In 2008, by all accounts, ChipConley was a bestselling author and the visionary pioneer of the boutique hotel industry, which he kick-started 25 years ago as the Founder of the Joie de Vivre Hotel chain.
It was unique mix: Virgin billionaire Richard Branson, Russell Simmons, author Tim Ferriss, ChipConley of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, SecondMarket chief Barry Silbert, plus big shots from Microsoft, Google, Apple, Facebook and a slew of up and coming tech titans.