diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/api/NirvanaApi.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/api/NirvanaApi.tsx
index 2b1eaf3..b8aa4eb 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/api/NirvanaApi.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/api/NirvanaApi.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import NirvanaResponse, { INirvanaResponse } from '@nirvana/core/responses/nirvanaResponse';
 import axios, { AxiosRequestConfig, AxiosResponse, Method } from 'axios';
 
+import Conversation from '@nirvana/core/models/conversation.model';
 import CreateConversationRequest from '@nirvana/core/requests/CreateConversationRequest.request';
 import CreateConversationResponse from '@nirvana/core/responses/CreateConversationResponse.response';
 import LoginResponse from '@nirvana/core/responses/login.response';
@@ -80,3 +81,7 @@ export async function createConversation(
 ): Promise<NirvanaResponse<CreateConversationResponse>> {
   return await NirvanaApi.fetch(`/conversations`, 'POST', true, req);
 }
+
+export async function getConversations(): Promise<NirvanaResponse<Conversation[]>> {
+  return await NirvanaApi.fetch(`/conversations`, 'GET', true);
+}
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/providers/ConversationProvider.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/providers/ConversationProvider.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59e3eba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/providers/ConversationProvider.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
+
+import Conversation from '@nirvana/core/models/conversation.model';
+import { ConversationMap } from '../util/types';
+import { Typography } from '@mui/material';
+import { getConversations } from '../api/NirvanaApi';
+import { useAsyncFn } from 'react-use';
+import { useImmer } from 'use-immer';
+
+interface IConversationContext {
+  conversations: ConversationMap;
+}
+
+const ConversationContext = React.createContext<IConversationContext>({
+  conversations: {},
+});
+
+export function ConversationProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
+  // the initial persistent fetch for conversations
+  const [fetchState, doFetch] = useAsyncFn(getConversations);
+
+  // the map that we manage throughout the app
+  const [conversationMap, setConversationMap] = useImmer<ConversationMap>({});
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    doFetch();
+  }, [doFetch]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    console.log(fetchState.value);
+
+    if (fetchState.value?.data) {
+      setConversationMap((draft) => {
+        fetchState.value.data.forEach((conversationResult) => {
+          draft[conversationResult._id.toString()] = {
+            ...conversationResult,
+            tunedInUsers: [],
+            connectedUserIds: [],
+          };
+        });
+      });
+    }
+  }, [fetchState.value, setConversationMap]);
+
+  // todo: open up a handler for children
+  // to refetch or search for a particular conversation and add it to the list of conversations
+
+  // todo: transform conversations to a map and keep adding to the map
+
+  if (fetchState.error) {
+    return (
+      <Typography variant={'h6'} color={'danger'}>
+        Something went terribly wrong
+      </Typography>
+    );
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <ConversationContext.Provider value={{ conversations: conversationMap }}>
+      {children}
+    </ConversationContext.Provider>
+  );
+}
+
+export default function useConversations() {
+  return React.useContext(ConversationContext);
+}
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/providers/RealtimeProvider.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/providers/RealtimeProvider.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/providers/RouterProvider.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/providers/RouterProvider.tsx
index 613a33f..7243287 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/providers/RouterProvider.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/providers/RouterProvider.tsx
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ interface IRouterContext {
 }
 
 const RouterContext = React.createContext<IRouterContext>({
-  page: 'START_NEW_CONVERSATION',
+  page: 'WELCOME',
 });
 
 export function RouterProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
-  const [page, setPage] = useState<TPage>('START_NEW_CONVERSATION');
+  const [page, setPage] = useState<TPage>('WELCOME');
 
   const handleSetPage = useCallback((newPage: TPage) => () => setPage(newPage), [setPage]);
 
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/tree/electronApp.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/tree/electronApp.tsx
index 62e2564..1f5a142 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/tree/electronApp.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/tree/electronApp.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { AuthProvider } from '../providers/AuthProvider';
+import { ConversationProvider } from '../providers/ConversationProvider';
 import { ElectronProvider } from '../providers/ElectronProvider';
 import { NirvanaTheme } from '../mui/NirvanaTheme';
 import ProtectedRoute from './ProtectedRoute';
@@ -21,11 +22,13 @@ export default function ElectronApp() {
             <ProtectedRoute>
               <ZenProvider>
                 <SocketProvider>
-                  <SearchProvider>
-                    <RouterProvider>
-                      <Terminal />
-                    </RouterProvider>
-                  </SearchProvider>
+                  <ConversationProvider>
+                    <SearchProvider>
+                      <RouterProvider>
+                        <Terminal />
+                      </RouterProvider>
+                    </SearchProvider>
+                  </ConversationProvider>
                 </SocketProvider>
               </ZenProvider>
             </ProtectedRoute>
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/util/types.ts b/packages/desktop/src/util/types.ts
index 331d414..baf83ad 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/util/types.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/util/types.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import Conversation from '@nirvana/core/models/conversation.model';
 import User from '@nirvana/core/models/user.model';
 
 export type ConversationMap = {
-  [conversationId: string]: Conversation;
+  [conversationId: string]: Conversation & { tunedInUsers: string[]; connectedUserIds: string[] };
 };
 
 export type UserMap = {