Thriving in Your Empty Nest Chapter

Kari Cardinale is MEA’s Chief Content Officer & Partner who has developed all of our online programs. She is an expert in the longevity industry, a social entrepreneur, expert facilitator, and developer of “digital intimacy” tools to build meaningful connections and global communities.

Derek Gehl is a serial e-commerce entrepreneur, speaker, and author. After spending the first decade of his professional career growing one of world’s first Internet marketing companies to over $30 million in sales, he decided that leading a company of 100 employees in offices in two countries wasn’t for him – so he sold the company to a private equity group and refocused his life on the things he loved most: spending time with his family, pursuing his passions, and building and growing online businesses. In 2024, after doing some consulting for MEA, Derek had his own transformational experience at a Navigating Transitions workshop, which inspired him to join the company as Chief Marketing and Technology Officer and then take on the role as CEO, spearheading our mission to reimagine midlife and build a global pro-aging community that inspires people to thrive in the second half of life.

Mary Hofstedt is an experienced non profit leader and educator who strives to advance a more hopeful, caring, and connected world. Her passion for youth and community development led her to work with Challenge Success, spearhead a coalition of youth and adult partners to develop a community arts center, and serve for over a decade within Stanford University’s John W. Gardner Center. She recently wrapped up a mid-career break to reflect on purpose, study Spanish, travel, and volunteer with whale shark research and conservation. She serves as a Senior Associate with Heartwise Learning and is thrilled to be based back in Santa Fe after a 22 year stint in the Bay Area!

Erin Whalen is MEA’s Director of Content and mom to two sons: a 20-year-old university student and a 17-year-old who’s just about to enter his last year of high school. Saying goodbye to her eldest as he left for university was one of the hardest things she’s ever done – and soon she gets to do it all over when her youngest graduates from high school and embarks on his next chapter. Needless to say, she’s feeling ALL the feelings these days. 

Thérèse O’Neill is the Facilitator Lead for MEA’s Baja campus. She is a longtime educator in California and in Mexico, working with Nest Global to provide education access to young asylum seekers and refugees. She holds degrees from UC Berkeley and Stanford, with a background in trauma-informed education and psychology. She is a resident of Baja, where she makes textiles and travels in her free time.