Author(s)
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Allan Isfan
Tech Entrepreneur, Co-founder Zen&Now
I'm a lover of life and was put on this planet to create products and experiences that move civilization forward. I'm an electrical engineer, start-up entrepreneur, husband and father of three amazing daughters in their late teens and early twenties. I was born in Romania, lived in France and spent most of my formative years in Quebec and Ottawa Canada and now make Los Angeles my playground. I have co-founded several startups including a successful app company. Despite the success, the experience was extremely stressful and it nearly killed me. I re-kindled my love for meditation, a practice I had developed 20 years earlier when I contracted Myasthenia Gravis. Meditation saved my life then and it saved my life now. I promised myself and the world that I would do everything humanly possible to bring meditation and mindfulness into the workplace. This is my gift. I co-founded Zen&Now with my wife and high school sweetheart because, in this fast paced, anxious society, we can all benefit from a mindfulness practice and special space to practice. We launched mindset meditation hikes in the Los Angeles area and saw with our own eyes the massive mindset shift experienced by participants, form tired and a bit lost at first, to energized, happy and hopeful at the end of the long hike. These hikes are now part of AirBnb experiences! We then created an online program to help participants experience our unique approach which combines mindset and mindfulness. When this program started changing lives, we knew it was time launch phase 3: creating unique meditation spaces and programs in corporate offices. These programs consist of online programs, outdoor events and a unique zen space any employee can go to, complete with meditation pods, pillows, essential oil diffusers, special lighting and premium headphones. Over time, we will add advanced tech like biofeedback to help participants accelerate and deepen their practice. The first space is launching in spring 2019. It is an absolute thrill and privilege to have been invited by Arianna Huffington to share our story with you.