Chip Conley, Esalen's newest trustee, is an author, speaker and the founder and executive chairman of California's largest independent hotel company, Joie de Vivre. Chip has been passionate about Esalen since his first visit more than twenty years ago when he came to learn Esalen massage after graduating from Stanford Business School.
Bill is a recognized leader in financial counseling for high net worth clients including investment management, estate planning and charitable tax planning.
Bill James is also one of Esalen's most frequent visitors, attending close to 100 workshops in such diverse fields as psychology, writing, singing, hypnosis, self awakening, and advanced massage.
Mary Ellen Klee has been involved with Esalen Institute since 1965 and has served as a trustee since the mid-80's. Her particular interests have been with the former Esalen Soviet-American Exchange Program and the current Center for Theory & Research.
Nancy Lunney-Wheeler, M.A., is known around the world as a pioneering leader in lifelong and integral education for personal and social transformation. From 1981-2010 she served as the director of programming at Esalen, where she continues to serve as a senior advisor
Tricia McEntee joined the Esalen family in 2006, bringing both her laudable skill set and a spirited dedication to the community to the position of chief financial officer, before moving into the position of chief executive officer in 2010.
Anisa Mehdi, Emmy Award-winning journalist and filmmaker, was a 2009-2010 Fulbright Scholar in Amman, Jordan. Her commitment to broadening American understanding of Arabs, Islam, Muslims, and the possibility of interfaithfulness is reflected in her reports on religion and the arts.
Michael Murphy is co-founder of the Esalen Institute and author of four novels: The Kingdom of Shivas Irons, Golf in the Kingdom, Jacob Atabet, and An End to Ordinary History.
Jay Ogilvy first came to Esalen in 1979 and has conceived, designed, and facilitated more Esalen invitational conferences than anyone other than Michael Murphy.
Gordon Wheeler is president of Esalen. He is a licensed clinical psychologist, with a long experience of practice, teaching, and organizational consultation to nonprofits, with a concentration on mission development and strategic planning.
Sam Yau, Chairman of the Board of the Esalen Institute, is a recognized business leader and strategist, known for delivering rapid value creation for companies that need strategic repositioning for growth or significant turnaround in a challenging time.