OLIVER RIPLEY

Bio

Cofounder and CEO, Habitas

Ocean Group, Habitas and Habitas Rise are all among the organizations founded by a serial entrepreneur on a mission to redefine hospitality.

Many of the best business ideas, a popular theory has it, are born of frustration. This is certainly the case with Habitas: a hotel group on a mission to prove that eco-conscious design needn’t compromise the joys of staying at a premium hotel. “The hospitality industry is a dinosaur,” says Ripley—a prolific entrepreneur who has also founded entities including private holding company Ocean Group and venture-capital business Black Ocean Investment. “We founded Habitas to create unique moments of human connection in the most inspiring places around the world, bringing diverse people together and creating life-changing experiences and impact.”

Started in 2016 by Ripley—along with his business partners, Kfir Levy and Eduardo Castillo— Habitas now has properties in Mexico, Saudi

Arabia, Morocco and Namibia, as well as the latest addition to its portfolio: Habitas-On-Hudson, a neoclassical, eco-sustainable manor house just outside the village of Rhinebeck in upstate New York. It’s a property whose location has been chosen based on Ripley’s wish to offer guests refuge in natural surroundings while still being close to New York City.

The brand’s philanthropic arm, Habitas Rise, meanwhile, has undertaken schemes such as an organic-greenhouse-farming operation in Xhazil, Mexico, and a refugee community program in Uganda, as well as coral-reef regeneration and turtle-conservation initiatives.

Was there a catalyst moment for his focus on philanthropic efforts? “Being an outsider and born to an immigrant mother, there was always a search for home and a curiosity to discover,” he says. “In doing so, I developed a respect for the planet, nature and the diverse people with whom we cohabit. We have one planet, and we are very quickly destroying it—we’re burning the resources of five planet Earths at any one time. We need to regenerate before it is too late—through education and action.” Its Caravan Agafay project—located 45 minutes from Marrakech—has been designed to embrace nomadic Bedouin culture and traditions around communal living and aims “to create an immersive glamping experience for travelers seeking adventure, discovery and human connection.”

“Luxury,” concludes Ripley—who uses VistaJet in part because of its commitment to be carbon-neutral by 2025 (see page 80)—“is not a material possession that can be bought or sold. I believe it exists in the moments and experiences we share together with others. I call this luxury for the soul.”