Kene Anoliefo - Cofounder of Elis
Introducing Weekend With, our latest content series featuring interviews with fascinating women who love to travel. Discover how these bold personalities would spend a weekend away, from their destination of choice to their ideal travel companion. Come along for the ride as we explore unique perspectives on the art of traveling. Whether you're a seasoned solo traveler or simply curious about new destinations, Weekend With promises to deliver insightful and inspiring travel stories that will leave you yearning for your next vacation. Sit back and join us on this exciting journey.
Who is Kene Anoliefo?
I’m the co-founder of Elis, a venture-backed startup that helps companies understand their customers better using Artificial Intelligence. Before starting Elis, I spent over a decade working at the intersection of entertainment and tech as a Product Executive at YouTube, Spotify and Netflix. I find joy in taking outwardly complex things and helping people understand them in simple, familiar ways. I write a newsletter called “Ain’t I” where I explain different aspects of AI through the lens of pop culture: music, sports, TV and movies. My work is inspired by equity and the idea that if we can understand our world better, we’ll be more empowered to transform it.
Where are you going?
If I have a free long weekend in the summer, I'm going to Big Sur and Carmel. I fell in love with this part of California after doing a roadtrip down Highway 1 from Mendocino to San Diego. Big Sur is one of the most breathtaking places I've ever seen - here in the US or abroad. When I'm there, I feel like I'm being swallowed whole by beauty from all sides; the towering oceanside bluffs from above, the pristine blue ocean to my right and the lush redwood forests to my left. As soon as you're enveloped in the magical landscape it's over -- the whole area is no more than 40-50 miles down a two-lane, winding highway. It's this brief, singular pocket of wonder that seems like someone did a cut-and-paste from the New Zealand coastline to the Bay Area.
Who are you bringing with you?
I'm going with my husband. Big Sur was the first trip we went on after we started dating, and we've gone every summer for the last eight years. For that reason and many more, it's become the place where I reconnect to love both through him and the incredible landscape.
What’s your travel style?
In my 20s, travel was about how I could create the most high-octane adventure to discover new things in whatever place I was visiting. In my 30s, travel has been a time to escape and reset so that new things can be revealed to me from within myself. Every activity -or lack of activity - is intentional. I plan more ahead of time to have plenty of options to be able to adapt to how I'm feeling once I get on a trip. Big Sur and Carmel are perfect for this because there aren't a million options of what to do, but each of the things you can do all have the potential to be a fun and meaningful experience.
Kene’s Hit List
What I Like.
I love Big Sur and Carmel because it's quiet without being sleepy. We always do 1-2 challenging hikes where we push our bodies, and then a long drive down Highway 1 where you can chill and stare at the coastline for hours and let your mind wander to wherever it needs to go. Carmel is this amazing, quaint village with the great restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops so there's always a great meal awaiting you after a day of hiking. People are friendly, welcoming, curious and just happy to have the chance to exist in such natural beauty. You make eye contact with strangers and the unspoken sentiment is "Aren't we lucky to get to experience all this?" Gratitude and contentment are the first principles from which everything else flows.
What I Recommend.
Do: Hike at Andrew Molera State Park
Do: Hike at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Do: Carmel Beach
Do: Midnight hot springs at Esalen Institute
Eat: Nepenthe
Eat: Carmel Bakery (the pretzels are a must)
Eat: Big Sur Bakery
Eat: at Il Fornaio
Stay: Ventanas in Big Sur
Stay: Treebones in Big Sur (great glamping option)
Stay: Tally Ho Inn in Carmel
What is your must-pack item?
Platform Birkenstocks because they fit with my hi-lo fashion aesthetic and work for every leg of the trip: airport, walking around town, dinner, beach, etc!
Carry-on or check-in?
Check it in. She needs options, ok? Also, I'm 6ft tall, so one pair of shoes takes up half of a carry-on.
Hotel or Airbnb?
Hotel because the great ones have carefully curated an experience that speaks to the local destination you're at. Plus, you have access to amazing local knowledge through the hotel staff.
Share a song, podcast, or book for the trip.
Sponono by Kazba De Small. Amapiano is the perfect vibe for a long drive. Energetic, trancelike, rich sonic tapestry.
