© Modus Associates LLC.
No one is going to hand you the answers, but they already lie within you.
This is a working retreat for leaders who are looking to build the skills and relationships this moment actually demands. Second Nature is a chance to throw out the old playbook. Instead of habits built for predictable, rules-based technology, you’ll learn approaches suited to complexity — grounded in how living systems adapt and grow. AI and emergent intelligence call for emergent strategy. Nature figured it out long before we did. A starling murmuration has no choreographer. A beehive has no CEO. There's no central plan, just thousands of agents following simple local rules, iterating, mutating, and selecting, and out of that comes behavior none of them could pull off alone.
In the spirit of less decks, more doing, you won't leave with a notebook of ideas; you'll leave having made something: a specific personal 30-60-90 day plan for your own terrain to achieve your goals and catalyze growth for your team. You will also leave with new mental models and language for change and a network of peers you can trust who stay connected long after the retreat.
The Program
The Setting
Day 3 | Jan. 29
Morning Meditation (Optional)
7:30 - 8:00am
Breakfast with Guest Speaker
8:00 - 9:00am
Cohort Exercise
9:00 - 11:30am
Closing Ceremony
11:30 - 12:30pm
Lunch & Departure
12:30pm
All participants must commit to being present from 4pm, January 27 to 12:30pm, January 29.
The Schedule
The Facilitators
Address
362 Glynwood Road
Cold Spring, NY 10516
Getting there:
Glynwood is just 90 minutes from New York City by car. A scenic drive up through the Hudson Valley that feels like the weekend beginning the moment you leave the city behind. Prefer to skip the traffic? The Metro-North Hudson Line runs directly to Cold Spring station, and it’s only a ten-minute ride from there. Second Nature retreat organizers can arrange shuttles to and from the station for guests.
Dining:
All meals will be prepared by a private chef using local and foraged ingredients. Trained at the French Culinary Institute, our chef is a certified mushroom forager, licensed hiking guide, and outdoor educator, so you can expect meals that blend local and foraged ingredients, and a real connection to the land.
What if I have dietary restrictions?
Include any dietary restrictions in your application. If you have concerns about the menu, we’ll confirm alternatives with you in advance.
The Details
Wonderful pace, fantastic facilitation, and perfect vibes.
— Fall ‘25 retreat participant
Who Should Attend
Transformation owners running into walls they can't muscle through alone.
You know the system needs to change, and you have the authority. But obstructionism, politics, lack of focus, and organizational inertia are eating your momentum alive.
Dedicated change-makers whose hyper-focus has neglected the work within.
Your team is looking to you for answers. You want to embody the change you are seeking, but you haven't given yourself the space to find the inner clarity and conviction you are looking for.
High-impact leaders grappling with AI whiplash.
You thrive in ambiguity, but the pace of change is outrunning your ability to think clearly about what comes next.
Second Nature
January 27-29, 2027 | Glynwood Center, Cold Spring, NY
AN INTIMATE RETREAT FOR EXECUTIVES
During the retreat, through exercises, peer connections, and creating space, you'll learn to:
Read the season your organization is actually in, rather than forcing the wrong pace
Better understand the barriers your teams are facing and how you can clear them
Run small experiments the way ecosystems do, through play and iteration and designing complex systems that use simple rules instead of central control
Shape the weather in your corner of the org. Build the microclimate where new ways of working can take hold.
Emily Kagan
Emily is a spoken-word-poet-turned-healthcare-executive on a mission to remix the human in healthcare, challenging entrenched assumptions about what it means to give and receive care in the digital age. She most recently served as SVP, Chief of Consumer Digital Solutions for New York state’s largest health system, Northwell Health and is currently a senior advisor to new and established digital health organizations. The Wall Street Journal, TechRepublic, and CMS Wire turn to her for a fresh perspective on the future of technology, work and healthcare. Emily is a nationally recognized poet, essayist, and speaker, and is co-host of the Wild Talk podcast. She is the founder of the Choosing Futures advisory practice, dedicated to putting people before pixels.
Jay Erickson
Jay is Partner and Chief Innovation Officer at Modus Digital, a leading digital consulting firm. He is also, along with Emily Kagan, co-host of the Wild Talk podcast as well as a poet and musician. A lifelong convener and creator, he blends digital innovation with soulful leadership. From Fortune 500 companies to startups, he builds tools and communities that help people collaborate and thrive. Jay has led dozens of immersive experiences and design thinking workshops that invite participants to show up fully, imagine boldly, and lead with clarity from the inside out. He is a frequent speaker at conferences such as HIMSS, NextMed, Digital Medicine Conference, and IoT Solutions World Congress, and his retreat design and facilitation has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, and he has appeared in Healthcare Business Today, Business Insider, Inc. Magazine, and Vogue.
Stay in touch to hear about future Second Nature gatherings and be the first to know when new dates are released.
STAY CONNECTED
Curious, but on the fence? Have a question? We're here
Day 1 | Jan. 27
Arrival
1:00 - 3:30pm
Orientation
3:30 - 5:30pm
Opening Ceremony
6:00 - 7:00pm
Dinner & Cocktails
7:00 - 9:00pm
Bonfire (Optional)
9:00pm
Day 2 | Jan. 28
Morning Meditation (Optional)
7:30 - 8:00am
Breakfast with Guest Speaker
8:00 - 9:00am
Forest Walk
9:00am - 12:00pm
Lunch
12:00 - 1:00pm
Cohort & Personal Visioning Exercises
1:00 - 4:30pm
Dinner & Cocktails
6:30 - 9:00pm
Bonfire (Optional)
9:00pm
Pricing is inclusive of all meals, lodging, and programming. This event is limited to 15 participants to ensure quality and an intimate, mindful experience.
This professional development retreat is one that employers often sponsor. Here’s a templated letter that can help you effectively make the case.
Application Process
This is a curated experience. We screen applications to ensure a mix of perspectives, industries, and seniority. We're looking for leaders ready to make a change—not just talk about it.
Registration
Single Room : $4,000 ($4,800 after Oct. 31)
Shared Room : $3,500 ($4,200 after Oct. 31)
Single Room : $1,600 ($1,920 after Oct. 31)
Shared Room : $1,300 ($1,560 after Oct. 31)
General Registration
Modus Digital Clients
Join a select group of leaders and change agents for a 3-day retreat at Glynwood Center in Cold Spring, a working farm 90 minutes north of NYC. Step away from the froth and noise around AI and into a contemplative environment outside of your typical routine. Find real clarity so you can lead with confidence, even as everything around you changes. You’ll leave with renewed energy, a concrete plan, and a supportive community to accelerate what’s next.
