Before the Retreat
- Medical and safety screening upon enrollment
- Pre-retreat preparation call
- Dieta protocol and intention-setting guidance
A high-touch executive immersion designed to accelerate leadership growth, strategic clarity, creativity, and performance through psychedelic-assisted transformation.
Duration5 nights
LocationAspen, CO
Group sizeSmall executive cohort
PricingStarting at $6,500
DatesSeptember 10–15, 2026
AvailabilityOpen Enrollment
- Duration5 nights
- LocationAspen, CO
- Group sizeSmall executive cohort
- PricingStarting at $6,500
- DatesSeptember 10–15, 2026
- AvailabilityOpen Enrollment
5 nightsDuration
Aspen, COLocation
Small executive cohortGroup size
Starting at $6,500Pricing
September 10–15, 2026Dates
Open EnrollmentAvailability
Overview
SIGNATURE for Leadership Optimization is a psychedelic-accelerated executive retreat designed for leaders already performing at a high level and ready to expand beyond it. Grounded in the ancient Greek concept of Arête — your highest embodied potential in service — this experience combines executive coaching, psychotherapy, somatic work, and intentional psychedelic experiences to support accelerated growth and transformation. Hosted in Aspen on the Aspen Meadows campus of the Aspen Institute, participants step away from daily noise and into an environment intentionally designed for world-class leaders to think, create, and evolve.
Who it's for
Executives who…
- Are already performing at a high level and seeking expansion, not recovery
- Desire greater clarity, decision velocity, and strategic precision
- Want to expand creativity, innovation, and breakthrough thinking
- Are seeking deeper alignment between leadership, purpose, and performance
- Value intentional community with other high-capacity leaders
- Are curious about psychedelic-assisted transformation within a legal, structured, and professionally facilitated environment
What you'll experience
The journey
Day 1 — Arrival + Orientation
You arrive and step out of daily life. The first day orients you to the environment and each other — and sets the foundation for what's ahead.
- Arrival and digital detox
- Group orientation and introductions
- Intention-setting and goal clarification
- Welcome dinner
Day 2 — Deep Work
The second day explores the leadership patterns, assumptions, and limits that define your current ceiling.
- Executive coaching and psychotherapy
- Somatic practices and nervous system work
- Strategic clarity and breakthrough thinking
- Nature immersion and guided excursion
Day 3 — First Medicine Ceremony
The first facilitated psychedelic-assisted experience at SANCTUM.
- Morning preparation and breathwork
- Legal psilocybin session at SANCTUM
- Quiet evening of rest and reflection
Day 4 — Integration + Expansion
The day after the ceremony focuses on translating insight into expanded leadership frameworks.
- Somatic integration and group sharing
- Leadership optimization work
- Personal Arête Protocol framework
- Nature walk and body movement
Day 5 — Second Medicine Ceremony
The second facilitated psychedelic-assisted experience deepens the growth trajectory.
- Preparation and intention-setting
- Legal psilocybin session at SANCTUM
- Quiet evening of reflection
Day 6 — Action Planning + Departure
The final day converts insight and expanded capacity into concrete next-level commitments.
- Integration and action-planning work
- Accountability structures and peer commitments
- Closing ceremony
- Continued integration support in the weeks that follow
Your facilitators
Skippy Upton Mesirow
Facilitator
Skippy Mesirow is a public-service leader and strategist with more than 20 years of experience spanning presidential campaigns, statewide races, nonprofit leadership, and elected office.
He is the creator of The COURAGE Method™, a whole-human leadership framework that has trained more than 1,000 public leaders nationwide, and the host of the top-10% global Civic Courage Lab Podcast, featuring guests such as Byron Katie, David Allen, and Rick Doblin.
A psychedelic healing retreat in 2019 changed his life as he witnessed these treatments transform—and even save—others. Determined not to wait for federal action, he helped establish the nation's first municipal therapeutic model in Aspen and later served on Colorado's Natural Medicine Advisory Board, shaping the framework SANCTUM now operates under.
At SANCTUM, Skippy focuses on guests seeking leadership development, peak performance, and team optimization. He holds the strategic vision and relational gravity that enable SANCTUM to achieve peak excellence, creating a field of connection, coherence and transformation aligned with the Aspen Idea.
Dr. Dave Rabin
Chief Medical Advisor
Dr. David Rabin is a board-certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist who has spent more than two decades studying the biology of stress, trauma, and human resilience.
As the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Apollo Neuroscience and the Executive Director of The Board of Medicine, he is a leading architect of evidence-based psychedelic standards and ethical clinical practice worldwide.
Dr. Rabin turned toward psychedelic medicine after years of watching conventional treatments fall short for those carrying deep trauma — recognizing that these medicines may finally offer the consciousness shift required to move from managing symptoms to achieving true cures.
At SANCTUM, he oversees our medical and safety architecture — including tapering and screening frameworks — and guides our science-based research and continuous learning process. His leadership ensures that every protocol, outcome, and experience is studied, refined, and elevated, keeping SANCTUM at the forefront of safe, effective, and ever-evolving psychedelic-assisted transformation.
What's included
- Airport pickup and drop-off
- Five nights accommodation at Aspen Meadows Resort
- Welcome meal
- Post-journey meal
- Water and tea served throughout the day
- Two facilitated, legal psychedelic experiences
- Meditation and somatic practices
- Psychotherapy and executive coaching
- Specialized workshops
- Group excursions and activities
- Nature hikes with a trusted guide
- Transportation during the retreat
- Access to sauna, hot tub, pool, and gym
- Pre- and post-retreat support from the SANCTUM team
- WiFi access throughout the retreat
Location & accommodation
Aspen Meadows Resort | The Aspen Institute
Hosted at Aspen Meadows, the residential campus of the Aspen Institute. Designed by world-renowned architects to support intellectual growth, reflection, and human connection, this historic property has welcomed heads of state, Nobel laureates, and global leaders for seven decades. The mountain campus — 40 acres of meadows, trails, and mountain views — creates the ideal container for the deep work of SANCTUM.
King Junior Suite
Privacy and mountain comfort
Luxury meets nature, all to yourself. Enjoy 550 square feet of stylish accommodations in this renovated junior suite featuring a platform king bed with integrated storage, recessed lighting, and reading lamps. Includes a full bathroom with shower, a separate sitting area with a queen sleeper sofa and 55-inch LCD TV, and scenic mountain views throughout. The wet bar includes a refrigerator, microwave, Nespresso machine with pods, and plateware and glassware. Additional features include a dedicated drop station for gear and jackets, along with Fernick Berko photography throughout the room.
One Bedroom Suite
Nature, luxury, and space
Where luxury and nature have space to breathe. This spacious, renovated 700-square-foot suite features a platform king bed with integrated storage and recessed lighting. Includes a full bathroom with shower, a separate work and dining area with leather banquette, coffee and end tables, a queen sleeper sofa, and a 55-inch LCD TV. The wet bar includes a refrigerator, microwave, Nespresso machine with pods, and plateware and glassware. Floor-to-ceiling windows with river and courtyard views, plus either a patio or balcony.
Two Bedroom Suite
The ultimate Aspen experience
This spacious, renovated two-bedroom suite offers 1,200 square feet of idyllic Aspen accommodations. The primary bedroom features a platform king bed; the secondary bedroom includes a queen bed. Additional features include two bathrooms, a sunlit work and dining area, leather banquette seating, a queen sleeper sofa, and a 55-inch LCD TV. The wet bar includes a refrigerator, microwave, Nespresso machine, and plateware and glassware. Floor-to-ceiling windows with mountain and courtyard views, plus either a patio or balcony.
Getting here
The closest airport is Aspen–Pitkin County Airport (ASE), located approximately 10–15 minutes from the retreat. Complimentary airport transportation from ASE is included. Guests may also fly into Denver International Airport (DEN), approximately 3.5 hours away.
Ready to begin?
Secure your place with a deposit. Our team will follow up with next steps and confirm your enrollment.
