Aging Awesome: Finding Your Longevity & Legacy Sweet Spot
Join our panel of longevity and midlife purpose experts on December 4th at 12 pm PT | 3 pm ET for a thought-provoking discussion on how to find your purpose, make bold career and business moves, and optimize your wellbeing in midlife. CADDIS Eyewear founder Tim Parr, gerontologist and life-stage expert Barbara Waxman, and Challenge Factory founder Lisa Taylor will be guiding this insightful discussion on how to live your next chapter to the fullest. Tune in to discover the latest science on aging as well as insights, resources and ideas you can apply right away to lay the groundwork for exciting new adventures and experiences in 2025.
Barbara Waxman is a masterful coach, life stage expert and gerontologist and empowers adults in midlife to thrive personally and professionally. She is an Advisory Council Member for the Stanford Center on Longevity and Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, an angel investor in the longevity space, and a three-time author.
Tim Parr is the CEO and Founder of CADDIS, an eyewear brand that crushes age stereotypes. He believes in defying our society’s addiction to youth and fueling getting older and owning it.
Tim got his start as an entrepreneur when he founded Swobo, a California action sports clothing company that expanded into a bike company. After that he worked for some of the world’s most respected brands, such as Patagonia, L.L. Bean, Filson, and many more. He has lectured at the Stanford School of Design, Modern Elder Academy, San Francisco Academy of Art, and the California College of Arts.
In 2013, he formed a bluegrass band and hit the road touring the Western United States – despite not knowing how to play the guitar. He has made a successful life out of defying norms and expectations and exploring opportunities based on his interests and instincts rather than what mainstream thinking would have us believe is the “proper” way to do things.
Now he’d like you to understand how awesome your life can be when you embrace possibility and “do the thing” you have been dreaming about doing.
Lisa Taylor has been working with career professionals and researching what people in midlife want and need to thrive in the workplace for over 20 years.
In 2012, Lisa founded Challenge Factory, a B Corp research agency and consultancy offering unique career and transition tools designed for older workers. Challenge Factory’s founding purpose was to enhance work for employees of all ages by re-engaging older workers who are “successful but not satisfied” and are looking for more purpose and fulfillment in their work.
Lisa’s unique background in older worker career development and workplace engagement led to her appointment as an Associate Fellow at the National Institute on Ageing. She the co-host of two podcasts and the author of five books.
What if success isn’t about doing more but finally feeling enough?
Blake Mycoskie – entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, and founder of TOMS – joins us for an unfiltered conversation about what happens when chasing achievement stops working.
After building a $600M brand and giving away millions of shoes, Blake hit a wall that success couldn’t fix. What followed was a personal reckoning and a complete rewrite of what it means to live a meaningful life.
In this candid live session with MEA CEO Derek Gehl, Blake shares the hard-won lessons behind his shift from relentless striving to grounded self-worth. You’ll hear how he helps other high performers step off the hamster wheel and reconnect with who they are beyond the résumé.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, Is this it?, this conversation is for you.
What if the parts of you that feel “too much” or “not enough” are actually the truest signals of who you are?
Join author, horse whisperer, and founder of the EQUUS Experience®, Kelly Wendorf, for a live, warm conversation with MEA’s Derek Gehl on reclaiming the voice you muted, the instincts you second-guessed, and the self you edited to fit in.
This is a callback to the wilderness within – a space where ancient earth wisdom meets modern neuroscience, and the animals still know something we’ve forgotten: how to live in full alignment with our nature.
Here’s some of what might rise to the surface:
Come if you’re ready to shed the scripts and step back into the wild wisdom of your true self.
Join us for an intimate talk with Ben Katt, meditation teacher, former minister, and author of The Way Home: Discovering the Hero’s Journey to Wholeness in Midlife, as we explore how ancient wisdom traditions can guide us through the challenging transitions of midlife and beyond.
Hosted by MEA’s Kari Cardinale, this session offers a unique opportunity to learn from Ben, whose compassionate approach has helped countless individuals transform their lives and discover deeper joy, purpose, and meaning.
In this live chat, you can learn how to:
This is more than just a discussion – it’s an invitation to embark on your own Hero’s Journey toward wholeness and fulfillment.
What if purpose isn’t something you chase but something you live, one moment at a time?
World-renowned purpose pioneer Richard Leider joins MEA’s Kari Cardinale for an inspiring conversation about how to move from asking “What’s next?” to “What really matters?”
Drawing from decades of coaching, research, and his own lived experience, Richard shares how everyday choices — what he calls “little p” purpose — can lead to big shifts in how we live, age, and connect. You’ll hear why purpose is essential not just for meaning, but for well-being and longevity, and how to begin reconnecting with it now, no matter your stage of life.
If you’re standing at a crossroads and craving clarity, this conversation is your invitation to start living on purpose.