In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Jeff Gray, founder and CEO of AgeTech Connect. They discuss Gray's personal journey into the AgeTech space, innovative technologies that are making a difference, the challenges of funding startups in this sector, and the importance of addressing ageism in entrepreneurship. They also highlight the upcoming AgeTech Connect Summit and the resources available for those interested in AgeTech.

About Jeff

Jeffrey Gray is the Founder & CEO of AgeTech Connect, the fastest-growing ecosystem of AgeTech innovators worldwide. By convening startups, investors, healthcare leaders, and caregivers, Jeff is positioning Atlanta as the global center for excellence and innovation in AgeTech, while also making it best place for older adults and their loved onesto call home. Originally founded as AgeTech Atlanta the organization has grown to include innovation hubs in twelve cities throughout the US and Canada.

A serial entrepreneur, Jeff moved to Atlanta after selling his first tech venture to RealEstate.com and has since advised and mentored numerous startups in healthcare and technology. He has also held key leadership roles with nonprofit organizations such as City of Refuge, Points of Light, and Open Hand Atlanta—bridging technology, community health, and life sciences to create meaningful impact.

Key Takeaways

• AgeTech is any technology or tech-enabled service that improves the experience of aging. The AgeTech ecosystem encompasses a wide range of technologies beyond healthcare and home care, including travel and tourism, transportation, housing, retail, media and fintech.
• AgeTech Connect has volunteer-led virtual communities in 12 US cities throughout the US and Canada: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, New York City, Washington DC, Boston, Toronto, Nashville, and Atlanta, hosting 45 - 50 in-person networking events a year.
• The largest segment of AgeTech is caregiving solutions. In the United States, more employees are balancing responsibilities for elder care than for childcare—and this challenge affects people at much younger ages than many realize.
• A story-led motivation based on personal experiences can be an inspiration for developing an AgeTech product, but must include a thoughtful go-to-market strategy. AgeTech founders need to understand the problem they are solving.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host NancyGriffin interviews Susie Ellis, Chair, CEO, and Co-Founder of the Global Wellness Summit and the Global Wellness Institute. They discuss the evolution of wellness, the importance of healthspan over lifespan, and the role of research in defining wellness. Susie shares insights on the history of the Global Wellness Summit's, the nonprofit initiatives, and the significance of social connections in wellness. The conversation also touches on biohackingtrends, self-care for aging well, and the future of wellness and longevity.

About Susie

Susie Ellis is the chair and CEO of the nonprofit Global Wellness Institute, considered the industry’s leading global research and educational resource. She is also chair and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit, an organization at the heart of the multi-trillion-dollar global wellness economy focused on facilitating collaboration amongst industry thought leaders.

Recognized as a leading authority on wellness trends, shesits on numerous academic and industry boards, including the EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, and was also a member of the World Economic Forum’s “Accelerating Health and Well-being Initiative.” She holds an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Key Takeaways

• The Global Wellness Institute provides wellness research at no cost. Research is crucial for defining and understanding wellness and longevity.
• The Global Wellness Institute defines 11 sectors of the $6.3 trillion dollar wellness economy: Wellness Real Estate; Physical Activity; Healthy Eating, Nutrition and Weight Loss; Public Health, Prevention, and Personalized Medicine; Traditional and Complementary Medicine; Personal Care andBeauty; Wellness Tourism; Spa Economy; Thermal and Mineral Springs; Workplace Wellness; Mental Wellness.
• The medical community is more interested in wellness post COVID. There is more research and science showing valuable steps that people can take to improve their health.
• Wellness modalities are the cornerstone of longevity. What contributes to wellness also contributes to longevity.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, Nancy Griffininterviews Harry R. Moody, a distinguished professor and author, about his journey into activism in climate change, and the concept of legacy. Dr. Moody shares insights from his life, emphasizing the importance of hope, action, andintergenerational dialogue in addressing climate issues.

About Dr. Moody

Harry R. Moody is a graduate of Yale University and received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University. He has taught philosophy at Columbia University, Hunter College, New York University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. He is the retired Vice President and Director of Academic Affairs for AARP in Washington, DC. He is currently Visiting Professor at Tohoku University in Japan, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Fielding Graduate University’s Creativity and Wisdom Program.

Dr. Moody previously served as Executive Director of theBrookdale Center on Aging at Hunter College and Chairman of the Board of Elderhostel (now Road Scholar). Moody is the author of over 100 scholarly articles, as well as a number of books including: Abundance of Life: Human Development Policies for an Aging Society (Columbia University Press, 1988) and Ethics in an Aging Society (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992).

His most recent book, Climate Change in an Aging Society,is the first book fully devoted to the impact of climate change on those who are old today―and those who will be old in decades to come. He is the editor of the Climate Change in an Aging Society and Human Values in Aging newsletters. In 2011 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society on Aging and in 2008 he was named by Utne Reader Magazine as one of “50 Visionaries Who AreChanging Your World.”

Key Takeaways

• Dr. Moody encourages action and hope, emphasizing that change requires collective effort.
• Hope is not the expectation of a better future but thebelief in doing what's right. “Hope is a verb with sleeves rolled up.” - David Orr, environmental educator and author.
• The concepts of aging and climate change are both perfect candidates for denial. We can overcome denial by facing up to things and doing what's possible.
• The “Four Horseman of the Climate Apocalypse” defined in Climate Change for an Aging Society are fire, flood, drought and heat wave.
• A Life Review asks, what have you done in your life isworth remembering, that is worth sharing with younger generations?
• Lasting change happens when generations come together. Older adults pass on their knowledge, wisdom, and experience to younger people. Theproblem with elders communicating with young people can be that elders think they know it all.

Email HRMoody@yahoo.com to subscribe to the free newsletters Climate Change in an Aging Society and Human Values in Aging.

Join host Nancy Griffin as she interviews Isabella Solano, the founder of Herralink, a nonprofit connecting high school students with senior community residents. Discover how Isabella's journey began and the transformative impact of her work and her vision for the future, aiming to embed Herralink within school systems and expand its reach nationwide.

About Isabella

Isabella Solano is the founder of Herralink, an intergenerational organization that connects high school students with residents in senior communities. She's worked with 40 high schools in Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun County to connect 900 volunteers with nearly 2,000 older adults. Herralink was recently acquired by Goodwin Living, where she'll work to expand its volunteer base in Alexandria, Falls Church, and Arlington. In the future, she hopes to scale her program across the country to create more friendships between the ages.

Key Takeaways

• Herralink connects high school students with residents in senior communities, coordinating directly with high school principals.
• Intergenerational programming reduces loneliness for both young adults and older adults.
• The program has more than 900 registered volunteers from 40 different high schools, connected them with 2,000 residents in 12 senior communities.
• Herralink’s services include one-hour activities for students to do arts and crafts, bingo, games, or chit chat sessions with residents, and a more meaningful one-on-one program where students connect with one resident identified as having little to no visitors.
• The loneliness that young adults experience in compounded by “digital echo chambers” that lack meaningful connection.

Join host Nancy Griffin as she interviews Ilana Alberico,founder and CEO of SpaSpace, about her journey in the spa and wellness industry. Discover how Ilana is transforming SpaSpace in Chicago into a hub for intergenerational connection, and innovation and learn about her experiences as a female entrepreneur in the tech space.

About Ilana

Ilana Alberico is a multi-exit entrepreneur and strategist with over two decades of experience at the intersection of wellness, hospitality, and technology. She has founded, scaled, and sold multiple companies across spa management, consumer products, and SaaS, earning a reputation for translating visionary ideas into enduring businesses.

Ilana’s career highlights include:

• Drove mergers and acquisitions that scaled into North America’s leading luxury spa management company.
• Founding and selling a SaaS platform that pioneered AI-powered personalization and scaled into a multimillion-dollar ARR business.
• Launching Privai, a natural skincare line, acquired in 2022 and now distributed across luxury resorts and retail channels.
• Serving as President of Spa Space at Arch Amenities Group, where she drove innovation and culture for a global wellness enterprise spanning hundreds of locations.
• Awards include 2017 Innovate Award from the International Spa Association, 2019 T.I.E. Atlanta Entrepreneurship Award, Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies X2

Known for her ability to bridge creative vision with commercial discipline, Ilana has advised Fortune 500 hospitality brands, private equity groups, and family offices alike. Her approach blends strategic foresight, design intelligence, and operational excellence, ensuring every project delivers both meaningful experiences and measurable returns.

Beyond her ventures, Ilana is an owner and advisor partner to SpaSpace and currently enrolled in the School of Continuing Studies at Georgetown, advancing her knowledge of Cyberspace Analytics and Technology focused on the intersection of AI, ethics, and human-centered design. She also serves on the board of the Tampa Bay International School, advancing education in bilingualism, leadership, andsocial responsibility.

Key Takeaways

• SpaSpace day spa in Chicago has been reinvented to become a social wellness club, providing a third space for intergenerational relationships to flourish.
• SpaSpace is a digital community platform where members and providers are able to continue their connection digitally in their private groups, sharephotos with each other, and ask an expert.
• Female-only founding teams globallygarnered 2.3% of all VC dollars. In 2025, startups founded exclusively by women received just 0.7% of all U.S. VC funding, a sharp drop from about 2% the year before, and the lowest share since tracking began.
• Resilience is essential for entrepreneurs: being comfortable with failure is a prerequisite for building, scaling, and eventually selling a successful business.

Join host Nancy Griffin on the Glowing Older podcast as sheinterviews Tara Ballman, Executive Director of the National Aging in Place Council. Discover Tara's journey from the music industry to becoming a leading advocate for aging in place, and learn about the innovative solutions and resources available to support older adults in living independently and comfortably wherever they call home.

About Tara

Tara Ballman is a nationally recognized aging-in-place expert who is passionate about connecting and supporting professionals serving older adults. She is an author of three books on financial retirement issues, two books on aging in place issues, and conference speaker addressing aging-in place topics. Tara currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Aging in Place Council and the Aging-in-Place Business Development Manager at Longbridge Financial.

For years, Tara and her family struggled through theevolving stages of her father’s declining health. Unexpected illnesses, unforeseen situations, and a fear of the future was their reality, with so many questions and nowhere to turn. After her father passed, she had a desire to help other families navigate through the stages of aging and proactively plan for future needs, regardless of what life throws at them.

Key Takeaways

• The National Aging in Place Council (NAIPC) is focused on education, collaboration and advocacy. The nonprofit trade association provides support and resources for the five pillars of aging: housing, healthcare, finance, transportation, and social engagement.
• The CDC defines aging in place as the ability to live safely, independently, and comfortably in one's own home and community, regardless of age, income, or ability. NAIPC expands the definition to “home is where you lay your head,” which includes senior living communities and memory care.
• Seventy percent of Americans are going to need long-term care but do not have a plan in place. Proactive planning provides a vast number of options where in crisis situations options are limited.
• Advances in age-tech allow older adults to stay safe in their homes longer and provide peace of mind for adult children. Remote sensors detect changes in movement patterns or a fall, smart appliances make activities of daily living safer. Wearables and even newfangled toilets can read vitals like heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host NancyGriffin interviews Corinne Auman, Ph.D., a gerontologist and author of 'Keenagers'. They discuss the importance of reshaping the narrative around aging, emphasizing the benefits and opportunities that come with growing older. Corinne introduces the concept of 'keenagers', individuals who are active and engaged in life, and highlights the need for positive language in discussions about aging. The conversation also touches on countering ageism, navigating the challenges of the sandwich generation, and the importance of life design in planning for older adulthood.

About Corinne

Corinne Auman, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist,keynote speaker, and the founder of Choice Care Navigators, a leading consultancy dedicated to empowering seniors and their families as they navigate the complexities of aging and senior healthcare. Choice Care Navigators offers personalized guidance, family mediation, and expert education to help individuals and organizations rethink aging, plan effectively, and advocate confidently.

Prior to founding her consultancy, Dr. Auman served as a college professor for over a decade, specializing in adulthood and aging. She developed and taught courses that inspired students to explore the complexities of lifespan development and intergenerational relationships. Her academic expertise and passion for societal change laid the foundation for her current work in geriatric care management and anti-ageism advocacy.

Dr. Auman is the author of Keenagers: Telling a New Story About Aging, a book that reframes aging as a vibrant and opportunity-filled phase of life. As a sought-after keynote speaker, she has delivered transformative talks to organizations, universities, and community groups,inspiring audiences to challenge ageist narratives and create more inclusive environments for people of all ages.

Key Takeaways

• Keenagers are active, engaged older adults who defystereotypes.
• The narrative around aging is often negative and needs to change. Getting older has benefits and challenges like every other stage of life.
• Countering ageism starts with individual mindset changes. Become aware of your internal dialogue.
• People often don't identify as caregivers. Recognizing the toll caregiving can take is the first step to “wearing your own oxygen mask first.” A care manager can help you navigate the process and get everybody on the same page.
• Life design involves planning for emotional, social, and intellectual needs in older adulthood. When planning for the “keen-ager years,” it is important to design your life. Ask what gives your life meaning.
• Everyone needs a purpose or reason to get out of bed in retirement. Social connections are vital for mental and emotional well-being as we age, and learning new things forms new neural connections.

Join host Nancy Griffin as she interviews Janet Engel, VP ofClinical Strategy and Engagement at Dwell Safe, about the latest innovations in aging well. Discover how technology and home modifications are helping older adults live safely and comfortably in their homes.

About Janet

Janet Engel, MOT/L, CAPS, ECHM is the VP of Clinical Strategy and Engagement at DwellSafe, where she leverages AI and clinical expertise to democratize home safety modifications for aging in place. An expert in Aging in Place and Universal Design, Janet leads initiatives to revolutionize home safety assessments and foster strategic partnerships in the industry.

With a deep understanding of the Baby Boomer demographic, Janet helps businesses tailor their strategies to better connect with and serve this important market. Her expertise extends to messaging specialization, improving communication and market share for companies focused on this consumer group.

Janet is the creator and host of the podcast "Home Designs for Life," which ranks in the top 10% globally. Through this platform, she offers valuable insights and discusses current trends related to aging in place, effective consumer communication, and innovative home safety solutions.

Passionate about empowering individuals to live independently as they age, Janet is committed to driving meaningful conversations and innovations in her field. At DwellSafe, she leverages her extensive background as an occupational therapist, specializing in home health care for older adults, to ensure that everyone can age safely and comfortably in their own homes.

Janet's unique blend of clinical knowledge, technologyexpertise, and consumer insight positions her at the forefront of the aging-in-place movement, where she continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in-home health solutions.

Key Takeaways

• Planning early for aging in place is essential to reduce fall risks. Home hazards are responsible for half to two-thirds of all falls in people age 65 and older.
• Dwell Safe is a home safety platform that combinesAI with clinical expertise to assess home safety. Technology scans individual rooms in a home and gives a fall risk score for the person and the environment. An occupational therapist reviews the video footage and makes tailored home safety recommendations.
• From Instacart to smart home technologies like automated window treatments, technology is key to supporting aging in place. Technology makes life more comfortable in the home and reduces fall risk.
• Vision is the first system that deteriorates with the aging process — starting as early as age 35 or 40. Smart solutions include creating color contrast in your environment — between walls, furniture and flooring, or installing motion sensor lighting and smart appliances in your home.
• Age-tech friendly kitchen appliances allow older adults to prepare meals safely. The kitchen presents significant hazards. You can burn yourself, fall, or cutyourself with sharp objects.
• An induction stove is an efficient way of cooking and eliminates the risk for burns and fires. A Smart Refrigerators can tell us if food has gone spoiled, which is important as our taste sense of smell deteriorates. Eating spoiled food is a common reason why older adults end up in the hospital.
• Universal design has broad general appeal. It is for everyone, regardless of height, weight, gender, and strength. Lever handles, motion sensor faucets and lighting are examples of universal design.
• Aging in place means living in the home of your choice. Whether it's the home you've been in for 30 years, a new home, or a 55 plus community. The key is choice.
• Social determinants of health include living ina community where you have easy access to neighbors, parks, restaurants and stores.