Raison d’Être

Chester & Fourth was founded in 2021 to solve complex problems and help others become more effective problem solvers.

The forces unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic caught many organizations around the world unprepared and scrambling for answers. The advice they sought and received in the wake of the crisis was often uncoordinated, of questionable quality, and disconnected from their decision-making realities.

Our mission to address this information and skills gap predated the virus. While garages play a prominent role in the origin stories of Silicon Valley giants, our earliest beginnings date back to graduate school at McMaster University.

Collaborative learning and problem solving environments influenced the design of our initial service offering – now one of nine.

Retreats are a popular forum for leaders to engage with the goals and challenges of their organizations at a deeper level. A famous example from the world of philanthropy is the annual retreat organized by the signatories of the Giving Pledge.  

Despite their advantages, retreats can be taxing affairs and for some organizations simply outside the realm of possibility. Hidden biases, moreover, affect the objectivity of even the most diverse boards and management teams.

Recognizing the dual need for good and unbiased ideas, and a method that delivers them, Chester & Fourth: