hope you won't have to cancel, but just in case you do our cancellation policy is as follows:
There are limited spots available at the Camp, and our participants tend to require plenty of notice to book time in their busy schedules. Once you reserve your place you are not eligible for a refund, however if you need to cancel we will do our best to find someone to take your place and we aim to have a waiting list. As this is an invitational event with a curated guest list, tickets are not transferable by participants. If we have to change the camp dates because of covid, camp will not be cancelled it will be rescheduled, and you will be given a ticket to the following camp.
Wondering why we have this policy? Here’s a little more information, from our founder Alexis, from one entrepreneur to another: As we must pay for non-refundable camp deposits and vendor deposits etcetera year round, from when we first book the venue, secure the vendors, etc, it’s not possible to run this event unless we have a no-refund policy for tickets. I appreciate our participant’s understanding of this policy, as we are all entrepreneurs whose businesses have survived these very hard times and I’m committed to continuing to support this community! I’m so excited to bring everyone together at Camp Tailwind again!
WHAT’S THE COVID POLICY?
Your health and safety are our first priorities. As such, we will only run Camp if it is allowed by our local government and we can run it safely. After two years off and away from in-person events, we have had a lot of time to plan for a safe, happy camp experience together. We’ve also recently run a very safe Dovetail Summit event in February, with policies that we’ve developed over time. Most of Camp Tailwind takes place outdoors or in extremely well ventilated areas. We do not fill our cabins completely, so there’s extra space and tons of extra ventilation. Every cabin and bathroom is cleaned immediately before your arrival, and bathrooms and shared spaces are cleaned and sanitized extremely regularly throughout the event. Our host site, Camp Tamakwa, is normally tasked with keeping 400+ children campers safe and healthy, and they take our safety very seriously. (Not to worry, the kids won’t be there! Just us!) We will also adhere to their health and safety measures at camp.
We welcome mask wearing, and depending on the pandemic circumstances at the time of the event we may require on site testing and pre-testing, as well as indoor mask wearing etc. If we have to change the camp dates because of covid, camp will not be cancelled it will be rescheduled, and you will be given a ticket to the following camp.
What’s a tailwind, and why did you change the name from camp dovetail?
In 2022 we renamed Camp to CAMP TAILWIND, to distinguish it from Dovetail, Dovetail Community, and Dovetail Summit. Why? We wanted to clarify who Camp is designed for and give it its own unique brand.
Camp Tailwind is built to support women at every stage of business - from early stage, to those who have been in business for years, specifically with knowledge, mentorship, inspiration, and hands-on support for those who are growing and scaling their companies.
A “Tailwind” is a wind or force that will move things forward and advance progress for everything in it, pushing it faster and farther along than it would go on its own - much like our community lifts one another up and advances each other’s progress with wild generosity and support.
who’s behind this event?
Alexis Dean, the founder of Camp Tailwind, is a passionate community builder and facilitator who has worked with organizations, teams, and communities around the world. From her facilitation work in her other business, Dovetail Teambuilding and Training, to launching and growing the Dovetail Community, Dovetail Summit, and now Camp Tailwind, Alexis has dedicated her career to helping people build deep connections and collaborations to strengthen their impact and build meaningful and impactful lives.
Alexis believes that women entrepreneurs have the power to change the world, and that through the power of wild generosity, honesty, and openly sharing our knowledge and experience, we can all rise faster and farther together.