Our Team
Rennie Saunders
Co-Founder & Board President, Writing Partners
Rennie Saunders is the founder of Shut Up & Write!, a global nonprofit initiative that has redefined how people approach writing by transforming it from a solitary activity into a shared, community-driven practice. What began as a simple experiment—inviting others to write together for one hour each week—has grown into a worldwide movement spanning hundreds of cities, universities, and online communities.
Rennie’s work centers on a deceptively simple idea: that consistent, distraction-free writing in the presence of others can fundamentally improve both productivity and wellbeing. This approach has resonated across diverse audiences, from novelists and creatives to graduate students, researchers, and professionals seeking sustainable writing habits.
As Co-Founder and President of the Board at Writing Partners, Rennie continues to guide the strategic vision of the organization, ensuring that Shut Up & Write! remains accessible, inclusive, and true to its core methodology. His leadership emphasizes community ownership, minimal barriers to participation, and the long-term sustainability of writing as a shared practice.
Rennie’s influence is reflected not only in the scale of the movement, but in its consistency: thousands of sessions around the world follow the same core structure, enabling participants to plug into a reliable, welcoming environment wherever they are.
Aaron Bolzle
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Writing Partners
Aaron Bolzle is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Writing Partners, where he leads the global strategy, platform development, and organizational growth behind Shut Up & Write!.
Aaron’s work sits at the intersection of community design, technology, and creative practice. As Executive Director, he has guided Shut Up & Write! from a grassroots network into a structured, global ecosystem—supporting thousands of recurring events, building a centralized platform for discovery and participation, and developing systems to scale the organization without compromising its core values.
A key focus of Aaron’s leadership is intentional infrastructure. He has led the development of a purpose-built platform designed to support organizers, protect community data, and ensure that participation remains free and accessible. This includes tools for event discovery, online sessions, and emerging initiatives that bridge grassroots communities with academic institutions.
Aaron is also driving the expansion of Shut Up & Write! within academia, working with universities, researchers, and institutional partners to better understand and demonstrate the impact of communal writing on productivity, wellbeing, and belonging. This includes collaborations on longitudinal research and the development of evidence-based frameworks for implementation.
Prior to Writing Partners, Aaron worked at the intersection of technology and creative industries, including roles at Apple and Universal Music. His work has consistently focused on using technology to increase access, foster connection, and build meaningful communities.
Under his leadership, Writing Partners is evolving into a central hub for communal writing worldwide—supporting both independent organizers and institutional partners while maintaining a clear commitment: that writing should be accessible, sustainable, and deeply human.
About Writing Partners
Writing Partners is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building and supporting intentional communities through writing. It is the steward of Shut Up & Write!, a global initiative that hosts thousands of free, recurring writing sessions designed to help people develop sustainable writing habits in a supportive, distraction-free environment.