Why I Founded EKLEKTOS.
Some of the most important moments in my life have happened because of the people I've met.
A conversation that changed my thinking.
An introduction that opened a door.
Someone who believed in an idea before anyone else did.
Or someone who shared an experience that helped me see a difficult situation differently.
Looking back over more than 25 years of building businesses, I've come to appreciate something that I believe matters enormously.
The right people can change the course of our lives.
Not simply because of their achievements, their influence or their financial resources.
But because of their character.
Their experience.
Their generosity.
Their willingness to share what they know.
And the relationships we build with them.
That belief is where EKLEKTOS began.
More than 25 years of building, learning and beginning again.
I've spent much of my working life creating businesses.
I've experienced the excitement of turning an idea into something real, building brands, developing products, bringing teams together and seeing businesses grow beyond what once seemed possible.
I've also experienced the other side of entrepreneurship.
The difficult decisions.
The unexpected setbacks.
The moments when plans change, circumstances shift and the way forward is far from obvious.
Those experiences teach you a great deal.
About business.
About judgement.
About resilience.
And perhaps most importantly, about people.
You learn who offers perspective when you need it.
Who tells you something you might not want to hear.
Who keeps their word.
Who sees possibilities where others see problems.
And who is willing to help without immediately asking what they will receive in return.
Over time, I've come to believe that these qualities are among the most valuable things any of us can encounter.
Because the people we surround ourselves with can be every bit as important as the opportunities we pursue.
What if we could bring the right people together, for the right reasons?
Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to meet people from many different worlds.
Entrepreneurs.
Business leaders.
Investors.
Elite athletes.
Creative people.
People whose experiences, achievements and perspectives have been very different from my own.
And I've often found that the most interesting conversations are not necessarily between people who do the same things.
They're between people who see the world differently.
People who challenge one another's assumptions.
Who share ideas generously.
Who recognise opportunities that someone else might overlook.
And who sometimes discover that they can achieve far more together than they ever could individually.
It made me wonder what might become possible if we created an environment specifically designed to encourage those relationships.
Not another networking organisation.
Not another private members' club.
But something built around genuine human connection, thoughtful selection and shared values.
A place where extraordinary people could get to know one another as people first.
Where friendships could develop.
Where knowledge and experience could be shared.
Where new ideas, collaborations and opportunities might emerge.
And where those relationships could also become a force for good beyond the people involved.
That question became EKLEKTOS.
I believe the world needs more meaningful connections, not simply more connections.
We live in a time when it has never been easier to reach people.
And yet, genuine trust can be remarkably difficult to establish.
We have access to extraordinary technology, endless information and networks that stretch around the world.
But none of these automatically creates a meaningful relationship.
That takes time.
It takes care.
And it takes people who genuinely want to know, understand and support one another.
My ambition for EKLEKTOS is to bring together a carefully selected global community of no more than 1,000 people who share those values.
People who have achieved remarkable things but remain curious.
People who have much to offer but recognise how much they can still learn.
People who value integrity, kindness, discretion and generosity as much as professional accomplishment.
And people who believe their experiences, relationships and influence could help make something worthwhile happen for others.
I want EKLEKTOS to create extraordinary value for the people who belong.
But I also want it to create opportunities for those people to make a meaningful difference to the wider world.
To do good for one another. And to do good for the world.
For me, those two ambitions have always belonged together.
Some things deserve the time it takes to get them right.
I began developing EKLEKTOS in 2024.
From the outset, I knew I didn't want to rush to launch an organisation simply because the idea was exciting.
I wanted to think carefully about what it should stand for.
Who should help shape it.
How membership should work.
What standards should be protected.
And how we could create something capable of becoming more valuable and meaningful as the years passed.
That has meant developing the proposition, its identity, its operating principles and its foundations before bringing together the first Members.
It has also meant surrounding the idea with people whose experience, judgement and perspectives are different from my own.
Because an institution built around the value of relationships should itself be shaped through relationships.
EKLEKTOS remains at the beginning of its journey.
There is still much to establish, much to learn and much to prove.
But I believe the opportunity is extraordinary.
Not because of what EKLEKTOS already is, but because of what the right people could help it become.
My role is to begin it. Not to define its limits.
I've founded businesses before.
But EKLEKTOS is different in one important respect.
I don't want its identity or future to depend upon me.
My responsibility is to help establish the right foundations, bring together the right people and protect the principles upon which it is being built.
From there, I hope the institution will develop its own culture, traditions and character through the people who belong to it.
The Founding Council.
The first 20 people who help shape the Founding Circle.
The Members who follow.
And eventually, the generations who may carry it forward long after my own involvement has ended.
I find that prospect genuinely exciting.
Because the greatest measure of what we build is not always what we achieve while we're there.
Sometimes it is what continues to flourish after we've stepped away.
If EKLEKTOS becomes everything I believe it can, its greatest achievements will belong to the people who build it together.
Perhaps the most important conversations are still ahead of us.
I don't know every person who will eventually become part of EKLEKTOS.
Nor can I predict every friendship, idea, opportunity or collaboration that may emerge.
That's part of what makes building it so exciting.
What I do know is that extraordinary things can begin with something remarkably simple.
A conversation.
An introduction.
Two people discovering that they share an idea, an ambition or a belief about what might be possible.
If what we're creating resonates with you, I hope you'll take the time to explore EKLEKTOS further.
And perhaps, somewhere along the way, we'll have the opportunity to begin a conversation ourselves.
Welcome to EKLEKTOS.
Joe Sillett
Founder & CEO
Entrepreneur. Founder. Advisor.
Joe Sillett is a British entrepreneur, founder and advisor with more than 25 years' experience building businesses, brands and commercial ventures.
His career includes founding and developing internationally recognised brands, building businesses that achieved eight-figure valuations, raising investment and advising entrepreneurs and leadership teams on commercial strategy, growth and investment readiness.
He has worked across consumer products, sport, brand development, business leadership and advisory roles, and has co-authored a book exploring the psychology and mentality behind sustained performance.
Having experienced both the achievements and challenges of entrepreneurship, Joe developed a particular appreciation for the people, relationships and judgement that determine whether an idea endures.
Begin a Conversation.
Some relationships begin with a simple introduction.
EKLEKTOS is a private institution and membership is by invitation or trusted introduction only.
If you have been introduced to EKLEKTOS, would like to understand the institution further, or believe there is a relevant reason for us to know one another, we would be pleased to hear from you.