How My First Airbnb Ikigai Workshop Marked a Legacy Moment During Arab Heritage Month
By Isabella Kanso
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There are moments in life where everything aligns—
Your roots, your purpose, and your power.
Moments where the universe not only opens the door…
But rolls out the red carpet.
This was one of those moments.
This week, I had the profound honor of facilitating my first-ever corporate Ikigai workshop for one of the world’s most recognized companies, Airbnb—a global institution valued at over $80 billion USD.
And it happened during Arab Heritage Month.
As an Arab woman entrepreneur raised by war, refined by resilience, and reborn through purpose, this milestone was more than just professional—it was personal. It was ancestral. It was sacred.
A Workshop That Became a Portal
This wasn’t just a session on productivity or performance.
It was an experience—a space of remembrance, reconnection, and rebirth.
I opened the room with a single prompt:
“If you could, what would you do?”
And the responses cracked the room wide open:
“Bring love and laughter to the people I love.”
“Live a life of no regret.”
“Help others survive and thrive.”
“Heal the world—there’s too much pain.”
“Wipe out bias and bring back our childlike joy.”
“Pause time—own a pause button. Let the world stand still.”
“Escape and create a safe bubble.”
“Live by the ocean, on an organic farm, surrounded by music, art, and love.”
These were the unfiltered truths of high-level leaders who rarely get the space to speak from the heart.
It wasn’t just corporate wellness.
It was collective awakening.
Why This Moment Matters
To be invited to lead this experience during Arab Heritage Month was deeply personal, especially as a child of war, who grew up not knowing a day of ‘normalcy’ to being invited to facilitate an Ikigai workshop at a global & western $80 Billion travel & tourism industry.
I remember, after culminating my workshop, raising my hands in prayer to my ancestors—just like that iconic scene from The Lion King, when Mufasa says to Simba, ‘Remember who you are.’ It was exactly that moment. I looked to my lineage and whispered: We were not just invited to the table—we are here to redefine it.
For decades, Arab voices—especially women’s—have been marginalized or misunderstood.
This workshop was a reclamation.
A declaration that our roots are not in conflict with leadership—they are the soil from which true leadership grows, but has been misconstrued in media.
As I stood in that room—guiding top executives through their emotional landscapes, creative desires, and soul truths—I saw a future where success is redefined.
Not by hustle, but by harmony.
Not by status, but by soul-aligned strategy.
A New Era for The School of Ikigai
This workshop marked the beginning of a new era for The School of Ikigai.
We are no longer a vision—we are a vessel for transformation at the highest levels of leadership.
From our flagship retreat in the Colombian jungle to boardrooms of a billion-dollar company, we’re bridging a powerful truth:
Purpose is the new currency.
And well-being is the new strategy.
To every reader, client, and soul who has been part of this journey: thank you.
To every Arab entrepreneur who dreams of leading with heart and truth: this milestone is yours too.
What’s Next?
We’re now opening private bookings for corporate workshops, leadership offsites, and retreats that center around purpose, wellness, and culture. If your organization is ready to evolve, we’re ready to co-create.
Let’s bring humanity back into leadership.
Let’s pause to remember who we truly are.
With devotion to collective responsibility ,
Isabella Kanso — Founder, The School of Ikigai
Interested in bringing an Ikigai activation to your team or boardroom?
Email us at schoolofikigai@gmail.com
