4-Quarter Lives

In this week’s 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox is joined by Dr Amelia Peterson — founding faculty member of the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) — to explore how higher education can reinvent itself for an age of complexity, longevity, and accelerating change.Amelia shares the story behind LIS’s bold rethink of the traditional MBA — an interdisciplinary programme designed not around internal business functions, but around six defining global “shifts”: complexity, intelligence, energy, ecosystems, trust, and longevity. These six forces, she explains, are reshaping work, leadership, and the skills needed to navigate an era of systemic uncertainty.Unlike conventional MBAs focused on finance and management silos, LIS’s approach begins with the world outside organisations — the social, environmental, and technological transformations that leaders must now understand to act responsibly and effectively. Each “shift” is both a slide (a slow-moving global trend) and a shock (an accelerating disruption), demanding that leaders develop adaptive, long-term perspectives.Amelia discusses how longevity became a cornerstone of the curriculum — linking demographic change and longer working lives to corporate time horizons and intergenerational collaboration. Drawing on her background in education policy and systems innovation, she outlines how LIS is creating programmes that combine academic depth with real-world application.The new MBA-alternative is designed for mid-career professionals — typically in their late 30s to 50s — who want to keep working while studying. The 18-month, part-time format blends immersive residential weeks with hybrid learning, offering time for what LIS calls the “inner shift”: personal and interpersonal development alongside intellectual exploration. Amelia also highlights how LIS is tackling accessibility in higher education — offering a world-class programme at roughly half the price of elite US equivalents..As higher education faces its own “midlife crisis” — demographic shifts, AI disruption, and declining enrolments — LIS is testing how universities can stay relevant. Amelia sees its role as “innovating on behalf of the system,” developing new models of learning, assessment, and leadership that larger institutions may one day adopt.Dr Amelia Peterson is a social scientist and founding faculty member at the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS), where she leads curriculum innovation and programme design. Her research bridges education policy, systems change, and the future of work, focusing on how learning environments can prepare people to tackle complex, real-world problems. Before joining LIS, she worked with the Innovation Unit, advising governments and public-sector leaders on education reform, and held academic positions at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the London School of Economics. She holds degrees from Harvard and LSE and is a leading voice on rethinking higher education for a changing world.Useful Links:* London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) – MBA Programme* Amelia Peterson on LinkedIn* LIS Website Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox explores how higher education is reinventing itself for ageing societies—helping experienced leaders and professionals navigate longer lives, extended careers, and purposeful transitions beyond their peak corporate years.In this episode, Avivah speaks with Hellmut Schütte, Emeritus Professor of International Management at INSEAD, about INSEAD’s groundbreaking new programme, AI Ventures - Empowering Your Life Transition. Launched in early 2024, the course quickly became the school’s most popular lifelong-learning offer, designed for senior professionals seeking renewal after formal careers. Hellmut explains how the initiative blends longevity, AI and entrepreneurship to help alumni rediscover meaning, develop “dream projects”, and master emerging technologies. He shares what the programme reveals about purpose, pride, and the untapped potential of later-life learners—and why business schools must rethink their role in this new demographic era.Hellmut Schütte is Emeritus Professor of International Management at INSEAD and former Dean of INSEAD Singapore and CEIBS in China. With a career spanning Europe and Asia, he is widely recognised for his expertise in global strategy, emerging markets and cross-cultural leadership. Since joining INSEAD in France, he held various other academic roles in the US, Japan, Switzerland and Central Europe. In recent years, Hellmut has turned his focus to longevity and lifelong learning, spearheading INSEAD’s innovative AI Ventures - Empowering Your Life Transition programme. Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of the 4-Quarter Lives Podcast, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox continues her exploration of how universities around the world are redesigning themselves for longer lives and careers. In this episode, she talks with Stewart McTavish and Alison Wood from the University of Cambridge about the launch of Better Futures, a new programme supporting leaders in midlife transition.Together they reflect on why now is the moment for Cambridge to join this global movement and how the university’s distinctive collegiate structure and interdisciplinary depth are shaping its approach. Stewart and Alison describe how Cambridge is reimagining its role in an ageing society — from offering “structured spaciousness” for reflection to building a community of leaders committed to creating “better futures.” They share the programme’s three pillars — Foundations, Frontiers and Wayfinding — and how these help participants navigate transition while remaining deeply connected to impact and meaning. It’s a thoughtful look at how an 800-year-old institution is quietly reinventing itself for the longevity era.About Stewart McTavishStewart McTavish is the Academic Director and co-founder of the Better Futures Programme. A long-time innovator at the intersection of technology entrepreneurship and social impact, he has spent over two decades helping build Cambridge’s innovation ecosystem, as a founder and entrepreneur himself and also as a supporter including as the founding Director of University of Cambridge’s ideaSpace and as a founder of Deeptech Labs, an accelerator and venture fund. His background is computer science and engineering informs his systems-based approach to change, and his current focus is on connecting leaders across business, society, politics and academia to co-create opportunities to cultivate better futures.About Alison WoodDr Alison Wood is Deputy Director of the Better Futures programme and a Fellow at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. A scholar of the humanities and education, she has spent her career exploring how universities can respond to societal change through innovation and interdisciplinary learning. Her work spans literature, music, and leadership education, and she has been a driving force behind Cambridge’s experiments in lifelong learning and midlife transformation. Passionate about rethinking what universities are for, she brings a deep interest in systems, culture, and the evolution of knowledge communities.Useful links* University of Cambridge – Better Futures Programme Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of 4 Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox continues her exploration of the world’s leading midlife transition programmes. This week she speaks with Sebastian Kernbach, founder of the University of St. Gallen’s Next – Design Your Future initiative — the first university-based midlife programme in continental Europe.They discuss how St. Gallen’s approach blends design thinking, positive psychology and behavioural economics to help accomplished professionals rethink their purpose, portfolio, and personal transitions, in what Kernbach calls the multi-stage life. He describes how the three-day “sabbatical” has evolved into a five-day immersive experience, designed to give participants a structured yet creative space to pause, prototype, and rediscover what drives them.Together, Avivah and Sebastian compare models emerging from Harvard, Stanford and Chicago with Europe’s more academically grounded, culturally diverse programmes. They explore Kernbach’s key ideas — from infinite procrastination and the magic circle to the stairway to heaven — practical methods for turning reflection into action. The conversation widens to include the role of universities and employers in supporting lifelong learning, intergenerational connection and longer, healthier, more flexible careers.Kernbach shares his vision of “transition competence” — the lifelong skill of navigating change with agency, creativity and patience — and why Europe’s blend of rigour, reflection and community may offer a new model for longevity education worldwide.Sebastian Kernbach is Professor at the University of St. Gallen, where he teaches creativity, life design and visual thinking. Her is Visiting Scholar at Columbia University and Stanford University, and Guest Professor at the African Doctoral Academy and the Central University of Beijing.Previously he worked for Xerox and Interbrand. He advises and consults organizations like Nike, The United Nations, IBM and others. He founded the Visual Collaboration Lab and the Life Design Lab at the University of St. Gallen and co-authored the award-winning book “Meet up!” as well as the best-selling books “Life Design” and “Life Design Action Book”, and is author of the forthcoming book Design Your Future.Useful links:University of St. Gallen – Next Programme web page Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with the leaders of a growing number of university faculties developing programmes for individuals looking to change direction in their 3rd Quarter of life. We explore the origins and motivations behind these programmes—and how they fit the evolving role of higher education in ageing societies.In this episode she speaks with Marc Freedman — one of the world’s most influential thinkers on ageing, purpose, and intergenerational connection. As co-founder and co-CEO of CoGenerate, and founding faculty director of Yale’s Experienced Leaders Initiative, Marc has spent four decades at the forefront of reimagining how society supports connection, contribution and education across generations.Marc reflects on his journey from creating Experience Corps — a pioneering national program linking older volunteers with schoolchildren — to leading Encore.org (which popularized the concept of the “encore career” — a second act for the greater good) and now CoGenerate, a leading organization bridging the generational divide through programs and partnerships that connect older and younger people to solve society’s biggest challenges.. Across these initiatives, his mission has remained consistent: to bridge generational divides and build a more cohesive, age-integrated society.Avivah and Marc explore how higher education is beginning to adapt to longevity and the new life course. They discuss the evolution of midlife learning programs from Harvard’s ALI to Yale’s hybrid ELI model, and what universities must do to become truly multi-generational. Together, they consider the big questions: How do we scale these programs beyond elite institutions? How do we make midlife learning affordable, inclusive, and globally accessible?Marc shares why transitions in midlife take longer than expected, why reflection is as vital as reinvention, and how the future of education will depend on bringing young and old together to co-create what comes next.Marc Freedman is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of CoGenerate, as well as the Founding Faculty Director of Yale’s Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI). He was previously the Founder and CEO of Encore.org. He also co-founded Experience Corps, one of the U.S.’s largest service programs for older adults, now part of AARP. Marc is the author of several books, including The Big Shift and How to Live Forever, and was named one of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs by the Schwab Foundation.Useful Links:* Yale Experienced Leaders Initiative website* Learn more about CoGenerate* Experience Corps web-page Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with the leaders of a growing number of university faculties developing programmes for individuals looking to change direction in their 3rd Quarter of life. We explore the origins and motivations behind these programmes—and how they fit the evolving role of higher education in ageing societies.This week we republish a conversation Avivah had with Lindsey Beagley, Senior Director of Lifelong University Engagement at Arizona State University. They discuss the growing interest of universities to re-design themselves for the new age of longevity, engaging with people throughout their lives rather than just as the outset. Lindsey describes how Arizona State University is doing so in its various programmes, and in particular their ground-breaking Mirabella University Retirement Community on the ASU Tempe campus – integrating a continuing care retirement community into a university campus. She talks about how older adults involved in the Mirabella program are eager to help young people as well as to continue their own learning, and how this desire to mentor and support younger generations has influenced the program’s design and success.Lindsey Beagley currently serves as Senior Director of Lifelong University Engagement at Arizona State University. In this role, she launched Mirabella at ASU, a University Retirement Community on the ASU Tempe campus. She serves on the global council of the Age-Friendly University Global Network and on the board of directors for Heirloom Communities, intergenerational residential housing for low-income older adults and youth aging out of the foster care system. Beagley holds a master’s degree in public administration and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Leadership and Innovation with a focus on intergenerational learning in college classrooms.Some Useful Links:* https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2024/08/08/longevity-boom-boost-higher-ed-opinion* https://www.mirabellaasu.org/* https://learning.asu.edu/* https://www.universityretirementcommunities.com/* The Nexel Collaborative: https://thenexel.org/* Age Friendly University Global Network: www.afugn.org* Heirloom Communities: https://www.heirloomcommunities.com/ Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with the leaders of a growing number of university faculties developing programmes for individuals looking to change direction in their 3rd Quarter of life. We explore the origins and motivations behind these programmes—and how they fit the evolving role of higher education in ageing societies.This week she welcomes Seth Green, Dean of the University of Chicago’s Graham School, which is the home to the university’s Leadership & Society Initiative (LSI). Seth discusses how a Chicago-style commitment to humanistic inquiry and free expression is reshaping midlife transitions—and the lives of the people who join them.Seth also explains why LSI exists now: longer lives, extended careers, and leaders who want to “rewire and refire” rather than retire. Chicago’s DNA—great books and rigorous debate—anchors a three-part journey: know oneself, understand the world, and envision the future. Humanistic inquiry sits at the core, from Aristotle to Viktor Frankl, complemented by executive tools and one-to-one coaching that turn reflection into direction.Free expression is treated as a feature, not a bug. Faculty deliberately present competing lenses—economics, sociology, policy—so fellows stress-test assumptions and sharpen their own views. The result is intellectual freedom many executives haven’t enjoyed while holding institutional titles. LSI then translates insight into action through practical routes to impact: board service, strategic philanthropy, and venture creation.The programme now runs along two pathways. Design, a fully embedded year on campus, immerses fellows in 15 courses (nine cohort-based plus six audits across the university), mentoring relationships, and a culminating purpose plan. Imagine, a low-residency option of four four-day gatherings with hybrid touchpoints, offers a compass for leaders who remain in demanding roles yet want structured progress toward a portfolio life.LSI is “stage-not-age.” Candidates are at meaningful inflection points—often C-suite or equivalent—eager to redeploy serious skills toward contribution. What participants rate most highly isn’t only the Nobel-calibre faculty; it’s the peers. Values-based dialogue forges friendships that outlast titles and help executives escape what Seth calls the “underside of achievement,” the prestige trap that can slow reinvention.Midlife transitions take longer than most expect. LSI supports the arc beyond year one through its Alliance community, accompanying fellows as they iterate purpose into practice. Demand is strong—over 700 candidacies in the programme’s first years—while the university’s leadership champions LSI as part of a broader vision of an “engaged university,” integrating experience-rich leaders with research and teaching to co-create societal value.Seth Green is Dean of the University of Chicago’s Graham School. Before joining Graham, he served as Founding Director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility at Loyola University Chicago. Previously he led Youth & Opportunity United (Y.O.U.), a nonprofit organization that prepares low-income youth for post-secondary and life success. Earlier in his career, Green worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company. A recipient of McKinsey’s Community Fellowship, he spent one year of his time at the firm supporting nonprofit clients, including the Gates Foundation and United Way.USEFUL LINKS* Chicago’s Leadership and Society Initiative Website Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of 4-Quarter Lives Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with the leaders of a growing number of university faculties running programmes for individuals looking to change direction in their 3rd Quarter of life. She discusses the origins and motivations for these programmes and how they fit into the evolving role of higher education.This week she welcomes Sara Singer, Faculty Director of the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute (DCI), to discuss how midlife transition programmes are reshaping universities — and the lives of the people who join them. A leading voice on health policy, organisational behaviour, and system design, Sara has brought a research lens to DCI, measuring its impact on purpose, community, and wellness.In this conversation, Sara shares how she moved from Harvard to Stanford, and then took on first Research Director and then Faculty Director of DCI. She explains why the programme treats each fellow’s journey as an experiment, how intergenerational learning on campus reinvigorates both students and midlife professionals, and why she sees DCI as a “jewel on campus.”They explore DCI’s three evidence-based pillars — renewing purpose, building community, and recalibrating wellness — and what the data reveals about their effectiveness. Sara also reflects on unique aspects of the programme, including its openness to couples, memoir writing, and Life Transformation Reflections. She explains why “readiness” is the key ingredient for successful fellows, and how transitions at midlife take more time than most expect. This conversation offers an inside look at how institutions can prepare people — and societies — for our new, multi-stage, 60-year careers.Sara Singer is Professor of Health Policy and Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is Faculty Director of the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute and also serves as its Research Director. Her scholarship spans health policy, leadership, and system design, with a focus on how organisations can improve population health outside of traditional medical care. At DCI, she integrates rigorous research with faculty leadership to help fellows — and the university — benefit from midlife transformation and intergenerational learning.USEFUL LINKS* Learn more about the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute* Explore the Excel Collaborative — a network of midlife transition programmes Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of 4-Quarter Lives Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with the leaders of a growing number of university faculties developing programmes for individuals looking to change direction in their 3rd Quarter of life. She discusses the origins and motivations for these programmes and how they fit into the evolving role of higher education. In this episode, she talks with Brian Trelstad, faculty chair of Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative. Amongst other topics they discuss* The origins of ALI and the three trends it was designed to address: longer lifespans, the complexity of global problems, and higher education’s role in public problem-solving.* ALI’s focus on impact — equipping fellows to address problems they care deeply about, whether through launching initiatives, joining existing platforms, or building a portfolio of meaningful activities.* The “person-problem-pathway” framework for aligning leadership skills with social change goals.* Who thrives in ALI: accomplished professionals with curiosity, humility, and a readiness to learn and unlearn.* How the program is expanding its before-and-after support — from recruitment to alumni engagement and project acceleration.* Why humility, curiosity, and experiential learning are essential for shifting from private sector leadership to social impact work.* The evidence linking purpose, pro-sociality, and longevity — and why ALI is, in a way, a health program.Whether you’re considering your own third chapter or just curious about how universities are reimagining leadership education for a 100-year life, this conversation offers a rich insider’s view of the field’s pioneer.Brian Trelstad is the William Henry Bloomberg Senior Lecturer of Business Administration and the Joseph L. Rice III, Faculty Fellow at Harvard Business School and the Faculty Chair for the Advanced Leadership Initiative for Harvard University. He teaches social entrepreneurship and systems change, impact investing, and business ethics. Outside of Harvard, Brian is a Partner and Board Member of Bridges Fund Management, a pioneering impact investment fund.Useful Links:* Learn more about ALI: advancedleadership.harvard.edu* Brian’s Harvard profile Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe