Storywell was established by Dalit Kaplan in 2014.

Before teaching storytelling, Dalit was telling stories as a lawyer.  She began her career in corporate law, where she felt compelled to keep both her passion for human rights and her love of art, theatre and writing a secret.  She felt that this “lofty” part of her had no place in the grey walls of corporate Australia.

Eventually, she decided to plan her next move.  She announced her resignation.  Then she sent out an email to her whole group in which she shared her intention to pursue a career in human rights overseas .  With this announcement, the most amazing thing happened: her colleagues began to open up and engage with her in a way she had not yet experienced.   People invited her into their offices for leisurely chats about her interests and dreams and to share their own.

This is how she describes the experience: “As soon as I shared a little bit of my story, I became connected to this place.  I felt invested.  I became more human in the eyes of my colleagues. In sharing some of myself, I invited others to share some of their selves with me.  Now I see stories everywhere.  I see them at the bus stop, at the supermarket, and when I deliver my son to school.  I see them in moments of joy and in moments of disaster.”

It became clear that the professional world needs more human connection, whether it be between colleagues, in sales, when engaging with the public, or in advocacy.  The best way to achieve this was through storytelling.

Eventually, Storywell was born, with the dream of creating a more human and empathetic world through the sharing of story.