Sarah Livia Brightwood

Week of February 27, 2027

Sarah Livia Brightwood Szekely is President and CEO of Rancho La Puerta. For forty years she has designed the gardens and cared for the wildlands around Rancho La Puerta. As the keeper of the vision and long-range planner she has preserved the soul and culture of Rancho La Puerta while bringing new programs and reviving the earth honoring traditions that inspired the early years at Rancho La Puerta. She is also President of Fundación La Puerta through which she guides Rancho La Puerta’s non-profit work in the region. In 1984 Sarah established Agricola Tres Estrellas, a diverse organic farm that provides food to Ranch La Puerta’s guests year-round and in 2007 she designed and opened La Cocina Que Canta, a culinary center and cooking school to teach commitment to healthy eating and to embrace the joy of harvesting and cooking in community. She is the daughter of philosopher and visionary Edmond Bordeaux Szekely and community organizer and philanthropist Deborah Szekely, the founders of Rancho La Puerta.

Growing What Matters

During Wisdom Keeper Week we celebrate my father’s birthday by breathing life into one of his teachings.  In the 1930’s, my father wrote, “Wisdom is the sum total of knowledge needed for happiness.” In this time of overwhelm, we offer spaciousness, time to step out of the crowded field of accumulation into a sense of purpose that brings clarity to our life, our wealth and our relationships.

My father said, “longevity was bestowed upon the beings that were of greatest service to the planet, and the greatest longevity was bestowed upon the trees”.  How can we be rooted, connected, serving life with all that we have received, giving back with a light heart, and not be trapped by what we accumulate?  We welcome you to explore a liberating flow of giving and receiving, growing what matters.

Our speakers this week are deeply engaged in their purpose and have found unique ways to share their gifts and passions.