Chip Conley

NYT Best Selling Author  |  Founder 

Modern Elder Academy

Chip Conley is Co-founder and Executive Chairman of MEA (formerly Modern Elder Academy) and a renowned entrepreneur, best-selling author, and dynamic speaker celebrated for his innovative approach to leadership and hospitality. As the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, he expanded a single boutique hotel into the second-largest boutique hotel brand in the U.S. In 2013, he joined Airbnb as Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, mentoring its founders and helping shape its culture during a rapid growth phase. Inspired by his midlife journey, experience at Airbnb, and extensive research and collaboration with thought leaders in the area of aging, Chip co-founded the Modern Elder Academy (MEA), the world’s first midlife wisdom school. With campuses in Baja and Santa Fe, MEA offers transformative programs to help individuals navigate midlife transitions and cultivate a renewed sense of purpose. A prolific author of several influential books, including Wisdom@Work and Learning to Love Midlife, Chip continues to inspire and reframe the concept of aging through his writing and keynote speeches.