Agenda

8:00 am

OPENING REMARKS & WELCOME

Kick off the day with an inspiring introduction from industry leaders. Gain insights into the transformative ideas and data that will shape the future of aging and caregiving innovation.

Mary Furlong, CEO, Mary Furlong & Associates
Ernie Ianace, President, Amba
Todd Haim, Director, Office of Strategic Extramural Programs, National Institute on Aging
Mel Barsky, Partner, CABHI Ventures
Sherri Snelling, CEO, Caregiving Club

8:30 am

Navigating Life’s Transitions: A User-Centric Approach to Aging and Innovation

Discover AARP’s groundbreaking consumer research that redefines life’s transitions. Learn how innovative solutions are crafted to make aging not only seamless but empowering.

Presenter: Michael Phillips, Director of Technology Strategy Integration, AARP

8:45 am

The “Wisdom on Wheels” Journey: A Nationwide Five-Year Quest to Capture the Hearts and Minds of the Greatest Generation

The “Wisdom on Wheels” journey is an engaging and heartwarming presentation highlighting lessons learned while criss-crossing the country for the last five years. Through hundreds of personal interviews of residents and staff, the session reminds the audience why they got into the senior living profession in the first place, and the importance in allowing residents to be heard. You will hear lessons of resiliency, joy, gratitude and faith among the elders interviewed.

Presenter: Jack York, Chief Storyteller, Talegate

9:00 am

Caregiving Innovations That Matter

Nancy LeaMond, a key thought leader from AARP driving change across policy, services and partnerships related to caregiving, will share information about AARP’s advocacy wins in the caregiving arena and will reflect upon caregiving as a political issue in the 2024 elections. A dynamic discussion with leading innovators will follow, offering fresh perspectives on caregiving’s evolving landscape.

Moderator: Mary Furlong, CEO, Mary Furlong & Associates and and Liz Seegert, Award-winning health journalist/writer

Speakers:
Nancy LeaMond, EVP, Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer, AARP
David Moss, CEO, Care Daily
Neal Shah, CEO, CareYaya

9:45 am

BREAK

10:00 am

Pitch for Distribution to the Corporations and Organizations Investing in the Longevity Economy

The session will begin with distribution partners in the longevity marketplace discussing the trends that dominate the market in the coming year. Then three companies will take turns pitching their offerings to the panel. Listen to the pitches of these companies and see which distribution partners are intrigued enough to meet.  

Moderator: Michael Phillips, Director of Technology Strategy Integration, AARP

Pitch Panel

Joy Toliver, Program Analyst, Office of Small Business Research, National Institute on Aging

Steven Perdue, Business Development Manager, AgeTech Collaborative from AARP 

Greg Olsen, Acting Director, New York State Office for the Aging 

Michael Hughes, Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer, United Church Homes

Courtney Baldridge, Corporate Strategist, USAging 

Valerie Larochelle, Eugeria

Jennifer Raymond, Chief Strategy Officer, AgeSpan 

Presenters:

Angela Fairhurst, Founder, Geri-Gadgets

Ashish Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO, JubileeTV

Stephen Popovich, CEO, Theora Care

Yasuyuki Tashibu, CEO, SoundFun

11:00 am

Fireside Chat: Keeping Our Aging Population Working for a Healthier and More Secure Longer Life

Explore how retirees are redefining work-life balance through flexible, purpose-driven opportunities. Discover why staying active leads to healthier, longer lives.

Sharon Emek, CEO, Work at Home Vintage Entrepreneurs

Kerry Hannon, Senior Columnist and On-Air Expert, Yahoo Finance

11:15 am

Health and Digital Equity: What It Is and Why It Matters

This session will explore how digital platforms and innovative strategies transform health and digital equity for a broader socio-economic demographic. The discussion will focus on solutions to address resource shortages, overcome geographic barriers, and ensure equitable access to care for underserved populations, particularly older adults. By leveraging digital literacy and targeted education, these initiatives are bridging gaps in access and empowering individuals to take control of their health and ultimately reduce care costs for everyone. Presenters will showcase how organizations and companies can lead by example, demonstrating the potential of digital innovation to create a more inclusive and equitable health environment, regardless of economic or geographic limitations.

Moderator: Julie Halpert, Independent Journalist and Journalism Instructor

Presenters:

Lawrence Kosick, Co-Founder, GetSetUp

Jake Levy, Chief Revenue Officer, Claris Healthcare

Tyesha Jones, Senior Client Services Coordinator, Meals on Wheels for MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association) 

Noon

Networking Lunch 

1:00 pm

What Investors Are Looking For

Investing in the caregiving sector has increased dramatically, and investors at all stages are investing in the space, actively seeking promising solutions in multiple areas, including care coordination, senior living, training and more. Learn what these investors are looking for, how to find the perfect funding partners, what entrepreneurs should look for, and what to expect. This essential panel is a critical “how to” session for any startup company in the longevity market.

Moderators: Mary Furlong, President, Mary Furlong & Associates, and Dan Hermann, President & CEO, Ziegler

Presenters:

Justin Young, AVP, Unum Ventures 

Tracy Chadwell, Founding Partner, 1843 Capital

Abby Miller Levy, Managing Partner, Primetime Partners

Rob Runett, Partner, Motley Fool Ventures

Amelia Hay, VP, Startup Programming & Investments, AgeTech Collaborative from AARP

1:45 pm

Alternate Funding Sources: Foundations, Family Offices and Social Impact Funds

New sources of funding are emerging, from family offices to foundations and social impact funds, that focus on innovation in the longevity economy. Learn about these funding sources and how they are interacting and being deployed. Panelists will also touch upon how boards are changing and diversifying to support more innovation.

Moderator: Mel Barsky, Partner, CABHI Ventures

Claire Casey, CEO, AARP Foundation 

Sarita Mohanty, President and CEO, The SCAN Foundation

Stephen Ewell, Executive Director, Consumer Technology Association Foundation

2:30 pm

BREAK

2:40 pm

Caregiving Partnerships: From RAISE to Workplaces to AI

Today, the world’s fastest growing sector, the Care Economy, is estimated at $648 billion annually and care consumers control $6 trillion of household income. However, the 48 million family caregivers continue to face stress and financial strain with experts advising if we fail to do two things: 1) Fix the professional caregiver shortage; and 2) Stem the tide of employees who leave the workforce to take on caregiving duties for older loved ones, the U.S. will lose approximately $290 billion a year in GDP in 2030 and beyond.

This panel of experts will explore the partnerships being created to act on the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers created by the RAISE Act Task Force, the innovations and partnerships forming to address workplace caregiving and the role of AI and other technology to fill the caregiving gap.

Moderator:

Sherri Snelling, Corporate Gerontologist, Author, “Me Time Monday” and CEO, Caregiving Club

Panelists:

Jason Resendez, CEO/President, National Alliance for Caregiving 

Dr. Jennifer Olsen, CEO, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving

Stephen Popovich, CEO, Theora Care

Courtney Baldridge, Corporate Strategist, USAging

Following the panel presentation, Sherri will introduce Steve Cone, who will share a new caregiving guide that will help caregivers determine when it’s the appropriate time to consider hospice care. 

Presenter: Steve Cone, Chief of Communications, Marketing, & Philanthropy, Capital Caring Health

3:30 pm

Fireside Chat: Storytelling and Legacy Building at the Forefront of Caregiving

Discover how storytelling preserves legacies and inspires generations. Engage with experts who share how they’ve helped people let go of “stuff” through stories that those possessions represent, and if the process turn life’s stories into meaningful memories and connections.

Presenters:

Matt Paxton, Author and Host, Legacy List with Matt Paxton, PBS

Heather Nickerson, CEO, Artifcts 

3:50 pm

No Longer Home Alone:  Bringing Caregivers Into the Healthcare System 

Family caregivers are increasingly taking on the care coordination role for the person they care for. We’ll look at the growing issue, emerging solutions such as caregiver focused health systems, engaged primary care providers, and models like GUIDE. We also will discuss the emerging collaboration to do more for and with family caregivers.  

Moderator: Bob Stephen, Vice President, Caregiving and Health Programs, AARP

Presenters:

Rita Choula, Senior Director of Caregiving, AARP Public Policy Institute

Jessica Kim, Co-founder, Ianacare

Jessica Guthrie, Caregiver and Thought Leader

4:30 pm

How the Older Americans Act Positively Impacts Family Caregivers: A Conversation

We all know that the purpose of the Older Americans Act is to provide programs that help older adults live independently and productively in their communities, but what we often do not focus on is the critical role of the family caregiver and how the Older Americans Act is designed to support family caregivers as well. This panel will delve into the direct and indirect supports for family caregivers as provided through the Older Americans Act, and share stories of impact through the voice of the caregiver.

Presenters:

Greg Olsen, Director New York State Office for the Aging

Ted Fischer, CEO and Co-founder Ageless Innovation

4:45 pm

Who Cares? A Fireside Chat With Those That Do

Becky Preve and Alexandra Drane dig into some of the good and hard bits of care—from why knowing how to care in a care economy is a huge advantage, to the realities of self-medicating to cope. Plus, get tips for finding and supporting this gorgeous population of unpaid caregivers that serve as the invisible backbone of our nation (HINT: this probably includes you).

Becky Preve, Executive Director, Association on Aging in New York; and Alexandra Drane, Co-Founder and CEO, ARCHANGELS.

5:00 pm

Aging Policy Trends for 2025

Bob Blancato, a trusted leader in national aging policy and advocacy, will provide an overview of aging policy trends. He will highlight the successes and challenges of 2024, and will provide insights into what we may expect as we look ahead to 2025.

Bob Blancato, President and CEO, Matz, Blancato & Associates

5:20 pm

CLOSING REMARKS

 

5:30 pm

HOLIDAY PARTY

End the day on a festive note! Join us for an evening of celebration, networking, and good cheer.

DAY 2

8:00 am 

Changemakers’ Breakfast: Fueling Innovation

Start your day with an energizing breakfast while connecting with fellow visionaries. Join thought leaders in intimate discussions to spark ideas and collaborations. Click here to see a list of table hosts. Seating is available on a first-come basis. 

9:00 am 

Innovations and Partnerships

Learn about two innovative partnerships that have resulted in quality-of-life improvements for older adults.

Presenters:

Henry Mahncke, CEO, Posit Science

Dr. Kate Sullivan, Speech Language Pathologist, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Nic Palmarini, Director, UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing

9:25 am 

National Institute on Aging Strategy Overview and Portfolio Showcase

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Small Business Research Programs provides more than $140M per year in non-dilutive seed funding to small businesses for the research and development of innovative solutions that promote healthy aging. In this session you will learn about the NIA small business funding opportunities and research priorities, get tips and insights for a successful application, and hear from NIA-funded startups developing evidence-based solutions to help older adults age well in place. 

Moderator: Todd Haim, Ph.D., Director, Office of Strategic Extramural Programs, National Institute on Aging

Presenters:

Mark McInnis, CEO and Co-Founder, Retain Health, Inc

Edwin Kendrick, President, SANO Healthcare Consultants

9:55 am 

How AI Is Working Today in Senior Living and Care

The future of AI in senior living and care is here.  It is one of the most significant tech changes in recent years. The application of machine learning and prediction, smart sensors, chatbots and other AI-enabled tools are no longer just a future. Care for seniors is being transformed today, from generating care plans to identifying acuity of future residents prior to move-in, to detecting behavioral changes and identifying trends over time. Laurie Orlov will discuss her new report, and panel participants will describe how AI is being used in their businesses. Panelists will also suggest possibilities for the future

Moderator: Laurie Orlov, Founder, Aging and Health Technology Watch

Presenters

Tim Balz, CEO, Kalogon

David Finkelstein, CIO, RiverSpring Living

John Reinhart, Entrepreneur In Residence, NIA

10:50 am 

Public Policy and Innovation at the State Level

Moderator: Lance Robertson, Partner, Guidehouse, and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging & ACL Administrator 

Greg Olsen, Acting Director, New York State Office for the Aging 

Michelle Branham, Secretary, Florida Department of Elder Affairs 

10:40 am

BREAK

11:30 am

Reimagining Senior Housing: Trends and Transformations

One of the oldest ecosystems in the longevity marketplace, senior housing organizations are undergoing a transformation. Discover how senior housing is evolving. Learn about what’s working and changing, and gather actionable insights for this critical ecosystem.

Moderator: Stuart Rosenthal, Founder and Publisher, The Beacon

David Finkelstein, CIO, RiverSpring Living

Nick Patel, Asbury Senior Living

Jenny Poth, Vice President, Ziegler