Monica Verga-Alborno has lived many lives in one lifetime: corporate leader, global operator, retreat founder, community builder, and now, the creator of The Kindred Social, a dedicated space for high-achieving corporate leaders becoming early-stage founders. Her story is not only a journey of professional reinvention, but also of identity, purpose, and trusting an idea that refused to let her go.

For those who have followed her work through Wander Wild, it may not be surprising that Monica has always been a lifelong learner. Still, many are often struck by just how unconventional her path has been. If someone had met her ten years ago, they would have found a woman in steel-toed boots standing in the desert oil fields, managing all-male crews under a rising Kuwaiti sun. Today, she stands in a very different landscape, one shaped by family wellness travel, maternal mental health advocacy, creative entrepreneurship, and holistic community.

And yet, the through-line is unmistakable: she has always followed the pull toward what feels purposeful, even when the next step wasn’t obvious.

LISTEN ON APPLE

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

A Corporate Beginning Rooted in Curiosity and Grit

Monica often jokes that nothing about her life path was predictable, not even the beginning. She went to Penn State, a massive university known more for football and parties than petroleum engineering. But in a twist of serendipity, she became one of only two women in her graduating class of petroleum and natural gas engineers.

From there, her corporate journey unfolded quickly. Before she even crossed the graduation stage, she had job offers lined up, eventually choosing a role with a Fortune 500 energy company that sent her straight to Kuwait at 24 years old. She moved there without knowing a single person, motivated by a simple desire: “I wanted to go explore the world.”

Her early career was intense, no weekends off, ten months without a break, long hours in remote oil fields where camels wandered past machinery. She managed crews of men from Egypt, Pakistan, and across the world. These were high-pressure operations, often running through the night, where she learned how to lead not from a textbook, but from real, lived responsibility.

After Kuwait came Angola, where she grew deeper roots in technical sales, tendering, and introducing new technologies. She became the field service manager for the region and later the operations manager for all of sub-Saharan Africa, overseeing operations in 26 countries. It was here she learned how to start up complex projects from scratch, hiring local teams, rebuilding dormant facilities, conducting readiness and risk assessments, and troubleshooting logistical challenges that would intimidate most.

These experiences sharpened her instincts. They taught her how to identify talent, create systems, navigate crises, and build trust within multicultural teams in some of the most demanding environments in the world.

The Shift Toward Entrepreneurship

When Monica moved to Norway in 2018, she stepped into yet another leadership role, career development and engagement manager for Scandinavia and continental Europe. She was responsible for supporting hundreds of employees, creating pathways for engagement, facilitating performance reviews, and identifying talent across business lines.

But during this period, something else began to surface: an idea she “just couldn’t shake.” She had already traveled to more than 80 countries. She had lived in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. She had started raising her two young children. She had experienced firsthand the gaps in support for mothers, especially during travel.

She began to see the same patterns everywhere:
Mothers were overstimulated.
Families were disconnected.
Traditional vacations were exhausting.
No one was offering a restorative approach to family wellness travel.

And then came the moment she knew the idea was real: there was a market gap no one else was addressing.

This became the seed of Wander Wild Family Retreats.

Building Wander Wild from the Ground Up

When Monica first tried explaining her vision to others, she was met with hesitation. “You don’t know anything about that market,” some told her. And in many ways, they were right; this was a completely different field.

But Monica also knew something they didn’t: all of her corporate skills were deeply transferable.

She knew how to build a team.
She knew how to lead people through complexity.
She knew how to communicate clearly.
She knew how to think globally.
She knew how to design systems that worked.
She knew how to identify gaps and build solutions.
She knew how to navigate setbacks, iterations, and pressure.

And most importantly, she had lived experience. She knew what families needed because she was living it herself.

Today, Wander Wild has become a flourishing, global community:
— Retreats that sell out
— A podcast now in the top 10% globally
— A growing editorial presence with features in Forbes, Glamour, Business Insider, and more
— A virtual membership with circles, coworking calls, and ongoing community support
— Summits attracting thousands of attendees

All from an idea she once struggled to explain.

Why Corporate Leaders Are Uniquely Equipped for Entrepreneurship

As Monica reflected on her own transition, she realized something powerful: corporate leaders possess extraordinary strengths that translate seamlessly into founder life.

They know how to solve problems.
They know how to lead.
They know how to build systems.
They know how to work under pressure.
They know how to communicate their ideas.
They know how to set goals and stay accountable.
They know how to navigate setbacks without giving up.

She also understands something else deeply: corporate leaders often carry the financial weight of their households. Most can’t simply quit and figure it out. They need structure, clarity, support, and a plan.

And that realization is what inspired the creation of her next offering.

Introducing The Kindred Social

The Kindred Social is Monica’s newest extension of her work, a one-on-one consulting, mentoring, and coaching space for corporate leaders becoming founders.

It is designed for people who:

• Have an idea they can’t let go of
• Want to test or validate a concept
• Crave clarity before transitioning
• Want to build a brand that lasts
• Desire both strategy and soulful support
• Don’t want another passive “side hustle”, they want something real
• Are ready to take action but need a trusted guide

Monica’s support ranges widely, depending on the needs of each founder:
— Clarifying ideas
— Market research
— Brand positioning
— Hosting in-person events or retreats
— Building virtual summits
— Creating press and PR strategies
— Integrating ethical AI into workflows
— Systems, processes, and productivity
— Using corporate skills to build early credibility

And most importantly, The Kindred Social is high touch. Monica doesn’t believe in surface-level guidance; she believes in rolling up her sleeves and walking the journey with her clients, from idea to execution.

She also shares her intention to eventually bring all clients together quarterly for connection, workshops, and collective learning, a true community of founders who understand the transition from corporate life to entrepreneurial identity.

Picture of a woman working on her laptop.

A Space for the Unconventional Thinkers

Monica believes that those who are drawn to Wander Wild, and now The Kindred Social, are people who value lifelong learning, unconventional paths, curiosity, and adventure earlier in life rather than waiting until retirement.

She describes it simply:
“You’re not here because you want the traditional ‘get the pension and then explore’ path. You want to take your adventure earlier.”

And this is why her work resonates so deeply with the community she attracts.

She holds a strong belief that founders are a little bit delusional, in the best possible way. They hold big ideas, big visions, and a willingness to leap before the path is clear.

A Closing Invitation

Monica’s story is a reminder that reinvention is possible at any stage. It’s a reminder that ideas matter, that intuition is a compass, and that the skills built in one chapter can become the foundation for the next.

For anyone feeling the quiet pull toward something more, The Kindred Social is a space to explore that pull with clarity, strategy, and a mentor who has walked this path herself.

Key Quotes from the Episode

“I was a corporate leader. I am now an entrepreneur in a very different market, in a very different path, in a very different identity.”
“Maybe you want to take your adventure earlier.”
“It was an idea that I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t shake. I had to pursue.”
“All successful entrepreneurs are a little bit delusional… it takes some of that to make it happen.”
“I love supporting other people who want to bring their ideas into the world.”

Want more episodes like this? Listen to The Wand(HER)wild Podcast and connect with our community over on Instagram @wandherwild or through our digital events at wandherwild.com and retreats at wanderwildfamilyretreats.com.