Renaissance Years – The Origin Story
Renaissance Years emerged from a blend of personal insights, professional observations, and a deep desire for balance.
In my work, I repeatedly encountered efforts to develop drugs to slow aging or extend healthspan. Yet, I learned that the most powerful drivers of healthy aging are intellectual stimulation, social connection, and a strong sense of purpose.
Personally, I struggled to reconcile my demanding career with my love for the arts, music, and humanities. My sense of belonging and purpose was tied entirely to my job, leaving me anxious about what would happen if I ever slowed down. Meanwhile, I watched my U.S. colleagues fondly recall their liberal arts college days—an experience I never had—and saw my son’s eyes light up as he returned to his own college paradise at Wesleyan.
The idea crystallized when I heard about a university for adults in Greece and thought: What a brilliant public health intervention! Renaissance Years was born from this realization and evolved through countless conversations, most notably with David Margulies, who, as “Primus Illuminator,” provided unwavering faith and encouragement.
Serendipity also played a role. As an INSEAD alum, I was invited to a class titled AI Ventures: Empowering Your Life Transitions, which gave me the framework to refine my vision and connected me with a peer group that embodied the future members of Renaissance Years.
Renaissance Years – The Journey So Far
Renaissance Years began as Belong, a name and offering rooted in my own insecurity and offering a captive collegial experience for those retiring from intense careers. But as I shared the idea, protests arose: “I don’t want to wait—I want this now!”
I soon realized the demand extended far beyond retirees. People craved intellectual and social stimulation while expanding their horizons beyond their careers. It became clear that the Renaissance Years phase could begin much earlier and last for decades, transforming the transition to a lower-intensity career into an exciting, enriching journey rather than a feared milestone.
Renaissance Years Vision
When fully implemented in the future, Renaissance Years will offer people who lead or leave intense careers an opportunity to expand their intellectual and cultural horizons and personal social circle through a structured, multi-year collegial experience, combining intellectual stimulation and productivity, a trusted social circle, and impact and purpose-driven activities. In a nutshell, Renaissance Years is the liberal arts college experience, re-imagined for adults (and not wasted on the young ;-)). It will be there for people to experience over many years - their Renaissance Years.
Renaissance Years Model
Renaissance Years is a platform that brings people together in carefully curated cohorts, guided by its core philosophy and values. These cohorts connect members not only with one another but also with a network of opportunities for intellectual growth and impact-driven work through partnerships with leading organizations across education, consulting, investment, arts, and health.
Members might engage in meaningful projects, mentorship, or collaborative ventures within these fields, expanding their influence beyond their primary careers.
Ultimately, Renaissance Years will offer cohorts nationally and internationally, blending periodic in-person experiences with ongoing remote learning, collaboration, and passion-driven work. Whether engaging with Renaissance peers or collaborating with network organizations, members will always be part of a dynamic, supportive community.
By building on the “why” and drawing from open innovation principles, Renaissance Years is designed to help individuals forge new paths, deepen their knowledge, and create lasting impact—together.
Starting with an Experiment
On the path to fulfilling this vision, the Renaissance Years Retreat is launching as an experimental model of the Renaissance Years program that will test drive a key element of our vision—diverse and engaged cohorts—while fully embodying our core values.