Chip Conley
{{Short description|American hotelier and writer (born 1960)}}
{{like resume|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Chip Conley
| image = Chip Conley.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1960|10|31}}
| birth_place = Orange, California, U.S.
| other_names =
| alma_mater = Stanford University{{cite web|url=https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=39095|title=Stanford Magazine - Article|website=alumni.stanford.edu}}
| occupation = Author, Founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Modern Elder Academy and Fest300,{{cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/travel-to-the-worlds-best-festivals-at-fest300-215624851.html|title=Travel To The World's Best Festivals At Fest300|website=www.prnewswire.com}} Former Airbnb Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy,{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/09/17/airbnb-hires-chip-conley/|title=Airbnb Enlists Former Hotel Exec Chip Conley As Its First Head Of Global Hospitality|date=17 September 2013 }} Former Everfest Chief Strategy Officer
}}
Chip Conley (born October 31, 1960) is an American hotelier, hospitality entrepreneur, author, and speaker.
Early life and education
Conley was born in Orange, California and graduated from the PACE program at Long Beach Polytechnic High School. He received his BA in 1982 and an MBA in 1984 from Stanford University. He received an honorary doctorate from Saybrook University.{{Cite news|url=https://www.saybrook.edu/about/news/saybrook-university-appoints-chip-conley-as-its-first-scholar-practitioner-in-residence/|title = Saybrook University Appoints Chip Conley as its first Scholar-Practitioner in Residence| newspaper=Saybrook University }}
In 1987, Conley founded Joie de Vivre Hospitality, where he held the position of CEO for nearly 24 years, creating and managing around 50 boutique hotels. In 2010, he sold his company to Geolo Capital.[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704080104575287032090245328?KEYWORDS=%22chip+conley%22 "Hyatt Heir Checks Back Into Hotel Industry"], The Wall Street Journal, June 7, 2010 The last hotel concept he created for the company was The Epiphany in Palo Alto.{{cite web|url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/chip-conley-power-noble-experiments|title=Chip Conley: The Power of "Noble Experiments"|website=Stanford Graduate School of Business|date=16 May 2023 }} Conley remains a private owner in many hotel properties and no longer has an operating role in the company.
Conley spoke at the annual TED conference in 2010{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UROCz70tlMY |title=Chip Conley: Measuring what makes life worthwhile |date=June 21, 2010 |publisher=TEDTalks|access-date=June 22, 2015 }} on creating a business model driven by our need for meaning as outlined by Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs and as presented in his book Peak: How Great Companies Get their Mojo from Maslow.{{cite book|title=Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow: Conley, Chip, Hsieh, Tony: 9780787988616: Amazon.com: Books |isbn=978-0787988616 |last1=Conley |first1=Chip |date=21 September 2007 }} Conley's other books include The Rebel Rules: Daring to Be Yourself in Business;{{cite book|title=The Rebel Rules: Daring to be Yourself in Business: Conley, Chip, Branson, Richard: 9780684865164: Amazon.com: Books |isbn=0684865165 |last1=Conley |first1=Chip |date=3 January 2001 }} Marketing that Matters: 10 Practices to Profit Your Business and Change the World;{{cite book|title=Marketing That Matters: 10 Practices to Profit Your Business and Change the World (SVN): Conley, Chip, Friedenwald-Fishman, Eric: 9781576753835: Amazon.com: Books |isbn=1576753832 |last1=Conley |first1=Chip |last2=Friedenwald-Fishman |first2=Eric |year=2006 }} Emotional Equations: Simple Truths for Creating Happiness + Success in Business + in Life;{{cite book|title=Emotional Equations: Simple Steps for Creating Happiness + Success in Business + Life: Conley, Chip, Hsieh, Tony: 9781451607260: Amazon.com: Books |isbn=978-1451607260 |last1=Conley |first1=Chip |date=12 February 2013 }} Wisdom@Work: The Making of a Modern Elder.
In 2013, Conley became Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy for Airbnb.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2013/09/17/airbnb-hires-joie-de-vivres-chip-conley-as-head-of-hospitality/|title=Airbnb Hires Joie de Vivre's Chip Conley As Head Of Hospitality|first=Tomio|last=Geron|website=Forbes}} and founded Fest300. At Airbnb, he was asked by the three co-founders to help evolve the company into a hospitality company with more than one million hosts in 191 countries.{{cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3027107/punk-meet-rock-airbnb-brian-chesky-chip-conley|title=Inside Airbnb's Grand Hotel Plans|first=Austin|last=Carr|date=March 17, 2014|website=Fast Company}} Conley worked closely with CEO Brian Chesky as a mentor and helped to build a bridge to the travel, hotel, and real estate/development/landlord industries.{{cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2014/11/20/meet-airbnb-hospitality-guru/|title=Meet Airbnb's hospitality guru|website=Fortune}} He also conceived and led the annual Airbnb Open.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethporges/2015/12/29/this-is-the-future-of-airbnb-a-candid-conversation-with-the-companys-head-of-hospitality/|title=This Is The Future Of Airbnb: A Candid Conversation With The Company's Head Of Hospitality|first=Seth|last=Porges|website=Forbes}} In 2017, he transitioned to the role of Strategic Advisor for Hospitality and Leadership.{{cite web|url=https://skift.com/2017/01/13/airbnbs-chip-conley-to-leave-global-head-of-hospitality-and-strategy-role/|title=Airbnb's Chip Conley to Leave Global Head of Hospitality and Strategy Role|date=January 13, 2017|website=Skift}}
In 2016, Fest300 was acquired by Everfest, with Conley joining the Everfest leadership team as Chief Strategy Officer on a part-time basis.{{Cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2016/09/20/austin-online-festival-hub-buys-san-francisco.html|title=Austin online festival hub buys San Francisco-based competitor|last=Calnan|first=Chris|date=2016-09-20|newspaper=Austin Business Journal|access-date=2016-10-25|ref=13}}
In 2018, he founded the Modern Elder Academy (MEA), the world's first "midlife wisdom school" in Baja California Sur. This {{cvt|3|acre|adj=on}} oceanfront campus is dedicated to helping students reimagine midlife as a time for learning, growth, and positive transformation through immersive workshops, sabbaticals, and digital programs. Modern Elder Academy focuses on Long Life Learning, and is a mission-driven organization committed to socio-economic diversity, having provided scholarships to 50% of their 2,000 alumni. Graduates receive a certificate in Mindset Management.
In 2021, Modern Elder Academy acquired Saddleback Ranch in Northern New Mexico{{Cite web|url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/business/modern-elder-academy-acquires-saddleback-ranch-in-new-mexico/article_98875420-82a6-11eb-a328-83f7f8b05772.html|title = Modern Elder Academy acquires Saddleback Ranch in New Mexico| date=22 March 2021 }} and set out to grow a collection of MEA Regenerative Communities. Each community will include a MEA wisdom school, residences and a regenerative farm.
Community activism
Conley founded San Francisco's annual TNDC Celebrity Pool Toss fundraiser, which has raised millions for inner city families in San Francisco's Tenderloin District, where Conley's first hotel, the Phoenix, is located.{{cite web|url=http://www.fogcityjournal.com/wordpress/3105/19th-annual-tndc-celebrity-tool-toss-breaks-fundraising-record/|title=19th Annual TNDC Celebrity Pool Toss Breaks Fundraising Record|date=October 13, 2011|website=Fog City Journal}} He also created the annual Hotel Hero Awards that recognize the work of line-level hospitality staff.{{cite web |url=http://www.hotelcouncilsf.org/events/hotel_hero_awards.aspx |title=Hotel Hero Awards - Hotel Council of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |access-date=2016-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115164948/http://www.hotelcouncilsf.org/events/hotel_hero_awards.aspx |archive-date=2016-01-15 |url-status=dead }} He served on the Glide Memorial Board for nearly a decade,{{cite web|url=https://glidesf.wordpress.com/2015/08/18/celebrating-chip-conley/|title=Celebrating Chip Conley|date=August 18, 2015}} as well as the boards for the Burning Man Project{{cite web|url=https://burningman.org/network/about-us/people/board-of-directors/|title=Board of Directors|website=Burning Man}} and the Esalen Institute.{{cite web|url=https://www.esalen.org/about/trustees|title=Board of Trustees | Esalen|website=Esalen Institute - Big Sur, California}} He now serves on the board of Encore.org and the advisory board for the Stanford Center for Longevity.
Awards
- Northern California Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/finalists-for-northern-californias-entrepreneur-of-the-yearr-awards-announced-77946392.html |title=Finalists for Northern California's Entrepreneur of the Year(R) Awards Announced -- re> SAN FRANCISCO, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- |website=www.prnewswire.com |access-date=14 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402040846/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/finalists-for-northern-californias-entrepreneur-of-the-yearr-awards-announced-77946392.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=dead}}
- Bay Area's Most Innovative CEO{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/event/3688#eventDetails |title=Bay Area's Most Admired CEO Awards - San Francisco Business Times |website=www.bizjournals.com |access-date=14 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214073618/http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/event/3688#eventDetails |archive-date=14 February 2015 |url-status=dead}}
- ISHC Pioneer Award{{cite web|url=https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4054815.html|title=Chip Conley Receives ISHC Pioneer Award|first=Hospitality|last=Net|website=Hospitality Net|date=21 January 2018 }}
- GLIDE Cecil Williams Legacy Award
Books
- The Rebel Rules: Daring to be Yourself in Business; Simon & Schuster, 2001
- Marketing that Matters: 10 Practices to Profit Your Business and Change the World; co-authored with Eric Friedenwald-Fishman, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006
- Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo From Maslow; Jossey-Bass, 2007
- Emotional Equations: Simple Truths for Creating Happiness + Success in Business + Life; Simon & Schuster, 2012
- Wisdom@Work: The Making of a Modern Elder; Currency, 2018
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.chipconley.com/ ChipConley.com]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conley, Chip}}