Headshot

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Full Bio

Zach is an entrepreneur, community builder, and philosopher who focuses his time helping people experience connection and community. After noticing how connected he was online but how disconnected he was to the institutions he grew up with, Zach dedicated his life to explore the world's diverse ideas around community, meaning and purpose. He’s spent the last 20 something years traveling the world, hosting, collaborating, visiting and learning from the most disruptive and unique leaders in technology, spirituality, and counterculture.

In 2010, Zach founded Return in partnership with the Esalen Institute to explore how individuals can redefine our personal identities and build community in a world where many of the institutions of the past have become irrelevant. He’s hosted 50+ experimental salons on topics that range from Religion of No Religion to Post National Identity. Attendees include the founders of Google, Facebook, Burning Man, TED, Cirque du Soleil, SpaceX, countless fortune 500 companies, musicians, founders, artists, creators and modern spiritual leaders. Films, new communities, business partnerships, marriages and a few children have birthed as a result of Return events.

As an entrepreneur, Zach founded MyPlace to help individuals access their personal global networks to share homes, host friends, meet like minded community and live a more globally connected life. With over 20 million contacts in the network, MyPlace is well on its way to create a global platform to enable you to find your people and feel at home, anywhere in the world.

Previously, Zach has held seed stage, executive marketing roles at Remedy, now public as SGFY, and Habitas, a multinational hotel brand focused on connection, a global home for a global community. He continues to advise the founders of Burning Man, community leaders, founders and experience creators. Zach and his companies have been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, GQ, Architectural Digest, Forbes and TechCrunch.

He’s been a bartender, yoga teacher, sweat lodge fire keeper, monk, marketing executive, hotelier, confidant to the world's wildest billionaires, academic, groundskeeper, tech founder, CEO and full time devotional seeker. He’s lived in his car, co-living experiments, communes and Hollywood mansions. He currently lives between a stick and leaf shack with the best internet connection in the world on a remote beach in Baja, Mexico and a studio in Brooklyn, NY.

When not traveling the world speaking or hosting, you can find Zach between his sauna and surfing at home in Baja, Mexico.

Speaker Bio

Serial entrepreneur and philosopher who is extraordinarily optimistic about life and the the future. He makes ancient wisdom relatable, funny and useful in a modern digital word. His life is dedicated to finding connection and community in the modern world. A life dedicated to exploring the worlds most diverse ideas around community, meaning and purpose. He’s been traveling, hosting, and collaborating with the most disruptive leaders in technology, spirituality, and counterculture.

Medium Bio

Zach is a storyteller, entrepreneur, and community builder focused on projects which support a more unified, whole systems worldview.

Co-Founder of MyPlace he leads company vision, community and a growing global sharing movement.

In 2010, Zach founded Return at the Esalen Institute, where he’s been hosting experimental and intellectual salons for leaders on topics that range from Religion of No Religion to Currency Creation and Post National Identity. His events have led to new companies, non-profits, award winning films, and inspired many talks.

Previously,  Zach has held seed stage, executive roles at Remedy (now SGFY) and  Habitas, and continues to advise global brands, communities, and counterculture movements.