LevelUp is for people who want to thrive in life and defend freedom on solid ground.

You’ll engage with world-class thinkers, such as James Clear and Bari Weiss, discover powerful life-serving ideas, meet hundreds of purpose-driven people, and level up in life like never before. Join us in Phoenix for the most life-enhancing conference of the year!

LevelUp is for people who want to thrive in life and defend freedom on solid ground.

You’ll engage with world-class thinkers, discover powerful life-serving ideas, meet hundreds of wonderful people, and level up in life like never before.

Join us in Phoenix for the most life-enhancing conference of the year!

Active-Mind Scholarships

If you are 18 to 29, you can apply for a scholarship worth up to $1,490—and that’s just the cash value.

The experiential value of attending LevelUp can hardly be quantified (see what attendees say below).

Scholarships for LevelUp 2023 are closed.

Active-Mind Scholarships

If you are 18 to 29, you can apply for a scholarship worth up to $1,490—and that’s just the cash value.

The experiential value of attending LevelUp can hardly be quantified (see what attendees say below).

Scholarships for LevelUp 2023 are closed.

Speakers

Arianna-Warsaw-Fan-Rauch

James Clear is a writer and speaker focused on habits and continuous improvement. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits, which presents easy and proven ways to build good habits and break bad ones. The book has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. James also writes the 3-2-1 Newsletter, which has more than 2 million subscribers. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies, and his work is used by players and coaches in the NFL, NBA, and MLB, and by executives and teams at corporations around the world.

Eric Daniels

Bari Weiss is founder and editor of The Free Press and host of the podcast Honestly. From 2017 to 2020 she was an opinion writer and editor at the New York Times. Before that, she was an op-ed and book review editor at the Wall Street Journal and a senior editor at Tablet Magazine. Bari won the LA Press Club’s 2021 Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism, and Reason Foundation’s 2018 Bastiat Prize. Her first book, How to Fight Anti-Semitism, won a 2019 National Jewish Book Award. She lives with her wife and daughter in Los Angeles.

Craig Biddle

Craig Biddle is cofounder and executive director of Objective Standard Institute, cofounder and editor in chief of The Objective Standard, and executive director of Prometheus Foundation. His books include Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It; Rational Egoism: The Morality for Human Flourishing; and the forthcoming Forbidden Facts: Moral Truths Your Parents, Preachers, and Teachers Don’t Want You to Know. His book-in-progress is on thinking in principles.

Eric Daniels

Eric Daniels holds a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He has taught history, political science, and economics at Duke University, Georgetown University, and is currently the Assistant Director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism at Clemson University. In addition to his contributions to The Objective Standard, he has published on the history of monopolies, American individualism, and economic freedom.

Eric Daniels

Max is the author of the New York Times bestseller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life; The Genius Life: Heal Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Become Extraordinary; and Genius Kitchen: Over 100 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Make Your Brain Sharp, Body Strong, and Taste Buds Happy. He is also the director of the film Bread Head, a documentary about dementia prevention through diet and lifestyle, and the host of the health and wellness podcast The Genius Life.

Timothy Sandefur

Timothy Sandefur holds the Duncan Chair in Constitutional Government at the Goldwater Institute, where he is the vice president for legal affairs. He is the author of several books including The Right to Earn a Living: Economic Freedom and the Law (2010), The Conscience of The Constitution (2014), The Permission Society (2016), Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man (2018), The Ascent of Jacob Bronowski: The Life and Ideas of a Popular Science Icon (2019), and Freedom’s Furies: How Isabel Paterson, Rose Wilder Lane, and Ayn Rand Found Liberty in and Age of Darkness (2022).

Eric Daniels

Kiyah Willis is a fellow at Objective Standard Institute focusing on cultural trends and their causes and consequences. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kiyah worked as a data analyst before transitioning to philosophy. Her hobbies include hiking, playing with her boxer, Apollo, and writing for her Substack. You can find her advocating reason, individualism, and liberty on Twitter (@growingtotruth).

Timothy Sandefur

Andrew Bernstein holds a PhD in philosophy from the Graduate School of the City University of New York and taught philosophy for many years at Marist College. He is the author of Heroes, Legends, Champions: Why Heroism Matters (2020), Capitalism Unbound: The Incontestable Moral Case for Individual Rights (2010), Capitalist Solutions (2011), and Why Johnny Still Can’t Read or Write or Understand Math: And What We Can Do About It (2022).

Eric Daniels

Angelica is a fellow at Objective Standard Institute, an assistant editor and writer for The Objective Standard, and an Ayn Rand Fellow with Foundation for Economic Education’s Hazlitt Project. Her roles at OSI include co-hosting the podcast Innovation Celebration, course administration and development, writing and editing for On Solid Ground, and event organization. She holds bachelor’s degrees in horticulture and Spanish from Clemson University and enjoys reading, playing the piano, ballet, and traveling.

Eric Daniels

Martin Hooss is a German scholar and teacher focusing on the philosophy of Objectivism. He holds a master’s degree in English literature and Classical Philology from Trier University, in Trier, Germany, and a master’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from CEVRO Institute, in Prague, Czech Republic. He is also the educational content creator for Students For Liberty’s New Frontiers of Objectivism program. He is currently working on a PhD thesis on Ayn Rand.

Eric Daniels

Sahar Tartak is a student at Yale University and an active voice in the effort to combat race essentialism in American culture. Sahar’s activism at her hometown high school made national news as a fresh story on students using their voice to stand up for what they believe in. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, and she has appeared in interviews on numerous outlets, including Fox News, the Quillette Podcast, and CPAC.

Arianna-Warsaw-Fan-Rauch

John Little is the author of over a dozen books on health, fitness, and exercise, including Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body, The Time-Saver’s Workout, and the co-author of Body by Science. He has been hailed by Ironman magazine as “one of the leading fitness researchers in the world.” He is an award-winning filmmaker of ten documentary films, and his work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, CNN, A&E’s “Biography”, “Unsolved Mysteries,” NPR, BBC, Global News, Variety, and the Hollywood Reporter.

Arianna-Warsaw-Fan-Rauch

Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch is author of Declassified: A Low-Key Guide to the High-Strung World of Classical Music. After earning her Bachelor’s degree and Master of Music from the Juilliard School, she performed as a classical violinist in top international venues (including Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, and the Ravinia, Verbier, La Jolla Summerfest, and Aspen music festivals) and toured with such legendary artists as Sir James Galway and jazz trumpeter Chris Botti. She then quit violin—which is kind of a long story—and started writing instead.

Arianna-Warsaw-Fan-Rauch

Luc Travers is the author of Stories in Paint: 50 Moving Artworks from American Museums and Touching The Art: A Guide to Enjoying Art at a Museum. He leads art museum tours around the world and teaches art appreciation and literature to all ages. Learn more about his work at www.TouchingTheArt.com.

Arianna-Warsaw-Fan-Rauch

Dan Sanchez is an essayist, editor, and educator. His primary topics are liberty, economics, and educational philosophy. He is the Director of Content at the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and the editor-in-chief of FEE.org. He created the Hazlitt Project at FEE, launched the Mises Academy at the Mises Institute, and taught writing for Praxis. He has written hundreds of essays for venues including FEE.org, Mises.org, Antiwar.com, and The Objective Standard.

Arianna-Warsaw-Fan-Rauch

Kira Withrow is a lifelong student and teacher of dance, history, and mathematics. Since first discovering Swing dance in 2004, she has taught and competed in many styles of dance, including Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues, and Solo Jazz. She is currently writing a book on American dance culture and the power of dance in celebrating life.

Main Stage Talks

Intentionality: The Source and Power of Purpose

Craig Biddle

Your goals—the aims for which you think, plan, and act—set the direction of your life. They determine whether your life will be filled with meaning and joy, or something less. But you face countless options. How can you choose goals that truly are best for you in the long run? In this talk, Craig Biddle will discuss key principles, methods, and tools for answering this vital question, living intentionally, and loving life.

Intentionality: The Source and Power of Purpose

Craig Biddle

Your goals—the aims for which you think, plan, and act—set the direction of your life. They determine whether your life will be filled with meaning and joy, or something less. But you face countless options. How can you choose goals that truly are best for you in the long run? In this talk, Craig Biddle will discuss key principles, methods, and tools for answering this vital question, living intentionally, and loving life.

Atomic Strategy: Why and How to get 1% Better Every Day

James Clear

Do you procrastinate? Do you watch days, weeks, even years go by without achieving what you aim to do? Setting goals is one thing. Achieving them is another. The key to success is developing good habits and breaking bad ones. In this talk, James Clear will present essential strategies and techniques for forming habits that move you forward, breaking those that derail you, and reaping the compound interest of incremental gains.

Free Speech, Censorship, and Life-or-Death Distinctions

Eric Daniels

When Twitter, Facebook, or other companies kick someone off their platform for expressing views they oppose, is that censorship? If government forces such companies to platform views they oppose, is that free speech? And what if government makes “suggestions” to corporations about whom to permit or remove? In this talk, Eric Daniels will address such questions, clarify what free speech and censorship are, and provide vital tools for defending free speech in modern times.

Individualism in a Time of Tribalism

Several Panelists

Tribalism abounds today. We’re told that a person’s core identity is a function of his race, gender, sexual preference, economic class, or the like. A person’s group, or intersection of groups, we’re told, defines his values, including what and how he thinks or ought to think. But is any of this true? What about the individual? What about personally chosen values and independent thinking? OSI fellows Angelica Walker-Werth, Ely Lassman, Kiyah Willis, and OSI’s director of marketing Jackson Upmann will discuss their experiences and thoughts on these matters, and how young people can maintain intellectual independence in a world teeming with collectivism and groupthink.

Rebel Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

Timothy Sandefur

If you’ve seen Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings, you can understand why people come from far and wide to experience them in person (and why they inspired aspects of Ayn Rand’s novel The Fountainhead). Wright was a pathbreaker, whose ideas, innovations, and creative genius transformed the field of architecture. He also loved Arizona, his adopted state and home to eleven of his buildings, including Taliesin West, his winter abode and studio in Scottsdale. In this talk, Timothy Sandefur will discuss Wright’s works, his rebellious philosophy of design, and why he loved building in Arizona.

Integrity: Who Needs It

Martin Hooss

What happens when you accept ideas about how you should act and those ideas are contrary to the actual requirements of your life? You either uphold them and suffer, or act against them and feel guilty, or adjust your ideas to comport with reality. Yet, many philosophies involve major dichotomies between theory and practice. In this talk, Martin Hooss will survey prominent philosophies that involve such dichotomies, compare and contrast them with the theory-practice harmony of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, and show the respective consequences of these worldviews in the souls of individuals and cultures.

Foods for Flourishing: The Science as It Stands

Max Lugavere

Which foods support your physical fitness and enhance your cognitive abilities? Which foods cause problems in these areas? And how can you include the former in meals that suit your palate? In this talk, nutrition researcher and writer Max Lugavere will discuss the science of nutrition as it is understood today, and provide his best advice for choosing and enjoying foods that help you thrive.

The New Intellectuals America (and the World) Needs

Bari Weiss and Craig Biddle

In her 2022 talk “The New Founders America Needs,” Bari Weiss reminded listeners: “More than a dozen of the actual founders were 18th-century millennials—under the age of 35. So don’t tell me that small groups of young people cannot transform the world when they made ours.” In her 1961 essay “For the New Intellectual,” Ayn Rand presented what she saw as the basic principles that support the kind of society implied in the Declaration of Independence. In this conversation, Bari and Craig Biddle will discuss their respective views on the ideas and mindsets that young intellectuals need if they want to support and advance civilized society.

A Future of Flourishing and How to Achieve It

Several Panelists

Bari Weiss, Timothy Sandefur, Eric Daniels, and Craig Biddle will discuss what a flourishing society looks like and what they regard as the proper way to get there from here. Join us for an action-oriented discussion, ask hard questions, and get involved. This is how we make the world a better place to live.

Classical Music without the Pretense and Poop

Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch

For many people, classical music is unapproachable: a daunting maze of complex terms, restrictive concert settings, and snobby connoisseurs. It’s also overwhelmingly vast, featuring centuries’ worth of music ranging from symphonies to sacred masses to (less famously) songs Mozart wrote about poop. In this presentation, Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch, accompanied by musicians from the Phoenix Symphony, will amuse us with believe-it-or-not stories and cut through the literal and metaphorical crap, helping us to navigate and enjoy this rich and beautiful genre.

The Education Cancer and Its Cure

Andrew Bernstein

The quality of education in the West, especially in America, has been declining for several generations and is only getting worse. Consequently, Westerners today know little, if anything, about history, science, literature, or philosophy. The consequence of that is all around us, in vivid color. In this talk, Andrew Bernstein will discuss the essence of the problem and present a wholesale solution—one overwhelmingly supported by the evidence.

Fitness for Flourishing—in 20 Minutes a Week

John Little

The fitness industry is full of conflicting advice. Should you do cardio? CrossFit? Lift weights? Move fast? Move slow? Do isometrics? Go to the gym three times a week? Once a week? Not at all? In this talk, John Little, fitness expert and coauthor of Body by Science, will show how investing just 20 minutes a week in targeted, high-intensity workouts can get and keep you fit for flourishing.

How I Stood Up for Reason against Illiberalism—and You Can Too

Sahar Tartak

Sahar Tartak confronted and rejected the irrationality and illiberalism of her high school teachers when they berated her for refusing to support a presentation claiming that America is systemically racist. In this talk, Sahar will discuss the details of that conflict, why you should think for yourself and uphold your rational convictions, and how you can do so with civility and to great effect.

On Choosing a Philosophy for Loving Life

Craig Biddle

Philosophy is inescapable. You have one, whether you know it or not. It’s the set of ideas you hold about the nature of the world and the fundamental laws that govern it, how knowledge is acquired and validated, and how people should and shouldn’t act. The question is: Have you adopted your philosophy by conscious deliberation and independent thinking—or by default, through social osmosis, deferring to authority, or following the crowd? In this talk, Craig Biddle will discuss these alternatives, their consequences, and key questions to address in choosing a philosophy for flourishing.

Breakout Sessions

Intentionality: The Source and Power of Purpose

Craig Biddle

Description coming soon…

Freedom and Innovation: A Vital Reciprocity

Angelica Walker-Werth

Join Angelica Walker-Werth for an enlightening examination of how freedom enables and supports innovation—and, reciprocally, how innovation can and often does support liberty. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of how to advocate and defend both.

My Journey from Wokeness to Rational Thinking

Kiyah Willis

Join Kiyah Willis for an illuminating discussion of how she initially adopted the ideology of wokeism and collectivism, and later transitioned to independent thinking and individualism. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of what wokeism is, how and why people fall for it, and how independent thinking defuses its claims.

Drawing Inspiration from Heroic Individualists, Real and Fictional

Dan Sanchez

Join Dan Sanchez for an inspiring examination of real-life and fictional individualists, identify the traits that make them heroes, and discuss ways to embody such traits in your own life. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the nature of individualism and the practical, life-serving value of being an individualist.

Spiritual Fuel in Visual Art

Luc Travers

Join Luc Travers for an enlightening tour through several powerful artworks, demonstrating his unique method for getting maximum value and spiritual fuel out of the visual arts. You’ll come away inspired and better equipped to enjoy this genre for the rest of your life.

The program is subject to change.

Dancing, Karaoke & More

Opening Reception & Banquet (evening of 6/21)

Meet other attendees, catch up with friends, and enjoy the first evening of the most life-enhancing conference of the year.

Evening Activities & Nightlife

  • Karaoke led by Eric Daniels (6/22)
  • Swing dance lesson with Kira Withrow (6/22)
  • Board and card games (6/23)
  • Jam session—bring your own instrument (6/23)

Closing Banquet & Dance (evening of 6/24)

Celebrate new friendships, brainstorm new ventures, have fun on the dance floor, and enjoy the final hours of LevelUp with fellow lovers of life and liberty.

Opening Reception & Banquet (evening of 6/21)

Meet other attendees, catch up with friends, and enjoy the first evening of the most life-enhancing conference of the year.

Evening Activities & Nightlife

  • Karaoke led by Eric Daniels (6/22)
  • Board and card games (6/22)
  • Swing dance lesson with Kira Withrow (6/23)
  • Jam session—bring your own instrument (6/23)

Closing Banquet & Dance (evening of 6/24)

Celebrate new friendships, brainstorm new ventures, have fun on the dance floor, and enjoy the final hours of LevelUp with fellow lovers of life and liberty.

Schedule

2:00–6:00 PM

Welcome and Check-In

6:30–9:00 PM

Opening Reception and Banquet

8:45–10:00 AM

Intentionality: The Source and Power of Purpose (Biddle)

10:00–10:15 AM

Break

10:15–11:30 AM

Atomic Strategy: Why and How to get 1% Better Every Day (Clear)

11:30–1:15 PM

Lunch

1:15–2:30 PM

Free Speech, Censorship, and Life-or-Death Distinctions (Daniels)

2:30–2:45 PM

Break

2:45–4:15 PM

Individualism in a Time of Tribalism (Panel 1)

4:15–4:45 PM

Break

4:45–6:00 PM

Rebel Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright (Sandefur)

6:00–8:00 PM

Free Time and Dinner (Atlas Dinner—Invitation Only)

8:00–9:30 PM

Dance Lesson

9:00–10:45 PM

Karaoke

8:45–10:00 AM

Integrity: Who Needs It (Hooss)

10:00–10:15 AM

Break

10:15–11:30 AM

Foods for Flourishing: The Science as It Stands (Lugavere)

11:30–1:15 PM

Lunch

1:15–2:15 PM

The New Intellectuals America (and the World) Needs (Weiss and Biddle)

2:15–2:45 PM

Break

2:45–4:15 PM

A Future of Flourishing and How to Achieve It (Panel 2)

4:15–4:45 PM

Break

4:45–6:00 PM

Free Time

6:00–8:00 PM

Dinner

8:00–9:15 PM

Classical Music without the Pretense and Poop (Warsaw-Fan Rauch)

9:30–10:45 PM

Free Time/Jam Session (bring your own instrument)

8:45–10:00 AM

The Education Cancer and Its Cure (Bernstein)

10:00–10:15 AM

Break

10:15–11:30 AM

Fitness for Flourishing—in 20 Minutes a Week (Little)

11:30–1:15 PM

Lunch

1:15–2:30 PM

How I Stood Up for Reason against Illiberalism—and You Can Too (Tartak)

2:30–2:45 PM

Break

2:45–4:15 PM

Breakout Sessions (Walker-Werth, Travers, Sanchez, Willis)

4:15–4:45 PM

Break

4:45–6:00 PM

On Choosing a Philosophy for Loving Life (Biddle)

6:00–7:00 PM

Break

7:00–10:45 PM

Closing Banquet and Dance

The schedule is subject to change.

What Attendees Say

“After this conference, I will not waste a single moment of my life.” —Raja

“This conference was a rejuvenating and intellectually stimulating experience unlike anything I’ve ever encountered.” —Leisa

“My only disappointment was that it ended.” —Ed

“This conference inspired me to reflect on how I live my life and how I want to live it, and to put more work into my aspirations. I’m so grateful for the experience.” —Kenna

Sign Up for Updates

Hotel and Area

*Rooms are $159/night + $25/night resort fee. The resort fee includes access to the Oasis Water Park.

Hotel and Area

*Rooms are $159/night + $25/night resort fee. The resort fee includes access to the Oasis Water Park.