The District House is a weekly gathering and core benefit of District216. Guests are welcome to arrive for part or all of the evening to meet community members, connect with visiting speakers, and engage in thoughtful conversations across psychedelics, wellness, creativity, and conscious culture. 💜
Topic: "Growing Your Psychedelic Church or Community"
Description: Courtney Close, founder of Hummingbird Church, and Priestess Suzi Kalypso, founder and spiritual director of Temple of Eden, bring their combined experience in corporate leadership, ceremonial facilitation, and community building to an honest conversation about what it actually takes to build a thriving psychedelic community. Drawing from their own journeys growing Hummingbird Church and Temple of Eden, Courtney and Suzi will explore the real business, legal, and community challenges that ceremonial facilitators and psychedelic practitioners face, from navigating the laws and setting boundaries to social media strategy, facilitator training, and the day to day logistics of running an entheogenic practice. This talk is designed for anyone who has started, or is considering starting, a church, ceremony space, or psychedelic business and wants clearer footing on how to grow with integrity. Come ready to share where you're stuck, because Courtney and Suzi are here as much to listen and understand the community's needs as they are to share what's worked.
When: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 from 5pm to 9pm (Speaker at 6:30pm)
Where: LoDo Studios, 216 E. Gutierrez Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(Please only park across the street on the Office Max side of the lot.)
Members are Free to attend The District House evenings, and are prioritized when we reach capacity.
Guests Welcome to purchase $25 tickets to The District House evenings.
Note: We will be filming the speaker for the District216 Change Your Lens Series. Refreshments provided.
SPEAKER BIO
Speakers: Courtney Close, Hummingbird Church & Suzi Kalypso, Temple of Eden Priestess
SPEAKER: Courtney Close, Founder, Hummingbird Church
Courtney Close is the founder of Hummingbird Church and a ceremonial facilitator dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with themselves, nature, and community through sacred plant medicine practices and intentional gathering. For nearly a decade she has organized ceremonies, retreats, and community events across the United States, Peru, Brazil, and Bali, creating supportive containers where people can explore healing, personal growth, and meaningful connection. Before founding Hummingbird Church, Courtney spent more than two decades in the corporate world, most recently as Vice President of Insurance Operations and Vendor Strategy, where she led large operational teams, managed multimillion-dollar partnerships, and specialized in compliance and strategic organizational development. Today she blends that operational depth with her passion for healing work, designing thoughtfully structured retreats and events that bring together experienced facilitators, musicians, and bodyworkers in service of deep personal transformation.
SPEAKER: Suzi Kalypso, Founder & Spiritual Director, Temple of Eden Priestess
Suzi Kalypso is the founder and spiritual director of Temple of Eden, a multi sacramental spiritual community devoted to healing, transformation, personal sovereignty, and direct communion with Divine Creation. Born in Wiesbaden, Germany, and raised across South Korea, Hawaii, Florida, Alabama, and California, she carries a lasting appreciation for diversity and the interconnectedness of all people. Before stepping into spiritual service, Suzi built a career in marketing, real estate, modeling, and event production, and raised two children largely on her own, meeting seasons of hardship with resilience. Five years ago, a series of life changing spiritual experiences called her to found Temple of Eden as a sacred sanctuary for healing, self discovery, and direct experiences of Divine Source through ceremony, prayer, and community. Today she works as a ceremonial facilitator, spiritual mentor, educator, and public speaker, training future facilitators in ethics, safety, and trauma informed care. Her work rests on a simple belief: healing means remembering who we have always been, and she leads with the same courage and compassion she asks of others.
