Applications open

LBF8
North Carolina

The eighth Longevity Biotech Fellowship — a five-day workshop retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains for the people most serious about ending aging.

Dates

Aug 24–28, 2026

Venue

Wildacres Retreat

Setting

Little Switzerland, NC

Apply for LBF8 See the venue

(What is LBF8)

From August 24–28, 2026, the 8th cohort of the Longevity Biotech Fellowship gathers in the mountains of Wildacres Retreat in North Carolina — a selective, in-person workshop for builders 100% committed to ending aging.

(What's included)

The Experience

World-class people

Five days with the founders, scientists, and investors most serious about ending aging — the people who become your collaborators and cofounders.

Deep-dive workshops

Hands-on sessions and talks that take you to the frontier and up to speed on the real bottlenecks in longevity biotech.

Expert mentors

Direct, candid time with experienced founders, scientists, and operators who have built in the field.

Food & lodging included

It's all covered: three family-style meals a day, plus a room — private or shared (two per room), each with its own private bathroom.

Mountain & nature

Group fitness, hiking, and downtime in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains at 3,300 feet. Fresh air, big views, real rest.

Build something big

A focus on starting high-impact ventures — companies, FROs, and ARPA-style moonshots that actually move the field.

(Mentors & Counselors)

Who's coming

The mentors and counselors confirmed for the eighth cohort — founders, scientists, and operators from across the field. Click any face for a short bio and links to their work.

Mike Dabrowski

Co-Founder, Synthego

Eric Morgen

Co-Founder & COO, BioAge Labs

Caitlin Lewis

VP of Research, LEV Foundation

Carsten Charlesworth

Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University

Dominika Wilczok

Coordinator, Longevity Education Hub

Michael Todhunter

Founder, Dragonase

Anastasia Egorova

Co-Founder & CEO, Open Longevity

Alice Gilman

Co-Founder, R3 Bio

Filipp Kramer

Founder & CEO, Alchemy Bio

Genesis Lung

Bioengineer, ex-Beam Therapeutics

Cam Wallace

Head of Strategy, LBF

Eric Magro

Head of Operations, LBF

Nathan Cheng

Co-Director, LBF

Mark Hamalainen

Co-Founder, LBF & LessDeath

(What we'll cover)

Focus
areas

(01)

Replacement

Replacing aged tissues and organs outright — engineered organs, bodyoids, progressive brain replacement, and whole-body replacement.

(02)

Biostasis

Cryopreservation, organ banking, and brain preservation to stop the clock and buy time.

(03)

Bioengineering

Gene editing, synthetic biology, and the tools to rebuild biology at scale.

(04)

AI × Bio

Foundation models and large-scale data generation, plus ML for aging clocks and target discovery — accelerating the whole pipeline.

(The Venue)

Wildacres Retreat

Perched at 3,300 feet atop Pompey's Knob, Wildacres sits on more than 1,200 acres of mountain land near Mt. Mitchell and the Blue Ridge Parkway — quiet, simple beauty and sweeping ridgeline views. The kind of place where deep work and real relationships happen. Visit wildacres.org →

The outdoor amphitheater — Outdoor amphitheater

(Tentative schedule)

Five days in
the mountains

Mon · Aug 24

Arrivals

Check-in from ~2 PM and settle into Wildacres, followed by a welcome dinner, opening remarks, and socializing.

Tue · Aug 25

The frontier

Talks and deep-dive workshops on the roadmap paths to solving aging and the field's biggest bottlenecks, plus structured lightning networking.

Wed · Aug 26

Ideate & explore

Workshops, personal-impact discussions, and career-opportunity sessions; project-based collaboration where you join groups around different projects to deepen relationships; an attendee-led unconference of short discussion groups; plus afternoon hikes in the mountains.

Thu · Aug 27

Build

More workshops, focused work blocks, and team formation — followed by a bonfire and socializing in the evening.

Fri · Aug 28

Showcase & send-off

Project showcases, commitments, and next steps. Please clear your room by 9 AM; we depart the venue around noon.

A tentative outline of the week — subject to change as the program is finalized.

Ready to build?

Apply now

"LBF is the reason I was able to start my current life-extension
focused biotech company -- without the connections I made at LBF I wouldn't have found my cofounder or our initial funding."

"LBF is the best focal point anywhere for credible but deeply ambitious longevity people.

"LBF introduced me to a new part of the life-extension tech tree, and helped me form the conviction to drop everything and build"

"LBF1 introduced me to the lifespan extension community -- in retrospect, it covered pretty much all aspects of it."

"LBF is the most hardcore anti-aging organization in the world. It's where I found my co-founder."

"During LBF2 camp I got clarity towards a specific strategy to pursue with what I'm building...met friends I'm still in touch with."

"LBF is the reason I was able to start my current life-extension
focused biotech company -- without the connections I made at LBF I wouldn't have found my cofounder or our initial funding."

"LBF is the best focal point anywhere for credible but deeply ambitious longevity people.

"LBF introduced me to a new part of the life-extension tech tree, and helped me form the conviction to drop everything and build"

"LBF1 introduced me to the lifespan extension community -- in retrospect, it covered pretty much all aspects of it."

"LBF is the most hardcore anti-aging organization in the world. It's where I found my co-founder."

"During LBF2 camp I got clarity towards a specific strategy to pursue with what I'm building...met friends I'm still in touch with."

(Scenes from past cohorts)

What the vibe
is like

(Frequently Asked Questions)

FAQ

Who should apply?

To be a good fit you're probably 100% committed to solving aging (not just “healthspan”), interested in starting, joining, investing in, or advocating for hardcore longevity biotech, biased to action, and unflinchingly mission-driven.

Who attends?

A highly selective group of new LBF Fellows, along with LBF alumni and mentors. We're looking for the smartest engineers, scientists, investors, operators, funders, and thinkers who are all-in on solving aging.

What's included?

Your room, all meals, and shuttle transport between Charlotte and the venue (there and back) are included. Rooms are private or double occupancy, each with an ensuite bathroom.

When and where is it?

August 24–28, 2026 — a four-night workshop retreat at Wildacres Retreat in Little Switzerland, North Carolina: a private 1,200-acre mountaintop campus at 3,300 ft, about two hours from Charlotte. We'll organize a shuttle (bus / vans) between Charlotte and the venue. More logistics details coming soon.

What time is check-in and check-out?

Check-in is around 2 PM on Monday, Aug 24. On the final morning (Friday, Aug 28), please clear your room by 9 AM; we depart the venue around noon.

What is the programming like?

Expect deep-dive, intimate workshops led by expert camp counselors; structured time for networking and connection so you can build deeper collaborations; and hands-on brainstorms where small groups develop project ideas and problem-solve together.

The goal: leave with a much clearer sense of which problems matter most, how to tackle them, and who to do it with — and get real collaborations and projects off the ground. That might be a new company or startup, an FRO, a new program at ARIA or ARPA-H, a research collaboration or nonprofit, or joining a high-impact team. Above all, we want people getting to work on solving aging.

What are the facilities like?

Two comfortable lodges with 58 rooms, around six miles of hiking trails on the property, sweeping Blue Ridge mountain views, meeting halls, a dining hall, and common areas.

Is there wifi and cell reception?

Yes — there's wifi in the main areas and cellular reception on campus. We'll also bring extra Starlink to supplement side and meeting areas, and potentially some rooms.

I want a private room — is that possible?

The retreat is highly subsidized for new Fellows, and subsidized rooms are double occupancy by default. If you'd like to guarantee a private room we'll do our best to accommodate you — you'll likely just need to pay a little extra.

Should I plan anything before or after the retreat?

We'll have an Airbnb booked in Charlotte for the night before and the night after the event, so you have somewhere to land on either side of the shuttle. More details to come.

What if I'm driving myself?

If you're driving to the venue, please don't rely on Google Maps — road closures near Wildacres aren't always reflected in map apps. Use the venue's official driving directions instead: wildacres.org/directions.

Is the in-person retreat mandatory?

The retreat is the heart of LBF8 — it's where the deepest relationships and collaborations form, so it's highly recommended for everyone in the cohort.

Do I need a biology background?

No. Formal biology training is an advantage but isn't necessary — many great founders and operators come from physics, tech, media, and beyond. New to biology? We recommend a free intro course like MIT's 7.00x and our Recommended Reading List.

Are there scholarships or financial aid?

Yes — we want the Fellowship to be as accessible as possible, and every successful applicant who needs financial assistance can request a scholarship.

LBF8 Retreat
August 24-28
North Carolina

5-day workshop retreat led by industry experts
Food + Accomodation included
Wild Acres retreat center, Little Switzerland, NC.
Online community
1 year membership to LBF
Highly curated admissions

Apply now

LBF8North Carolina

The Experience

Who's coming

Focusareas

Replacement

Biostasis

Bioengineering

AI × Bio

Wildacres Retreat

Five days inthe mountains

Ready to build?

What the vibeis like

FAQ

Who should apply?

Who attends?

What's included?

When and where is it?

What time is check-in and check-out?

What is the programming like?

What are the facilities like?

Is there wifi and cell reception?

I want a private room — is that possible?

Should I plan anything before or after the retreat?

What if I'm driving myself?

Is the in-person retreat mandatory?

Do I need a biology background?

Are there scholarships or financial aid?

LBF8 RetreatAugust 24-28 North Carolina

Let’s chat

LBF8
North Carolina

Focus
areas

Five days in
the mountains

What the vibe
is like

LBF8 Retreat
August 24-28
North Carolina