In this episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes Steve Nygren, visionary founder of Serenbe, a pioneering biophilic community outside Atlanta that blends sustainability, wellness, and human connection. Beginning in 1991 as an impromptu farm purchase, Serenbe has become a decades-long experiment in how people can live harmoniously with nature—and with each other.

Steve shares his story, which includes a transition from a successful hospitality career to a life dedicated to community building and land preservation. Confronted by the threat of urban sprawl, he turned his private sanctuary into a model for regenerative development. Serenbe's design—complete with centralized mailboxes, shared gardens, trampolines, and a wellness hub housing 27 health providers—embodies the idea that thoughtful design can nurture both people and the planet.

Listeners will hear how biophilic design and new urbanism come together at Serenbe to create a thriving "agrihood" that supports intergenerational living. Nygren advocates for environments that foster mobility, creativity, and vitality at every age.

Steve and Susan also discuss Serenbe's intergenerational housing models and its innovative wellness hub, which offers integrated medical and holistic care—including what may be the nation's only chemical-free pharmacy.

As Serenbe evolves into a think tank for arts, agriculture, and health, Steve invites listeners to reimagine their own neighborhoods and communities.

Find his book, Starting Your Own Backyard: Radical Common Sense Reimagining, here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Start-in-Your-Own-Backyard/Nygren-Steve/9781637747445

Learn more about Serenbe here: https://www.serenbe.com

AgingIN Website

In the realm of storytelling in the senior living field, few come close to what Jack York has done in his decades-long career as a tech entrepreneur and now professional storyteller.

In this episode of Elevate Eldercare, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan welcomes Jack, founder of iN2L and co-founder of Talegate, whose journey from Silicon Valley to the world of eldercare has inspired an industry-wide shift toward recognizing the power of stories and how they foster meaning and connection.

In addition to reflecting on his early struggle as a tech founder, Jack shares the pivotal experiences that shaped his life's work. Through his latest venture, Talegate, Jack describes the Vintage Voices 100 Tour, an initiative that has culminated in recorded interviews of nearly 150 centenarians.

Jack also discusses the profound intergenerational potential of this work—how connecting high school students with elders to record and share their stories can deepen empathy, preserve history, and change how society views aging.

More about Talegate here: https://talegate4joy.com/

In this inspiring episode, AgingIN CEO Susan Ryan sits down with Erin Hart and Peter Murphy Lewis, who share how they're transforming perceptions of long-term care through storytelling and authentic human connection.

Erin, who has spent 13 years in long-term care and now works with the Ohio Health Care Association, describes how growing up across the street from her grandmother shaped her lifelong dedication to caregiving. Her personal story and professional mission intersect in powerful ways—advocating for caregivers and restoring pride in their work.

Peter, whose childhood experiences with his grandparents' caregivers left a lasting impression, brings his background in media and storytelling to the eldercare space. His documentary series, "People Worth Caring About," captures genuine caregiver stories that highlight the dignity, skill, and heart within the profession.

In addition to discussing the power of storytelling to move hearts and reshape cultural narratives about aging and care, Erin and Peter highlight how authentic stories can do what data alone cannot—inspire empathy and drive change.

Learn more about the docuseries here: https://peopleworthcaringabout.com/home.

Please visit our website at : https://aginginnovation.org

Thanks to Amba our sponsor: https://www.ambahealth.com/