Part of a Second Renaissance Movement
Second Renaissance Conference

Transformation in a Time of Metacrisis

After Harvard in May 2025, We Continue the Journey

We are confronting a metacrisis — a series of deepening, interconnected challenges such as social division, ecological collapse, increasing inequality, and a widespread crisis of meaning. At the heart of these issues are the foundational beliefs and values of our civilization. Addressing them requires both personal transformation and a renewal of society as a whole — a civilizational "renaissance". Learn more about the metacrisis in this white paper and about a vision for a "second renaissance" here.

Visionaries from academia, activism, politics, the arts, technology, and spirituality recognize that lasting solutions call for both systemic shifts and the cultivation of heartfulness and wisdom—a Second Renaissance dedicated to transformative change at every level.

Our questions include:

This online event brings together thought leaders and agents of change from diverse backgrounds to inspire dialogue and collaboration, paving the way for a wiser, healthier, and more compassionate world.

From Diagnosis to Renewal

We begin with lucid seeing — naming the crisis beneath the crises. Together we descend to the roots (systems, meanings, ways of being), then re-emerge with clarified vision to reweave culture and institutions.

Descent: Facing the Metacrisis

Honest diagnosis across ecological, cultural, psychological dimensions; courage without despair

Ascent: The Second Renaissance

Renewal of wisdom, creativity, and moral imagination in practice — systems that sustain life.

Themes

Four lenses that hold the descent–ascent arc — rigorous analysis, moral imagination, embodied practice, and institutional design.

Crisis of Meaning & Meta-diagnosis

Seeing the roots beneath symptoms — culture, psyche, technology, economy.

Reweaving Knowledge & Art

Uniting science, humanities, and the arts for a fuller seeing

Paths of Renewal

Practices that cultivate wisdom, compassion, and coherence.

Institutions that Sustain Life

Governance, economy, and design that embody renewed values.

Who it’s for

A bridge across worlds — rigorous systems thinkers, tradition-oriented leaders, activists and policymakers, artists and embodied practitioners.

Changemakers

From policymakers and activists to impact funders and civic designers. Those focused on transforming societal systems, economics, and governance toward a wiser, weller future.

Artists & Embodied Practitioners

From meditators and therapists to coaches and artists. Those cultivating the inner and cultural foundations of transformation through healing, creativity, and presence.

Sensemakers

From academics and systems theorists to complexity scholars and futurists. Those clarifying the interconnected crises of our time and building frameworks for understanding and action.

Stewards & Leaders

Including elders, youth, community weavers, and indigenous knowledge holders. Those sustaining cultural coherence and guiding transformation through service, relationship, and lineage.

A First at Harvard University

On May 2-3 2025, Life Itself partnered with the School Founders of the World, a student-run club at the Harvard Graduate School of Education's (HGSE), to host the first international Metacrisis conference in Cambridge, MA.

We are excited to continue to build bridges and shed light on the impending societal dark age spotlighting innovators, thought leaders and deep practitioners.

Visit May '25 Conference Website  ⟶

Meet the Program Team

We are a growing team of embodied catalysts, working to build a robust community and movement for a wiser, weller world.

Boaz B. Feldman

Boaz B. Feldman

Director

Boaz Feldman is a clinical psychologist, researcher and punk-monk, striving for an enlightened world. He is an Associate at Life Itself, the founder and CEO of NeuroSystemics, an Education Ambassador at Harvard University's Clinical and Translational Science Center, a Doctoral Candidate at Cambridge University’s Faculty of Education and an ex-Buddhist monk.

Rufus Pollock

Rufus Pollock

Strategic Co-Lead

Rufus Pollock is an entrepreneur, activist and author as well as a long-term zen practitioner. He has founded several for-profit and nonprofit initiatives including Life Itself, Open Knowledge Foundation, and Datopian. He was the Mead Fellow in Economics at the University of Cambridge as well as a Shuttleworth and Ashoka Fellow. He holds a PhD in Economics and a double first in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge.

Lauren Wigmore

Lauren Wigmore

Communicator & Co-Organizer

Lauren Wigmore is a writer, an experienced hypnotherapist, therapeutic practitioner, facilitator and energy worker. She has previous experience managing well-being and educational initiatives. She holds a Masters in Psychological Sciences.

Olufemi Olabode (OLA)

Olufemi Olabode (OLA)

Community Weaver

Ola is a creative generalist passionate about solving problems, building collaborative relationships, and facilitating healthier digital spaces for the public good. He excels at bridging the human and technology interface and translating online insights into real-world impact.

Alice Plane

Alice Plane

Community Weaver

Alice Plane studies climate impacts on ecosystems and equity. Experienced humanitarian, diplomat, consultant, and professor, she led France’s climate unit (2016–2020), reviewed IPCC reports, taught at Brown and Harvard, created a Planetary Leadership course, launched the Conference of All Life, and travels.

Sam Weil

Sam Weil

Community Weaver

Sam Weil recently graduated from Harvard College, with a joint history of science and history & literature degree. She has recently co-lived and volunteered in Life Itself Riverside Hub in Bergerac (France).

Christophe Wenna

Christophe Wenna

Community Weaver

Christoph Wenna is an impact entrepreneur, advisor and ecosystem builder. Co‑founder of LIONE, he integrates inner work, systemic constellations and Buddhist practice to foster eco‑social transformation, bridging business, communities and the environment.

Contact us at boaz@lifeitself.org if you are interested in volunteering,
it's only together that we'll get it together!