Thanksgiving at MEA: Gratitude & Awe in the High Desert
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
The Thanksgiving You've Been Waiting to Enjoy
There's a version of Thanksgiving you've always imagined – one that goes deeper than the logistics, the family dynamics, and the pressure to perform gratitude on cue. One where you leave the table feeling genuinely sated and deeply thankful for everything life has to offer.
Not just fed, but seen, connected, and restored.
Maybe you’ve enjoyed celebrations like this in the past, but this year it’s not in the cards because your friends and family have other plans this holiday season.
Or maybe you've never quite found it – and you're starting to wonder if the holiday you've always imagined is even possible within the traditions you've always known.
Sometimes a new tradition is the answer.
Not a replacement for what you've loved in the past – but a chance to discover a chance to experience the kind of belonging and gratitude that the holiday has always promised.
Imagine spending five days in the breathtaking high desert of New Mexico, slowing down long enough to feel genuinely present, surrounded by people who share your hunger for something real. Conversations that actually go somewhere. Meals worth savoring. Mornings that start with intention rather than obligation.
A Thanksgiving that leaves you full in every sense of the word.
If that sounds like the kind of holiday you’re looking for, join us for Thanksgiving in the high desert: a tradition rooted in gratitude, wonder, and connection.
What you'll gain
In addition to experiences with our MEA core curriculum, this week offers time in community, exploration of the high desert landscape, and reflection and reset.
Together we will:
Explore gratitude and awe as new ways of deepening support for connection and wellbeing, opening to new possibilities and joy, and increasing cognitive flexibility.
Drop beneath the surface in meaningful conversations that foster belonging, insight, and self-understanding.
Transform gratitude into a daily practice. Move beyond the once-a-year acknowledgment and explore ongoing gratitude through mindful moments in the beauty of the high desert.
Practice deep listening: This involves building awareness of one's body for internal signals, practicing deep listening to others and to one's self without fixing or advising, and identifying what makes a good listener.
Experience the grounding peace of horses. Spend time with our desert herd and feel what it means to be fully seen – no words required.
Unlock a deeper sense of awe through nature, community, and gratitude come together – and remember that life is full of magic
Celebrate Thanksgiving as personal renewal, honoring who you're becoming while savoring an amazing feast curated by local chefs
You’ll be warmly welcomed whether you arrive solo, with a friend, or partner – and come away sated and transformed in all the right ways.
This Workshop
Is For You If…
Meet
Mary Hofstedt
MEA Program Director & Senior Facilitator - Santa Fe
Mary Hofstedt is an experienced nonprofit leader and educator who strives to advance a more hopeful, caring, and connected world.
As MEA’s beloved program director and senior facilitator in Santa Fe, she is responsible for ensuring our facilitators do a great job of delivering the MEA content and collaborating with our guest faculty to create a transformative experience for our workshop participants.
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.
Supported By the MEA Team
What you'll gain
A new relationship with gratitude
Gratitude isn't just a feeling to summon on cue. This week, you'll discover it as a daily practice that opens you to new possibilities and joy.
The art of truly listening — and being heard
You'll learn to offer others your full attention without the urge to fix or advise — and experience what it feels like to be genuinely understood.
A community that gets it
There's something rare about five days with people asking the same questions you are. The relationships you build here tend to outlast the week.
The reset you didn't know you needed
Five days in the high desert has a way of returning you to yourself — with a clarity and spaciousness that's hard to manufacture anywhere else.
Our Agenda at a Glance
Sunday:
Monday:
4:00 PM: Check-in/Welcome
5:30 PM: Welcome Reception & Dinner
7:00 PM: Orientation Session
Tuesday:
7:00 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
Wednesday:
7:00 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
Thursday:
7:00 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
Friday:
7:00 AM: Mind + Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Classroom Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Graduation
6:30 PM: Celebration Dinner
Saturday:
7:00 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Checkout/Departure
*Please note all times are estimates and not all “classroom activities” take place in the actual classroom. This agenda is meant to give you an idea of the general flow of activities.
Step into transformation in the high desert
Rising Circle Ranch | Santa Fe, USA.
Our spectacular Santa Fe campus is located on an upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.
PLUS: Gourmet from-scratch meals, snacks, and drinks featuring locally sourced ingredients, made by our in-house chefs
Explore the ranch
on horseback
Our Rising Circle Ranch spans 2,600 acres of New Mexico high desert, offering guided horseback riding for all experience levels through diverse terrains under the vast Southwest sky
You’ll experience highlights like:
Horseback riding is an optional add-on activity you can book once you arrive on the ranch. Whether you’re seasoned or brand new to horseback adventures, this guided experience lets you discover the ranch’s natural wonders alongside our gentle horses.
Your Workshop Also Includes:
Don't Spend Another Thanksgiving Wishing It Were Different
You already know what it feels like to leave the holiday weekend a little flat – full of food but not quite fed. This year, there's another option.
Spaces are intentionally limited to keep the experience intimate – so if this is calling to you, it's worth responding sooner rather than later.
Here's what's waiting for you:
This is the Thanksgiving you've been waiting to enjoy. Come find it in Santa Fe.
Book your spot today
Thanksgiving at MEA: Gratitude & Awe in the High Desert
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
The program was spectacular. It really surpassed my expectations. I was really surprised about how the course was curated. There was such a warm intensity and personal touch to it.
I experienced MEA as a newly diagnosed multiple myeloma cancer patient, and as a result of the things I’ve learned - I’ve banished the anxiety of being a cancer victim, am in remission, and living with a newfound energy and purpose.
Just know how grateful I am for the joy fuel you all put in my rocket ship. When I want to feel loved or just need a good smile I can think of my time at MEA, which came at the perfect time to encourage me on my journey. Thank you!
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this different from other leadership workshops?
Most leadership programs teach tactics for the next quarter. This one rewires how you think for the next decade. It’s not another skills seminar or motivational retreat. It’s consciousness work made practical – where inner transformation meets strategic execution. Rand Stagen brings 25+ years of advising CEOs, founders, and investors, blending it with deep philosophical frameworks from Harvard researchers and pioneers of the Conscious Capitalism movement.
Do I need to be a CEO or run a company to benefit?
No. While Rand’s primary work is with leaders, these frameworks translate to anyone curious about leadership and personal transformation. The concepts of infinite vs. finite games, ancestral thinking, and elevated perspective apply to anyone seeking meaning beyond achievement.
Can I attend if I'm still actively building my career rather than transitioning away from it?
Absolutely. This workshop isn’t about retiring from ambition – it’s about expanding your definition of success. Many participants are still in their prime earning years but want to ensure their continued achievements contribute to something larger. The “pursuit of higher ground” means elevating your current work to serve infinite games, not abandoning your career goals but reframing them within a broader context of ancestral impact.
What's included in the investment?
Everything is included: four days of immersive workshop sessions, all materials, luxury accommodations at MEA’s Santa Fe retreat, chef-prepared gourmet meals, and unforgettable group experiences – all within an intimate learning environment of just 28 participants.
The only additional costs are your travel to Santa Fe and any personal expenses.
What is the "infinite game" concept, and how does it apply to my life?
The infinite game framework, central to this workshop, shifts you from playing to “win” (finite games like quarterly targets, promotions) to playing to “keep playing” (infinite games like building lasting impact and becoming a better ancestor). You’ll learn to expand your time horizons from quarters to decades, moving beyond personal achievement to meaningful contribution that outlasts your lifetime.
How does Rand's approach differ from other conscious leadership teachers?
Rand uniquely bridges high-level business experience with deep consciousness work. As a co-founder of the Conscious Capitalism movement and the leader of a faculty that has collaborated with Harvard’s Bob Kegan and philosopher Ken Wilber, he translates complex theories into practical frameworks that work in real life. Unlike most leadership experts who focus on performance optimization, Rand’s “horizon expanding” approach helps leaders measure impact across lifetimes, not quarters – shifting from finite wins to infinite, ancestral significance.
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
Lucas Erie
Leslie Bartlett