Zach Bell

Zach is an extraordinary speaker who has dedicated his life to helping individuals find genuine connections and build thriving communities. Recognizing the growing disparity between his online connectivity and the disconnection from the institutions of his upbringing, Zach embarked on a remarkable journey to explore the world’s most diverse ideas surrounding community, meaning, and purpose. For the past two decades, he has traveled, hosted, collaborated, and learned from the most disruptive and unique leaders in technology, spirituality, and counterculture.

In 2010, Zach founded Return in partnership with the prestigious Esalen Institute. This groundbreaking initiative aimed to redefine personal identities and empower individuals to build communities in a world where traditional institutions have become increasingly irrelevant. Through Return, Zach has curated over 50 experimental salons, covering a wide range of thought-provoking topics, from the Religion of No Religion to Post National Identity. The salons have attracted an impressive array of attendees, including the founders of Google, Facebook, Burning Man, TED, Cirque du Soleil, SpaceX, and numerous Fortune 500 companies. The impact of these events has been profound, giving birth to films, new communities, business partnerships, marriages, and even children.

As an entrepreneur, Zach founded MyPlace, a revolutionary platform designed to help individuals tap into their personal global networks, share homes, connect with like-minded communities, and experience a more globally connected life. With over 20 million contacts in the network, MyPlace is poised to create a global platform that enables people to find their tribe and feel at home anywhere in the world.

Zach’s impressive professional background includes holding seed stage and executive marketing roles at renowned companies such as Remedy (now public as SGFY) and Habitas, a multinational hotel brand focused on creating impactful human connections with others and the natural world. He continues to advise the founders of Burning Man, community leaders, and experience creators. Zach and his companies have been featured in prestigious publications such as the New York Times, Vogue, GQ, Architectural Digest, Forbes, and TechCrunch.

Throughout his diverse and unconventional journey, Zach has assumed various roles, ranging from bartender to yoga teacher, sweat lodge fire keeper to monk, marketing executive to hotelier, and confidant to the world’s wildest billionaires. He has lived in his car, co-living experiments, communes, and Hollywood mansions, accumulating a wealth of experiences that have shaped his unique perspective on life and community. Currently, Zach divides his time 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 you book Zach as a speaker, you can expect an unforgettable experience. His captivating storytelling, profound insights, and practical wisdom will inspire your audience to reevaluate their approach to connection, community, and personal fulfillment. Zach’s ability to seamlessly navigate between diverse worlds and his unwavering commitment to seeking wisdom from both nature and urban environments make him a truly exceptional speaker. Prepare to be moved, inspired, and motivated to forge meaningful connections and live a purposeful life.