My Take on the Future of Wellness, From The New York Times Well Festival Front Row
A glimpse into the future of personalized, preventative and emotionally intelligent care
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend and cover the inaugural New York Times Well Festival - and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
Held in New York City and hosted by The New York Times, this wasn’t just another wellness event. It was a resounding statement: the way we think about health - mental, physical, emotional and social - is undergoing a radical transformation.
Over the course of a single day, a powerhouse lineup of experts, storytellers, scientists and cultural icons gathered to unpack the future of wellness. But what made this festival truly exceptional wasn’t just the names or the topics. It was the deep emotional resonance of the conversations, the evidence-backed insights and the overwhelming sense that we’re entering a golden era of personalized, preventative care.
Some of the most powerful moments came from leaders I’ve admired for years:
• Dr. Peter Attia, who continues to shape the conversation around longevity and preventative health
• Robin Arzón, VP of Fitness at Peloton, who reminded us that movement is about reclaiming power
• Dr. Robert Waldinger, whose research on happiness and relationships brought science to the art of living well
• Dwyane Wade, sharing his deeply personal story of self-discovery, vulnerability, and redefining masculinity through health
• Dani Blum and Jancee Dunn, whose reporting on the health and wellness landscape continues to open new conversations
The panels were thoughtful and, in many cases, vulnerable - an indication that we’ve moved beyond surface-level wellness advice into something far more meaningful. This wasn’t about chasing trends or optimizing every biometric. It was about asking better questions: What does it mean to be well in today’s world? How do we define health in an era of burnout, digital overload and disconnection?
And, crucially, who do we trust to guide us forward?
From the future of hormone therapy and gut health to the science of sleep and emotional fitness, the festival made one thing clear: wellness isn’t fringe - it’s foundational. The fact that The New York Times is now leading the charge in this space is both exciting and overdue. It gives legitimacy to voices that have long been advocating for upstream solutions - solutions that prevent, personalize and humanize the healthcare experience.
As the co-founder of Workup, a platform dedicated to helping people discover evidence-based wellness solutions, I was proud to be there - not just as a journalist and participant, but as someone deeply invested in what the future of health should look like.
This festival affirmed something I’ve believed for a long time: the future of healthcare belongs to those willing to zoom out, listen more deeply and rebuild systems around the whole human experience.
I’ll be featuring new highlights surrounding longevity and interviews with leaders in this exciting ecosystem in future pieces. Until then, consider this your invitation to engage, question and contribute to this growing movement.
Because this isn’t just about better sleep, sharper focus or longer lives.
It’s about reclaiming what it means to be human - and well.