The Octopus Movement
How The Octopus Movement Built a Global Network Across 30 Countries with Disco
Disco’s Customer Stories highlights the impact our customers are making through AI-Powered Learning.
“Disco became the centralized hub where everything came together—events, micro-communities, ideas, content. For a network as fluid and nonlinear as ours, it gave us structure without limits.” — Perry “Dr. Octopus” Knoppert, Founder, The Octopus Movement
The Octopus Movement is a global nonprofit for nonlinear thinkers—those who challenge the norm, reject the box, and reimagine what’s possible. The movement connects over 9,000 individuals across 30+ countries who share ideas, collaborate on global impact, and create what Founder, Perry Knoppert calls a “human mycelium.”
But building a dynamic, ever-evolving ecosystem of thinkers required more than scattered tools and social media channels. As the movement grew, Perry needed a way to bring everything—people, ideas, events, and conversations—into one intuitive, flexible space.
Impact at a Glance
The Challenge
Chaos Across Platforms
In its early days, the Octopus Movement stretched across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and email—all while running core experiences on Discord and Zoom. Members got lost, conversations scattered, and managing engagement was overwhelming for a one-person ops team.
“We were present on so many platforms that people got lost. I needed one home for our human mycelium—something customizable, visual, and easy to scale.”
Without a dedicated engineering team, Perry needed a platform that could support:
- Highly customizable structure (no one-size-fits-all rules)
- Micro-communities within the larger network
- Effortless content, event, and announcement workflows
- Aesthetically beautiful and brand-aligned UX
The Disco Solution
Scalable, Custom, and Modular by Design
From day one, Disco gave Perry the freedom to shape his vision—without code or complexity. What started as a simple experiment evolved into a full-fledged ecosystem that now hosts:
- 800+ active members
- 30+ skill-specific micro-communities (from podcasting to public speaking)
- 32 global ambassadors
- 143 founding members driving connection and collaboration
Disco became the backbone of Octopus Movement’s operations—what Perry calls his "control center of creativity."
Operational Wins
For Communities with a Nonlinear Spirit
The Octopus Movement proves that ambitious, creative, borderless communities can scale—without complexity. For organizations building around people, purpose, and possibility, Disco offers the infrastructure to grow without losing soul.
“We didn’t start with a system—we started with people. Then built systems around them. Disco lets us do that.”
