What Naveen Jain taught me on a bus ride in Boston… that led to Mindvalley University

This is the story of a simple conversation on a bus.

But it changed the trajectory of my life — and the destiny of my children.

Back in 2015, I was part of the XPRIZE Innovation Board — a small circle of CEOs, engineers, entrepreneurs, and futurists who met once a year to explore the frontiers of technology across the U.S.

On one of those trips, we found ourselves in Boston, visiting cutting-edge robotics labs. And one afternoon, on a bus ride between facilities, I found myself sitting next to Naveen Jain — billionaire entrepreneur, moonshot thinker, and one of the boldest voices I know in education.

But what struck me that day wasn’t what he said about tech or space or AI.

It was what he said about raising his son.

Sitting nearby was his 24-year-old son, Ankur Jain.
Even among this room of accomplished minds, Ankur stood out.
His clarity. His presence. His confidence.

So I asked the obvious question:

“How did you raise a son like that?”

Naveen smiled and said something that would shift the way I viewed parenting forever:

“I exposed my kids to fields of possibility.

Since Ankur was six, I brought him to high-level networking events with me.
He’d sit among CEOs, inventors, and investors.
He didn’t always understand the conversations…
But he absorbed the energy.
And that changed his identity.”

Let that sink in.

Not just classes.
Not tutors.
Not even school.

Environment.

That’s what shapes our children.

Kids rise to the level of the environments we immerse them in.

Yet most parents default to outsourcing their children’s education entirely to traditional schools.
Often well-meaning but disconnected from the needs of the future.

And to be clear — I’m not against schools.
My mother was a public school teacher.
I value the system.
But what Naveen shared showed me something else:

We can do so much more.

What Ankur Jain became will blow your mind

Fast forward ten years…
And the world wouldn’t have guessed who Ankur would ultimately become.

Today, he’s the founder of Bilt Rewards — a company that lets people earn points on rent payments.

That alone is revolutionary.

But get this:

Bilt is now valued at over $4 billion.

And Ankur — still in his 30s — is one of the youngest billionaires in America.

But here’s the mic drop moment:

Naveen didn’t just raise one Ankur.

He raised three remarkable children — each building companies that are making waves in the world.

That’s not luck.

That’s conscious parenting.

That’s what happens when you build environments that stretch a child’s sense of possibility.

The seed that was planted on that bus

That conversation planted a seed.

At the time, my son Hayden was just eight years old.

And I began to wonder:

“What if I could give my son the same kind of exposure?
Not just to information — but to inspiration?
Not just to content — but to context?”

So I started looking for events I could attend with Hayden.
Conferences. Summits. Retreats.

But here’s the thing:

Nothing existed.

There were personal growth seminars, business masterminds, spiritual workshops…

But none welcomed kids.
None were designed for families.
None offered learning that brought parents and children together in the same room.

So we decided to build it.

That’s how Mindvalley University was born

In 2017, we launched the first experimental version of what would become Mindvalley University.

The concept was radical at the time:

What if we created a city-based campus for transformation — for the whole family?

A space where:

• Parents and children could attend together
• The world’s leading teachers could teach both adults and kids
• And learning would be immersive, alive, emotional, and fun — not academic or standardized

So we tried it.

And it worked.

Hayden came every year.

And year after year, I watched him grow — not just academically, but emotionally, socially, spiritually.

Today, he’s applying to Stanford.

He just scored in the top 0.25% of all SAT test-takers.

And yet, when people ask him what his favorite time of year is?

He says:

“Mindvalley University.”

What began as an experiment…has now become a global movement.

The Mindvalley U Revolution

Today, Mindvalley University — now renamed Mindvalley U — happens every year.

And families bring their kids — some as young as six — to explore everything traditional schools never teach:

• Emotional mastery
• Entrepreneurship and investing
• Spirituality and intuition
• Creativity, AI, and future skills
• Conscious relationships
• Resilience and mindset

Because as Naveen showed me…

When you raise children in fields of possibility, they don’t just grow.

They evolve.

They don’t just learn.

They create their future.

What this tells us

Maybe it’s time we stopped outsourcing 100% of our kids’ learning to the school system.

Again — I’m not anti-school.

But schools were designed in a different era.

An era that prized obedience over creativity.

Standardization over self-expression.

And memorization over transformation.

They were built to produce workers.

But what if we’re not here to raise obedient cogs?

What if we’re here to raise visionary creators?

What schools don’t teach (but should)

• How to manage your emotions
• How to bounce back from failure
• How to trust your intuition
• How to build a business
• How to lead with empathy
• How to understand money, investing, and abundance
• How to build a life — not just a résumé

These are the things we teach at Mindvalley U.

Not just for kids.

But for you.

In fact, 70% of attendees come solo, with a partner, or with friends — no kids at all.

This isn’t a “family-only” experience.

It’s a life-university.

What makes Mindvalley U different

It’s not a 3-day seminar or a once-a-year conference.

It’s a 2-week immersive campus in one of the world’s most inspiring cities.

Each day is themed — from consciousness to entrepreneurship to love and leadership.

You’ll experience keynotes, workshops, masterclasses, and deeply connected community gatherings.

Here’s what makes it truly different:

1. You choose your journey.

Come for 3 days. 7 days. Or stay for all 14.

You’re never locked in. You design your path.

2. You don’t just attend. You co-create.

Every participant gets access to the app where you can host your own meetups and sessions.

And from those sessions, we select 50 participants to speak on our main stage.

Yes — you read that right.

Neeraj Naik. Regan Hillyer. Marisa Peer. Jeffrey Allen.

All were first discovered through this community stage.

Today, nearly 50% of Mindvalley’s top teachers were found right here — at Mindvalley U.

This is not just an event. It’s a platform for your voice, your vision, and your next breakthrough.

Join us in Amsterdam

The children’s program is 96% full — with only a few seats left.

The adult program still has tickets available, but they’re moving fast too.

Check availability and apply to attend Mindvalley U.

Whether you’re a parent, a seeker, a teacher, or simply someone reimagining what learning could feel like…

This is the place to be.

Because the future of education is not just about information.

It’s about transformation.

P.S. — What do you think schools should really teach our kids? Leave a comment. 

P.P.S. — If you’re a Mindvalley member, check out Naveen Jain’s Quest on Mindvalley, The Power of Boldness. It will really have you thinking bigger about your goals than you ever imagined.