Chip Conley

Chip Conley

Founder & CEO, Modern Elder Academy, Bestselling Author

A middle-aged man with light skin, short thinning hair, and a light beard, wearing a light green shirt and a dark jacket, smiling at the camera against a plain background.

Chip Conley is on a midlife mission. After disrupting the hospitality industry twice – first as the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second-largest operator of boutique hotels in the U.S., and then as Airbnb’s Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, leading a worldwide revolution in travel – Conley co-founded MEA (Modern Elder Academy) in January 2018. Inspired by his experience of intergenerational mentoring as a 'modern elder' at Airbnb, where his guidance was instrumental to the company’s extraordinary transformation from fast-growing start-up to the world’s most valuable hospitality brand, MEA is the world's first 'midlife wisdom school.' Dedicated to reframing the concept of aging, MEA supports students to navigate midlife with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility.

A New York Times bestselling author, Conley is a globally-recognized thought leader on the future of work, the value of corporate culture, and the competitive advantage of a multi-generational workplace. 

A smiling man in a white shirt is centered in an abstract background featuring yellow and black graphics of interconnected neural networks and brain illustrations, symbolizing wisdom management.
Chip Conley — founder and CEO of JDV Hospitality and Airbnb’s former Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy — maps out an inclusive path from hindsight to wisdom.
An image of a brain with the words future proof on it.
8mins
He revolutionized hospitality, twice. Chip Conley shares his secrets to being able to evolve in an ever-changing world.
1hr 2mins
Did you know that shifting to a positive perspective on aging can add 7.5 years to your life? Or that there is a provable U-curve of happiness that shows people get happier after age 50?
Anxiety is the most prevalent emotion in most organizations in the United States today. 
I get fed by the human spirit by seeing the kind of art that is created there and the kinds of innovation.
2mins
Hotelier Chip Conley remembers what the LSD activist taught him about how to run a successful hotel.
2mins
Hotelier Chip Conley reflects on a recent article he wrote in praise of Wal-Mart.
3mins
Hotelier Chip Conley on ways leaders can convert personal goals into business success.
2mins
Hotelier Chip Conley on how he uses new technologies to generate buzz and improve corporate systems.
4mins
Hotelier Chip Conley reflects on ways to successfully interact with your sphere of influence.
3mins
Hotelier Chip Conley offers new insights into how to generate a cult following behind any brand.
5mins
Hotelier Chip Conley talks about why purpose not money is what cements employee loyalty.