Psychologist Karen Skerrett and MEA founder Chip Conley present…
Emerging Elders:
Wisdom, Growth & Transformation
May 12 - May 17, 2025 in Santa Fe, USA Led by: Karen Skerrett, Chip Conley, Mary Hofstedt, Daniel 'DL' Landes
Financial aid is available. Apply Here.
Emerging Elder (noun):
A person aged 55-75 who consciously embraces the next phase of life with wisdom, purpose, and a commitment to personal and collective growth.
Midlife is a turning point. The roles we’ve played for decades begin to shift, our identity evolves, and a sense of disorientation can take hold. Anxiety, isolation, and the persistent question—Who the hell am I now?—can become unwelcome companions on a journey we were never taught to navigate.
The belief that your greatest contributions end in middle age isn’t just wrong – it’s one of the most damaging myths our culture perpetuates about aging.
But what if this stage of life wasn’t about decline, but expansion?
This could be your most creative, adventurous, and meaningful chapter yet. It’s time to reclaim this phase of life on your own terms. With potentially 20, 30, or even 40 years ahead, the real question isn’t just how long you’ll live, but how fully. Your 50s, 60s, and 70s aren’t about growing old – they’re about growing whole.
Two days to shatter the myths of aging
Join psychologist Karen Skerrett and MEA founder Chip Conley for an awakening experience that redefines your third act. Through guided exploration and rich discussion, you’ll learn how to turn uncertainty into purpose, harness your wisdom, and create a life of deeper meaning and impact.
Are you ready to step into what’s next – fully and fearlessly?
Spend 5 days with psychologist Karen Skerrett & MEA founder Chip Conley to unlock strengths you never knew you had, embrace your hard-earned wisdom, and build something meaningful. This next chapter isn’t an ending – it’s your time to shine brighter than ever.
What you’ll gain
Spend 5 days with psychologist Karen Skerrett & MEA founder Chip Conley to unlock strengths you never knew you had, embrace your hard-earned wisdom, and build something meaningful. This next chapter isn’t an ending – it’s your time to shine brighter than ever.
Meet your faculty
Karen Skerrett, PhD, APRN
Licensed Clinical Psychologist | Advanced Practice Registered Nurse | Professor | Author
Author of Growing Married: Creating Stories for a Lifetime of Love
For over 35 years, Karen Skerrett has been guiding people through life's most challenging transitions with compassion and evidence-based approaches. From navigating relationship dynamics to embracing life's later chapters, she's dedicated her career to helping people discover resilience they never knew they possessed.
➥ Distinguished Educator: Faculty at Northwestern University's Family Institute, University of Illinois, Adler University, and the Chicago Center for Family Health
➥ Trusted Media Resource: Featured in Chicago Tribune, Parents Magazine, Psychology Today, The Guardian, Psychotherapy Networker, and presents internationally on adult development and life transitions
➥ Acclaimed Author: Her books include Positive Couple Therapy: Using We-Stories to Enhance Resilience, Couple Resilience: Emerging Perspectives, and others.
➥ Current Focus: Her monthly newsletter Practicing Wisdom is focused on relational wisdom and intentional aging
Karen will guide you through transforming uncertainty into purpose during one of life's most misunderstood transitions.
Chip Conley
MEA Co-Founder and Author of Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age
A three-time TED speaker on the big stage, Chip Conley is one of the world's leading experts at the intersection of business innovation, psychology and spirituality.
As one of the creators of the boutique hotel movement and the "modern elder" to the young Airbnb founders, Chip's been a disruptor and expert on entrepreneurship and business leadership. He’s a globally-recognized thought leader on the future of work and the competitive advantages of a multi-generational workplace.
Inspired by his experience of intergenerational mentoring as a “modern elder” at Airbnb – where his guidance was instrumental to the company’s extraordinary success – Chip founded MEA and has since dedicated his midlife years to reframing the concept of aging and helping people navigate midlife with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility.
This workshop is for you if...
You're between 55-75 and sense there's something much more meaningful waiting in the years ahead
You’re ready to reject outdated narratives about aging and redefine this stage on your own terms
You want to transform your life experience into wisdom that benefits yourself and others
You're facing profound life transitions and seek a compass to chart your unique and intentional path forward
You want to create meaningful impact, whether it’s through your work, creativity, or community engagement
You're ready to join a community of like-minded individuals embracing this powerful life stage
Meet your MEA facilitators
Our trailblazing facilitators guide transformative journeys across our Santa Fe high desert sanctuary and Baja beach haven. From sunrise mountain hikes and meditations to collaborative experiences – each experience is designed to inspire growth, connection, and lasting change.
Mary Hofstedt
Content Facilitator
View Bio
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!
Daniel 'DL' Landes
Experience Facilitator
View Bio
Before joining MEA, Daniel “DL” Landes spent decades as a restauranteur, author, and publisher. As the owner of multiple restaurants in Denver, CO – and then a hostel in Mexico – he dedicated himself to creating environments where people could work out their humanity while eating and drinking (which is why he fits in so well at MEA).
Now relocated to Santa Fe, DL says that “living in the Galisteo Basin impresses a unique and humbling perspective. Under the expansive, enchanted New Mexican sky I can feel so small and so big. I made a career of kicking up dust; living in the storm until the storm lived in me. When the dust settled two guideposts appeared: Spend more nights under the stars; provide a service.”
You will appreciate his dedication to creating memorable experiences during your time in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe, USA
Rising Circle Ranch
An upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and spanning nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, with ancient petroglyphs, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.
The surprising truth about life after 55: Your most authentic self is waiting to emerge
The second half of midlife has the potential to become your most creative, adventurous, and meaningful evolution yet. Join Karen and Chip for this enlightening 5-day retreat where you'll discover how to step into your full power, reclaim your sense of purpose, and design a future that energizes you.
