Thurs May 14 – Sun May 17, 2026
Our Spring retreat, In the Wild: Cohort 02, is a four-day, all-inclusive gathering designed to awaken you back into your body, your ideas, and your creative momentum.
In a setting that opens you up the moment you arrive, we’ll gather at The Outlier Inn, an expansive, forest-wrapped gem in the Catskills just two hours outside New York City.
All accommodations, private chef-led meals, workshops, grounding rituals, and activities are fully integrated into the experience so that you can unplug, be fully present, and return your energy to what matters most.
Just show up. We'll handle the rest.
Registration window closes April 5th.
If you’re building something real in your own lane, you’re in good company here.
What's Included
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Lodging for four days / three nights at The Outlier Inn
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All meals, prepared by our private chef Nicole Laniado
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Evening beverages (beer, wine, light cocktails, NA options)
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Daily grounding and meditation rituals
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Facilitated group discussions & creative workshops
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Culminating group hike
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Onsite sauna and hot tub access
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Unstructured time outdoors for creative exploration
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Surprise-and-delight moments
Location & Accommodations
Held at The Outlier Inn in the Catskills, a 14-acre retreat property and creative event space just two hours from NYC, the weekend unfolds across three distinct homes set within an expansive, forested landscape.
Accommodations include a mix of private bedrooms and thoughtfully shared spaces, allowing for both solitude and connection. Quiet lounge areas offer space to recharge between sessions, with room assignments made intentionally to support comfort and group flow.
The property also features two recording studios, an open-air amphitheater, private campfire pits, outdoor kitchens, and an on-site sauna and hot tub, offering space to reset and integrate the work both physically and mentally.
Food & Storytelling with
Chef Nicole Laniado
All onsite meals will be prepared by our private chef, Nicole Laniado, a Brooklyn-based member of our creative community.
Nicole is curating a menu designed exclusively for aNAK, drawing on her background in creative menu development and her belief that food carries story.
She’ll also lead a hands-on cooking class during the weekend, inviting the group into her process and perspective, and host a relaxed, open-air BBQ on Saturday as a communal gathering outdoors designed for celebration.
Creative Sessions
Throughout the weekend, you’ll flow between guided discussions and participatory workshops that invite you to experiment, reflect, and make.
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Facilitated group sessions designed to unlock ideas and deepen perspective
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A collaborative cooking class led by Chef Nicole
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An upcycling workshop led by Raza Ojeda, seasoned apparel designer and founder of NY's only Black-owned apparel manufacturing studio. Guests will leave with their own wearable creation.
All sessions are designed to move you from consumption into creation. Chase the process!
Wellness & Grounding Sessions
Daily guided sessions led by Linda Lopes, Brooklyn-based multidimensional healer and facilitator, blend sacred drumming, breathwork, and meditation to support nervous system regulation and grounded presence. Her facilitation invites participants back into their bodies, creating space for clarity and creative flow to emerge.
These sessions anchor the weekend, supporting clarity and deeper connection.
Movement in Nature
With a scenic rail trail and forest paths surrounding the property, the weekend invites outdoor movement at your own pace.
We’ll close the trip with an offiste group hike, a shared moment to move, breathe, and honor the experience we’ve created together.
All movement is designed for choice. You’re encouraged to engage in ways that feel aligned with your body and energy.
Investment
This is a four-day, all-inclusive retreat experience held at The Outlier Inn in the Catskills. Your investment covers lodging, all chef-prepared meals, hands-on creative workshops, daily wellness sessions, curated programming, materials, and access to the retreat grounds.
Once you arrive, everything is thoughtfully designed and taken care of.
Private Room
$1,260
A private bedroom with queen or full-sized bed within one of our three retreat homes, offering personal space and quiet retreat between sessions. One of the bedrooms includes two queen beds and is intended for participants applying together.
Shared Space
$990
A thoughtfully arranged shared accommodation (loft or common living area within one of our three retreat homes) with either a full- or queen-sized bed.
Payment plans are available.
Transportation to and from the Catskills is not included, though we’ll help coordinate carpooling among participants closer to the retreat.
Spots are intentionally limited to support a focused, cohesive group experience.
How to Join
aNAK uses a short submission process to thoughtfully shape each cohort and ensure alignment across the group.
To be considered, you’ll share a bit about yourself and what’s bringing you here.
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Submissions are reviewed in waves
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Registration closes April 5th
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Participants selected will receive an invitation to secure their spot with a deposit
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Full payment details provided in submission form
We look forward to welcoming you.
Meet the Spring Retreat Team
Lauren Santiago
Host & Lead Facilitator
Chef Nicole
Private Chef & Workshop Lead
Linda Lopes
Wellness Practitioner
Raza Ojeda
Workshop Lead
Tony Vidal
Community Facilitator
Lauren created aNAK as a space for creatives to reconnect—with their work, with nature, and with each other. Drawing from her background in storytelling, community-building, and experience design, she shapes each retreat with care, guiding the rhythm of the weekend and holding the overall container for the cohort.
Nicole is a chef specializing in creative menu development, with a practice rooted in using food as a vehicle for genuine connection and storytelling. Over the past 12 years, she has worked as a private chef, produced small- and large-scale events—including weddings—and managed operations for commercial kitchens. She is the founder of Merienda, a New York City–based dinner party service specializing in event production and thoughtfully designed menus.
Linda is a Brooklyn-based multidimensional healer offering Sacred Drumming, Yoga, and Ra Illuminare Multidimensional Healing. Rooted in ancestral wisdom and over a decade of spiritual devotion, she creates trauma-informed, inclusive spaces grounded in agency. Her facilitation invites participants back into their bodies through rhythm, breath, and presence, allowing clarity and creative flow to emerge from a centered place. She began her journey under the mentorship of Medicine Woman Eia Buenconsejo, whom she continues to study with today.
Raza is a fashion entrepreneur and apparel architect with deep rooted experience in garment development and production. He is the founder of 3Crowns Apparel Services, the only Black-owned apparel manufacturing studio in New York, where he partners with emerging designers to bring thoughtfully constructed garments from concept to market. Through his incubator work, he supports creatives in building independent, sustainable brands rooted in craft and ownership.
As co-host of the Off the Strength podcast and host of numerous wellness-centered community events, Tony creates spaces where movement, dialogue, and connection come together. A force for good in the health and fitness industry, he is a strategist, leader, community builder, and innovator committed to closing the health gap and empowering communities. Through social impact initiatives and culturally grounded programming, his work centers on making wellness more accessible and community-driven.
