Serenbe Stories

Steve Nygren dives into how to actually begin the build process when you're starting from nothing. He knew he had to save his backyard and had worked with his neighbors to go to the state to make the laws work for Chattahoochee Hills, but he didn't yet know he was going to create the Serenbe community. That realization was never a moment, but rather over a gradual course of time. Ryan Gainey had wanted to develop a street to show a better way to incorporate nature into the build. Steve...

After Steve Nygren brought small and large land owners in Chattahoochee Hills on board his development plan, it was time to take the project to the state. Three state foundations and a few private citizens had pledged money to invest in the project, and Governor Barnes was ready to push legislation through to allow Chattahoochee Hill Country to change land rights in the region. When Barnes didn't get re-elected, most of these investments disappeared. One person stayed in, and that money was...

It's amazing to think about how fast time goes yet how different we are today. Steve Nygren knew he had to protect the land that was his backyard, but he didn't yet know what that looked like. He had seen the 70-30 plan inside Prairie Crossing, so he knew it could work but didn't want what had happened there (everything outside the community followed tradition, non-preservation practices). Always the hospitality man, Steve brought his neighbors together over dinners and homemade desserts to...

Monica Olsen and Steve Nygren go into detail about the pivotal moment in Steve and Serenbe’s beginning. Steve and his daughter, Garnie, came upon a bulldozer taking out trees while they were running trails on their 300 acres. Steve worried about urban sprawl in their paradise and immediately made calls to land owners in Chattahoochee Hills, asking them to call if they ever decided to sell. The three largest parcels that touched the Nygren farmhouse had to sell for different reasons, and in 5...

Sometimes the groove we’re in is actually a rut. That’s how Steve Nygren describes his feelings when he decided to step off the corporate treadmill and make the move to Chattahoochee Hill Country. Before Serenbe’s homes, shops, restaurants and events, there was the discovery of open, rolling hills and a 1904 farmhouse. In this episode, Steve Nygren shares about his family’s life in Atlanta and the value shift that brought them to the country full time. Steve also discusses opening a bed &...

Many people wonder “What is Serenbe?” Host Monica Olsen introduces Serenbe founder, developer and CEO Steve Nygren as they sit down to talk about why he created Serenbe, and what Serenbe is today. Questions Asked People/Organizations Mentioned: Steve Nygren, Ray C. Anderson, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, Audubon Society, Chattahoochee Hills, Denver, Colorado, Decatur, Georgia, Interface, The White House, Counsel on the Environment, Rocky Mountain Institute, LEED, Blue...

Welcome to Serenbe Stories, a podcast chronicling life in the leading wellness community. Hosted by Monica Olsen, we are thrilled to share this 12 episode season capturing the story of Serenbe, directly from the founder, Steve Nygren. We had this seed of an idea over a year ago and over the past 6 months, we have taken this journey of recording and producing our very first podcast in-house and are excited to invite you along. We're so proud of the team for taking on this challenge of...