CADDIS Eyewear Founder Tim Parr presents…

Second Act Startup:

Launch Your Business in Midlife

Feb 17 - Feb 22, 2025 in Baja, Mexico
Led by: Tim Parr, Christine Sperber, Teddi Dean, Jed Tarlow

Financial aid is available. Apply Here.

Turn Your Lived Experience into a Successful Startup (Even if You’ve Never Launched a Business)

If you’ve ever dreamed of launching your own business – but fear, doubt, or excuses have held you back – now is the time to shift your mindset.

Contrary to commonly held belief, research shows that the BEST time to start a business is when you’re in your 40s or older.

According to Harvard Business Review, entrepreneurial performance rises sharply with age before cresting in the late 50s – and that the average age of a successful startup founder is 45.

That’s because by the time you reach midlife, you have accumulated decades of wisdom, networks, and real-world insight that makes you better equipped to build something that matters. 

Of course, getting mentorship and support from seasoned entrepreneurs who can show you how to bypass obstacles and identify ideas that are more likely to succeed also helps! 

And that’s what you’ll receive when you join Caddis Founder Tim Parr for his upcoming workshop in Baja. 

This five-day workshop is for anyone who's ready to act on their dreams of starting a successful business. You'll discover how to activate your entrepreneurial mindset, become a strategic risk-taker, and identify potential growth opportunities that will position your future business for success.

What you’ll gain

During your five days with Tim Parr and MEA's own Christine Sperber and Teddi Dean, you will discover how to:

  • Turn your decades of lived experience into a strategic entrepreneurial advantage
  • Adopt a “punk as hell” attitude toward embracing new adventures – no matter how old you are
  • Identify out-of-the-box startup ideas that could lead to profitable startup ventures
  • Discover a proven framework for developing nebulous business concepts into a concrete blueprint for success
  • Avoid common stumbling blocks that could derail your business before you get started
  • Reframe your relationship to failure and learn how to “fail forward faster” to achieve sustainable success

You will leave with a clear framework for identifying ideas that have real potential and taking them from concept to reality, secure in your ability to weather the setbacks and achieve lasting success.

Meet your faculty

Tim Parr

CEO and Founder of CADDIS Eyewear

Entrepreneur | Startup Founder | CEO | Creative Director | Brand Strategist

Tim Parr is a rule-breaking serial entrepreneur whose most recent success is founding Caddis – an eyewear brand dedicated to "Aging Awesome" and crushing anti-aging stereotypes. He has also worked with iconic lifestyle brands such as Patagonia, L.L. Bean, Filson, and Kona. 

As someone who has built multiple successful companies by following his curiosity rather than convention, Tim brings a valuable perspective based on decades of success pursuing out-of-the-box ideas that shouldn't have worked – but did. 

What sets Tim apart as a mentor is his genius for seeing opportunities where others don't. He's not just going to tell you to trust your instincts – he'll show you exactly how he's done it successfully, repeatedly, across different industries and aspects of his life. (Ask him about his bluegrass band!)

Whether you're wrestling with how to turn your unique perspective into a viable business, or trying to summon the courage to embark on a completely new adventure, Tim will share his renegade approach to life, along with decades of entrepreneurial wisdom distilled into actionable insights you can use to launch your own success story.

This workshop is for you if...

You've been sitting on a business idea but haven't taken action because you're worried about the risks or unsure of the next steps

You're ready to leverage your lived experience into your own venture, but need insight on how to make the transition successfully

You have multiple business ideas and want to figure out which ones have real potential and how to develop them strategically

You're seeking practical business strategy and the mental frameworks needed to make the leap into entrepreneurship 

You want to learn from someone who's followed his own drum beat to build winning companies and can show you how to do the same

You’re ready to think differently about failure and develop the resilience to succeed as an entrepreneur

Do this powerful work on our awe-inspiring beachside campus in Baja

Baja, Mexico

El Pescadero Resort

A stunning oceanfront property offering all of the amenities of a luxury hotel with beautiful beaches perfect for swimming or surfing. Located on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, just a short drive from Todo Santos, the “Pueblo Magico”.

  • Beach walks
  • Poolside lounging
  • Warm ocean waves
  • Fire pits
  • Magical sunsets

Meet your MEA facilitators

In addition to the powerful sessions conducted by Tim, you will be guided through the core MEA Cultivating Purpose curriculum by our faculty members:

Christine Sperber

MEA Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer (CXO)

Christine Sperber is chief architect of the experiential aspects of our workshops and programs. She is a former World Cup snowboarder and serial entrepreneur and innovator who has launched and grown award-winning hotels, businesses, and industry-evolving ideas in the sports and hospitality worlds and beyond. The word her workshop participants use most often to describe her is “badass” in recognition of her irrepressible energy and ability to make shit happen.

When Christine moved from being an athlete to the business side of snowboarding in her early 20s, she pretended she was 33 years old because it made it easier to find credibility, especially on the resort side where she often had to work with “crusty old ski coots.” Then one day she finally turned her fake age and has happily welcomed every birthday since then.

Throughout her career, Christine has managed pro athletes and world-class snowboard camps, pioneered game-changing hospitality concepts, introduced the first machine-groomed half pipes on glacial snow when no one else thought it could be done, and created sporting event series that are still happening decades later. On top of all that, she has worn the hats of writer, restaurateur, multimillion dollar sales rep, and more.

As one of MEA’s founders, Christine co-created the company and was critical in transforming the concept of a Modern Elder Academy into reality. Christine is a devoted team builder whose authenticity, values-based leadership skills, and empathetic engagement create community wherever she focuses her attention. She is a passionate activist and steward of the land and is dedicated to creating transformative experiences that change people’s lives. She makes everything she gets involved in more fun, more meaningful, and more human. 

“As we age, it’s important to continue to play games we aren’t sure we can win.”
– Christine Sperber

Teddi Dean

Head of Mindfulness and Movement

Teddi Dean is the Head of Mindfulness and Movement here at MEA. He offers a fun, accessible and wisdom filled approach to both mediation and yoga. Teddi loves working with beginners and has a gift in showing that each and every one of us is capable of dropping into stillness.

Teddi Dean grew up in Southern California where he was immersed in surf and skateboard culture. He was part of skateboard royalty as a team member of the infamous Powell and Peralta Bones Brigade.

Jed Tarlow

Experience Facilitator

Jed is a student of the world and the human condition. He came from a nomadic career in river exploration, conservation, and guiding to settle in Baja Sur and build a B&B to help people connect with this powerful landscape. He’s passionate about taking care of people, creating enriching conversations, and chasing another dreamy wave.

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Midlife isn’t the end of opportunity – it’s the beginning of your most meaningful work.

You have hard-earned wisdom, a lifetime of experience, and the clarity to see what really matters. 

You’re not just another ambitious dreamer – you’re someone who knows how to execute, adapt, and thrive. And that is what makes midlife the perfect time to become an entrepreneur.

The important thing is to take that first step and just get started.

When you give yourself permission to follow your own path and pursue the opportunities that excite you, you will be amazed at where your journey will take you. 

Are you ready to embark on your entrepreneurial adventure and discover what “aging awesome” in life and business can look like for you?

People come for the workshops,
but they stay for the community

This is truly MEA’s “secret sauce” and something you can only experience in person: the powerful connections you will make, not only with your fellow participants and the incredible MEA faculty, but also the deeper sense of connection you will feel to your own inner self and the natural world around you.

Research into aging shows that your relationships play a HUGE role in your health and wellbeing later in life. At MEA, you will make deep and lasting connections and become part of a larger community that will make your life richer and more meaningful.

Many of our alumni cohorts have stayed in close touch for years after their workshop and we have a growing number of local alumni chapters all over the world. It’s a joy for us to see them continuing to offer each other community, friendship, and support as they create thriving midlives for themselves. So if you have been feeling at all disconnected or isolated on your journey, we would love to have you join us!

Have we mentioned the food?

The MEA experience is designed in part by Chip Conley, a world-renowned boutique hotelier, which means the food is amazing.

All of the ingredients are locally sourced, organic, and made from scratch in our kitchens by hand-picked chefs. The delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners will leave you feeling nourished inside and out – not to mention the blended drinks made with fresh fruit and other top-shelf ingredients. 


Each retreat center has multiple kitchens that always have snacks and beverages available. At MEA, we believe that thriving is delicious!

Your Workshop Includes

  • 5 days and nights of lodging at our boutique luxury retreat center in Baja or Santa Fe with all of your meals, snacks, drinks and other amenities included
  • Daily sessions and experiential activities to help you connect with your inner self, envision your desired experience, and release what no longer serves you
  • Meditation covering a range of practices to soothe your nervous system and help you cultivate greater mindfulness and presence in the moment.
  • Movement to get the energy flowing and build your strength and agility as you chart your course forward to the life you want to live.
  • Incredible bonding experiences with the most amazing humans you’ll ever meet.
  • Three delicious, chef-prepared meals plus snacks throughout the day prepared from scratch with the freshest local ingredients.
  • Festive gatherings to cultivate connection and celebrate the joy and beauty of life.

Tuition starts at $4,000

Ready to start your journey?

Second Act Startup: Launch Your Business in Midlife

Feb 17 - Feb 22, 2025 in Baja, Mexico
Led by: Tim Parr, Christine Sperber, Teddi Dean, Jed Tarlow

Step into your next chapter with confidence and ease, knowing that every detail of your experience is being taken care of by our world-class faculty and hospitality team.

Starting at

$4,000 per person

Financial aid is available. Apply Here.

Still deciding or have questions?
Connect with our helpful team of Advisors

Our Advisors are all MEA alumni who can offer genuine insights into our programs. They’re passionate about helping you finding the right fit to make your next chapter the best one.

Daniel Booz

Dana Anton

Lucas Erie