Leila Centner, CEO, Centner Academy & Wellness
Leila Centner is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Centner Academy, a progressive independent ‘happiness’ school that combines a deep commitment to emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and happiness with a challenging curriculum featuring language immersion, entrepreneurial thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. In 2023, Leila opened the Centner Wellness Center with the most sophisticated health technology and biohacking tools available in the world. After overcoming her own significant health issues, Leila was inspired to enter the wellness space to help others transform their minds and bodies to achieve optimal health and vitality. She is devoted to her philanthropy and humanitarian causes as well as to her two young daughters and husband.
Leila’s journey toward visionary leadership, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy is rooted in her tumultuous childhood. Growing up in a rough neighborhood outside of Los Angeles, she was surrounded by domestic abuse, teenage pregnancies, and gang violence. She witnessed her mother’s abuse at the hands of her stepfather and her ongoing difficulty in leaving due to financial dependence. The struggles Leila experienced only worked to light a fire inside of her to strive for more and to create a better life for herself and her family.
Reprioritizing all of her energy into her studies, Leila obtained scholarships and grants to graduate from the University of Southern California’s School of Accounting. She later received her MBA from the University of California. Her initial career was spent with high-profile companies Arthur Andersen and Deloitte & Touche, overseeing engagements with multiple billion-dollar accounting clients. She continued to serve in senior executive roles for diverse industries including appointments as CFO/COO of Alignmed, CFO of Centra Realty Group, and CFO of Highway Toll Administration (HTA) which Leila and her husband sold in 2018.
While searching for a school in Miami for her eldest daughter, Leila was surprised to find a lack of options that met her standards for education and personal development. So as any extraordinary visionary powerhouse would do; she opted to create her own school. The Centner Academy’s curriculum was developed by a team of seasoned educators to meet the needs and expectations of globally-minded families. The intention is to shape future adults who are not only confident and poised to succeed, but who also have the character and skills needed to make the world a better, kinder, and more loving place for all. The Academy is now one of the most sought-after enrollments in Southern Florida.
As if founding an educational institution could keep her busy enough, Leila opened the Centner Wellness Center in Brickell with a second location in Edgewater in 2023. The Centner Wellness Center is a state-of-the-art facility that serves as a sanctuary for achieving optimal health through the latest technology and services with ancient, holistic wisdom. Having herself overcome significant health issues including those from Lyme and mold, she sought to create a space where individuals can access the tools and technology to help them heal.
Another one of Leila’s greatest joys comes from the humanitarian and philanthropy work she is involved with. She devotes her time to nonprofits like the Lotus House Shelter, the Arsht Center, and Convoy of Hope through the Centner Foundation, which she co-manages with her husband David. Leila is a proud mother of two daughters and enjoys spending quality time with her loved ones, exploring new places and cultures, and throwing events to bring people together.
Learn more about Centner Academy here and the Centner Wellness Centers here.
What is your secret to living a high-vibrancy life?
It's so important to surround yourself with people that vibrate high.
For those around you who don’t vibrate high, you can help by coaching and bringing them up. If that’s not possible, the best solution is to part ways.
How do you balance work, wellness, and spirituality?
It is critical to have a great team. You are equal to your weakest link. Meditation and prayer are also important to staying balanced for me.
Was there any one significant event that moved you onto the path of becoming the woman you are today?
My childhood and seeing how abusive my stepfather was to my mother. I knew I had to be independent and self-sufficient from an early age. I also knew that when I got married it had to be to a good man who was kind, caring, and had a large heart.
You founded the Centner Academy because you couldn’t find a school for your daughter that met your standards for engaging academics and the holistic development of children. What helped you take on such a huge endeavor that you didn’t have experience with before?
I am a proponent of taking matters into your own hands instead of complaining when you don’t like how something is done. Surround yourself with open-minded people who are willing to do things differently. You can hire experts in any field, but you want people who can put egos aside, learn alongside you, and be flexible.
All your work is passion-driven and aligned with your greater purpose. What would you advise women struggling to figure out their purpose and how to realize their dreams and businesses?
Pray, meditate, and explore until you figure out what feels right for you. Keep trying and going with the flow. Sometimes your purpose may change. I was super passionate about accounting in my early career. Now I’m passionate about education and wellness. It's okay to keep making switches in direction as you uncover your interests.
You talk about how happiness is not the result of success but rather a precursor to achieving success. How does one build this internal happiness before achievement?
You can’t live in the past or the future. Focus on the now through prayer and meditation.
You’ve said that to move through life with a deep sense of purpose and inner peace one must work on healing past traumas as to be more connected to God and the universe. Where does one start on this work?
Breathwork, meditation, and finding ways to reconnect to yourself.
Your love story and partnership with your husband is so inspiring. I know you in your mid-30s after a difficult relationship and divorce. What would you say to single women out there struggling to find their person when society is telling them it’s too late?
It’s essential to be clear on what you want. Visualize it, write it down, and then read it every night. I did this after a breakup and met my now husband.
What are the morning and evening routines or rituals that help you stay focused and grounded?
I do a 22-minute meditation in the morning and then one in the afternoon. I come to Centner Wellness to utilize all the technology while multitasking additional work.
What is the one health practice that you most credit with changing your life?
Coffee enemas are key to longevity and good health. They help stimulate the removal of toxins and increase the production of glutathione in the body. Quality supplements are also critical.
Any secrets for building confidence?
Study and learn as much as possible in whatever topic you need confidence in.
You do so much. How do you prevent overwhelm?
Mindset. If you keep saying you’re stressed or too busy you will be. Become aware of the words you’re using. Retrain your brain to remove any negative words, thoughts, or judgments.
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Live a Life of Courage While Being a State of Love and Peace
Absolute favorite healers or practitioners for beauty, health, and wellness?
My favorite healers and practitioners are at the Centner Wellness
Nicole for Beauty
Daniela for Nutrition
Alex for Somatic Breathwork
Personal Mantra
Every challenge is another tremendous learning opportunity to level up my soul.
Advice to the Woo🖤Woo Working Women out there figuring out how to live their best high-vibrancy life?
Be patient. Be calm. Be resilient. Be okay with mistakes as long as you keep learning from them.
