Vishen Lakhiani started Mindvalley University in Barcelona in 2017 with 300 people and turned it into a recurring immersive campus experience across cities like Tallinn and Pula. Three-week programs combine classes from Mindvalley teachers, kids' programs for ages 3 to 18, and entrepreneurship exposure in a community-focused alternative to traditional university.
Chapters
Mindvalley University started because in 2017, I got bored with my life and I decided I wanted to move to a different city every summer with my kids. I picked the city of Barcelona because, well, it's legendary. But immediately I realized a barrier. I'm a social creature. When I move to that city, who are my kids going to hang out with? Who am I going to hang out with? How do I gain inspiration? I don't want to be a stranger or a tourist in a city now. I wanted to live in Barcelona for one month and I wanted people around me, I wanted inspiration, I wanted to connect and network with other entrepreneurs. And so I put up a post on Facebook and I said, moving to Barcelona for a month. Who wants to join me? Well, it was a crazy idea, but 300 insane individuals moved to Barcelona with me. We rented a co working space, we found Airbnbs. We created our own community from scratch, including classes for our kids. And so many incredible valley teachers showed up. In fact, the NFL legend Tony Gonzalez was one of the people who participated. And he, in an interview, said it was the greatest vacation of his life. But it wasn't just a vacation. You see, we were not just sitting on the beach. We were helping each other co elevate, we were masterminding, we were discussing new business ideas, we were teaching and elevating each other's children and giving these kids exposure to entrepreneurial ideas. It was one of the greatest summers of my life. And so I thought, well, let's do this again. The next year it was Tallinn, Estonia and then Pula, Croatia. Thousands of people started moving into this project and we gave it a name, Mindvalley University. Why University? Because think about it, the greatest memories that so many of us experience in life is the campus. Experience at university classes could be valuable, but it was the friendships, it was the student societies, it was living in that beautiful campus that really brings back our best memories. Mindvalley as an education platform is replacing university, but the campus is an important piece of that too. Mindvalley University Tallinn, Estonia Happening this year is that campus. Thousands of people are moving to Tallinn, Estonia for three weeks in a complete immersion to hack life itself and bring back that feeling of community, friendship, co elevation, inspiration to literally expand each other's minds. It is the red pill for a boring life where you are in a 9 to 5 job, locked in one city and feeling disconnected and lonely. And I invite you to join. Here's what makes it unique. Firstly, for three weeks, there's going to be classes from so many legendary Mindvalley teachers, you cannot help but expand your mind. You can come for a week or two or three, take part in as many classes as you want. It is an entire buffet. Eat what you want. Number two, we include kids. The legendary entrepreneur Naveen Jain. I once asked him how is it that all of his children are so hyper successful in life. And he said from the time his kids were 6 and he would bring them to networking events. That sparked an idea in my head, which is why at Mindvalley University we bring our children with us. There are kids everywhere. We have classes for kids from 3 all the way up to 18. But at the same time, the children are involved in everything the adults do, from the parties to the workshops. This exposes our children to new visions for who they want to be and the life they want, want to create. We've had situations where children come to Mindvalley University and start their first business in that first weekend. And it completely shatters any paradigm that holds them back. The third thing about Mindvalley University is that community. The community that comes are some of the most loving, incredible people in the world. And you will make friendships that last a lifetime. And finally, it's in Tallinn, Estonia. If you have not heard of this city, Tallinn is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Imagine if Silicon Valley and Disneyland made love. That baby would be Tallinn, Estonia. It is one of the cultural capitals of Europe. Strikingly beautiful, but also the city in the world with the highest number of entrepreneurs per capita, highest amount of VC funding per capita, highest number of startups per capita. And seven massive unicorn companies were born there. From Skype to Balk to Transferwise Thailand. Estonia is one of the most incredible places in the world. And this year, Mindvalley University takes place there. My hometown. So I'm inviting you all to participate in a radical experiment. Move to Tallinn, Estonia this July for up to three weeks. Transform your mind with the most incredible transformative experiences, workshops and talks. Connect deeply with people who are going to shift the quality of your life. And if you have kids, bring them so that your children are exposed to a world that will make them feel limitless. I'll see you there.
