After nearly two weeks of travel, I wanted to finally share all about my return to Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island.I was honored to be invited to participate in a meeting called “New Frontiers in Philanthropy”, where just 20 philanthropists and entrepreneurs total—along with Sir Richard and his amazing team—joined together to discuss new approaches for scaling change in the social sector.
Hosted by Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Unite, and Pilotlight Australia, it was touted as an inspiring invitation-only leadership gathering. We met May 10-13 on Sir Richard Branson’s private island, Necker Island, which is sheer paradise on earth in BVI (the British Virgin Islands). It’s the closest thing to Fantasy Island you can get!
I brought my dear friend Baeth Davis, and we both agree it was one of the most profound weeks of our lives. We made it even more fun with a few nights in Puerto Rico on the way to catch up and ready ourselves for the amazing experience. We travel well together, and it made it even more enjoyable for me.
While I’ve been to Necker and met with Richard before, this time was especially poignant for me as the summit participants were truly a global group of amazing people doing big things for the world and sharing them with each other. A much different energy, and indicative of the next chapter in my path.
Participants included Zainab Salbi, the founder and CEO of Women for Women International; Jochen Zeitz, the CEO of Puma International; Ayman Mohyeldin, an award-winning journalist for the Mideast TV network Al Jazeera; renowned spoken-word poet Sarah Kay; Swedish statistician Hans Rosling, creator of GapMinder; and several other amazing people from around the world, from Germany to Australia, and even a gal who I learned lives right in my neighborhood!
The mornings and early afternoons featured insightful, provocative, and often emotional lecture and discussion… all in a beautiful hilltop open-air lounge with no walls and nearly 360 views of the surrounding waters.
Then we had several hours each day to run wild around the island! I got in some SUP (stand-up paddle) and even went around the island twice… once with my new friend Liz, and once with Richard himself! And all the food was amazing, from Moroccan night to Italian night, and lots of healthy fish and veggies.
I posted many fun PHOTOS of the Necker Island trip at my Facebook page here.
Necker is truly a magical place, and I know many of us created some magical connections that moving forward are going to help change the world.
It also was a “full circle” moment for me, since my father passed three years ago this month while I was on Necker Island previously. I felt him there with me, and it made the experience all the more powerful.
Love and success,
