1440 Multiversity

1440 Multiversity occupies a singular position in the American wellness landscape: a 75-acre nonprofit learning retreat built on the site of a defunct Bible college in the redwood forests above Scotts Valley, California, halfway between Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz. Founded by Joanie and Scott Kriens, she a longtime mindfulness and social-emotional learning advocate, he the former CEO of networking giant Juniper Networks, the campus opened in May 2017 after four years of construction and has since welcomed over 120,000 visitors from more than 54 countries.

The name itself is a living reminder of the founders' mission. In the summer of 2011, Joanie Kriens was gardening in her backyard when she experienced a moment of heightened gratitude for the tomatoes in her basket, the beauty of the land, and the preciousness of her life. The moment lasted only a minute or two, but it prompted her to Google how many minutes are in a day. The answer, 1,440, became the name of the foundation they launched that year, and eventually the campus that materialized six years later. The Krienses believe technology connects us to everything except ourselves, and 1440 Multiversity is designed to restore that missing link.

The 75-acre property sits within a 1,000-year-old redwood grove in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Seven buildings from the former Bethany University (which operated from 1950 to 2011) were meticulously renovated in Greene and Greene Craftsman style, an Arts and Crafts aesthetic blending American, European, and Japanese influences to harmonize with the towering ancient trees. Six new structures were added, including the four-story Sayanta suites building, a 23,734-square-foot Redwood Hall with sleeping pods beneath the auditorium floor, and the signature Healing Arts Center featuring an infinity-edge hot tub overlooking the forest. The architecture deliberately avoids technology intrusion: guest rooms have no TVs or phones, though WiFi is available.

The learning model borrows DNA from Esalen, Omega, and Kripalu but with a distinctly contemporary spin. 1440 is structured around five "learning pillars", Live Well, Lead Well, Love Well, Work Well, and Wonder Well, and hosts over 300 programs annually taught by nationally recognized faculty. Past instructors include Elizabeth Gilbert, Cheryl Strayed, Sharon Salzberg, Julia Cameron, Tara Brach, and Richard Davidson. Programs range from weekend immersions to five-day deep dives on topics spanning neuroscience, Imago Relationship Therapy, Highly Sensitive Person retreats, authentic leadership (including a True North program based on Bill George's Harvard Business School curriculum), and mindfulness for the tech-immersed.

All stays are all-inclusive: tuition, three farm-to-table meals daily in the Kitchen Table dining hall, private or shared accommodations, daily signature wellness classes (yoga, qigong, Pilates, meditation, forest walks, cooking demos), and access to fitness center, trails, steam rooms, and spa. Room options span budget-friendly eight-person pods with privacy screens to Premium Balcony suites with forest views. The campus can sleep 375 guests and accommodate up to 750 for programming.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, 1440 also operates significant philanthropic programming. The Healing Our Healthcare Heroes initiative has provided free restorative retreats to over 1,100 frontline medical workers. The 1440 Foundation has granted over 750 scholarships and hundreds of thousands of dollars to mission-aligned organizations. A portion of every booking supports the foundation's work in cancer collaboration (the Canopy Cancer Collective, born from Joanie's own pancreatic cancer journey), inner wellbeing, and community building.