Chapter 2 describes the Resilience Alliance, resilience theory, and the data and methods on which this investigation is based. It starts by detailing the discovery of resilience as narrated to me by C. S. “Buzz” Holling, RA’s charismatic leader and one of the twentieth century’s most influential ecologists. I then discuss Holling’s early collaborations where he developed, tested, and honed his own theory of group interaction and refined a set of socio-emotional practices for fostering creative group work – methods that he continued to use in RA. The chapter traces RA’s evolution from its beginning as the Resilience Network to becoming one of the main theory groups in sustainability science. Key aspects of resilience theory are outlined, and RA’s intellectual contributions and the immense influence of their ideas are highlighted to demonstrate their impact on sustainability science and how their theory and creative vision diverged from previous scientific understanding. The chapter closes by outlining the methods used in this study, the five longitudinal datasets underpinning this book, and discussing my relationship with RA.