Bio

“I love being an older woman,” says Monica Corcoran Harel, a journalist, screenwriter, speaker and the founder of PRETTY RIPE, a community and newsletter for women (proudly) over 40. WWD calls her the “midlife midwife” and she’s been quoted as a thought leader in Time and InStyle. Corcoran Harel writes about style, wellness, aging and complicated relationships for The Cut, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Her essay—“My Mom Has No Friends”—went viral and became the basis of a sitcom she wrote for Mandy Moore and Disney; her essay—“My Teen Daughter Doesn’t Want to Be Popular”—also went viral. Her most recent The Cut essay—“The Women Quietly Quitting Their Husbands”—has created a global buzz around redefining marriage as a concept, contract and culture, picked up by outlets like The Independent, Newsweek and Apple News. Also, she has co-authored five bestselling books with high profile figures like Rachel Zoe and the cast of Netflix’s hit show, Queer Eye.

Corcoran Harel speaks about the power of middle age and hosts lively events around the country with brand partners like supermodel Paulina Porizkova, Womaness and St. John. She also leads an annual midlife retreat at Alisal Ranch called “Act 2” that sells out every year and has been featured in travel magazines like AFAR and Self. Her latest project “Gen XYZ” is an intergenerational platform that preps young woman for the glories of getting older. She has programmed provocative panels for the Soho House, Morgan Stanley and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Corcoran Harel lives in Los Angeles.