Building for the Silver Economy

Serena Dang, Sally Gao, Teresa Wang

“Building for the Silver Economy” is a podcast dedicated to answering a deceptively simple question: why is the Silver Economy (ecosystem serving the aging) not more popular in the United States? We interview leading operators, academics, investors, media professionals, and industry experts regarding their experience in the Silver Economy, and their take on the current lack of popularity of the Silver Economy. Hosted by Serena Dang, Sally Gao, and Teresa Wang.

Episodes

  1. 04/23/2023

    Casey Fowler: Director of Clinical Operations at Health Services Enterprise

    In this episode of "Building for the Silver Economy", Serena Dang discusses the state of the American senior care system with Casey Fowler. Casey is the Director of Clinical Operations at a health services company, and has a decade of experience in nursing and care management. He holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Casey discusses his career in the healthcare industry, senior care in the pre- and post-pandemic era, how institutions of care for older adults have evolved over the 20th and 21st century, and the impact of the Boomer generation for the greater American long-term care landscape. -- 01:30 - Casey discusses his professional background and progression in the healthcare field (long-term care) 05:30 - Casey talks about how to balance being people-centered and results-oriented in the post-COVID era 13:30 - Casey compares the status quo of the American senior care system with that of Asia, and discusses the historical origins of the modern American senior care industry 25:30 - Casey discusses the challenges that the Medicare system faces with regards to the senior population, and how senior care has evolved (e.g. skilled nursing, assisted living, and adult family homes) 36:50 - Casey talks about the impact the Boomer generation has had on the long-term care community, from a physical and mental health perspective

  2. 02/08/2023

    Jeff Weiss: President & CEO, Age of Majority

    In this episode of "Building for the Silver Economy", Teresa Wang discusses agetech with Jeff Weiss, President and CEO of Age of Majority, a Massachusetts-based marketing agency that helps brands better understand older adults in order to enhance client engagement. Jeff, as CEO ("Chief EvAGElist Officer"), has over 30 years of experience in the marketing industry and has held numerous leadership roles at major brands such as Pepsi, Gillette, and Unilever, where he witnessed the dramatic changes of the aging population". Jeff talks about his thesis for founding Age of Majority, his observations on market segmentation within the 50+ population, and how influencer and other forms of targeted marketing vary for the 50+. Read more about Age of Majority at: https://www.ageofmajority.com/ -- 02:00 - Jeff discusses the mission of his firm, Age of Majority, and why he decided to pivot from his marketing career to become an entrepreneur in the agetech space 07:10 - Teresa and Jeff talk about perception, market segmentation, and how ageism affects target marketing to the different segments within the 50+ population 19:30 - Jeff talks about the growing preference among older adults to thrive and live in their own homes, and what that means for brands that can supply services that enables this trend 21:00 - Teresa asks Jeff what drives older adults to try new activities and services (e.g. behavioral, economic, psychological) 27:30 - Jeff discusses the different preferences he sees among older adults when it comes to marketing, in contrast to other age segments (e.g. influencer marketing) 35:00 - Jeff discusses the insights of a segmentation research study conducted by his firm, and the roles persona development and psychographics play with regards to marketing towards older adults

  3. 01/17/2023

    Daniel Kaplan: Investor at Generator Ventures

    In this episode of "Building for the Silver Economy", Serena and Sally speak with Daniel Kaplan, Senior Associate at Generator Ventures.  Generator Ventures is an investment platform focused exclusively at the intersection of aging, senior care & technology. Generator partners with exceptional entrepreneurs who are leveraging technology to transform the aging experience.  Daniel talks about his career trajectory into the world of agetech and investing, the startup landscape and go-to-market avenues in the agetech space, and his future ventures.  Read more about Generator Ventures at: https://generatorvc.com/  --  00:40 - Daniel talks about his career in management consulting, healthcare software, and his reasons for pursuing both an MBA and a masters in Gerontology  13:45 - Daniel discusses aging-friendly inclusive designs (both physical and digital) and the current startup landscape in the agetech space   24:30 - Daniel talks about which traits would enable entrepreneurs in the agetech space to be more successful, and the potential pitfalls entrepreneurs might fall into when building for a different age demographic 40:25 - Daniel discusses the startup go-to-market strategies that he found to be most innovative, and how these startups segment and serve their niche customer demographic 52:00 - Daniel talks about his new investment venture in the age-tech space

  4. 01/10/2023

    Laurie Orlov: Founder of Aging and Health Technology Watch

    In this episode of "Building for the Silver Economy", Serena and Sally speak with Laurie Orlov, the Founder of Aging and Health Technology Watch. Aging and Health Technology Watch (https://www.ageinplacetech.com/) is a knowledge platform that provides market research, trends, blogs and reports that provide thought leadership and analysis on the agetech sector.  Laurie discusses the largest industry shift in the agetech sector in recent years, demographic changes that contribute to how seniors interact with technology, and privacy concerns that are unique to senior consumers.  --  Preview:  00:53 - Laurie discusses the largest industry shifts in the US agetech space in recent years  04:28 - Laurie talks about the role high-speed internet connection plays among seniors and other factors that influence technology use among this demographic 08:02 - Laurie talks about a industry vertical boom among seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic 12:19 - Laurie discusses how seniors think about privacy in the internet arena, and the ways privacy considerations play into how seniors might approach technology use 22:14 - Laurie talks about the "Boomer Generation"'s social needs and how they translate into the creation of distinct digital social platforms --

  5. 11/02/2022

    Gogograndparent: On-Demand Mobility and Home Services for Older Adults

    In this episode of "Building for the Silver Economy", Serena and Sally speak with Gogograndparent's Co-Founder and CEO Justin Boogaard and Cassandra Baptista, Director of Marketing and Communications. Gogograndparent (aka Gogo) is a Y Combinator-backed (YC S16), digital caregiving assistant that manages rides, meals, medication and groceries for older adults living at home. Gogo has fulfilled millions of requests for hundreds of thousands of people living independently at home, and is available in all 50 US states and Canada. Justin and Cassandra discusses Gogo's founding and growth trajectory, how Gogo evolved from being an on-demand mobility service for older adults to also being a home-services provider, the challenges and successes Gogo has achieved while rapid-scaling during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how attitudes towards aging in the United States have informed the current developments in the American Silver Economy as well as policies towards older adults.  Read more about Gogo's initiatives and services at: https://gogograndparent.com/ -- 00:03 - Sally gives an overview of Gogo Co-Founder Justin Boogaard and Director of Marketing Cassandra's profile, and how they each found themselves in age-tech  01:30 - Justin discusses what inspired he and his co-founder to found Gogo, the  challenges his grandmother faced in transportation and mobility, and how the initial  prototype grew its audience 10:20 - Justin talks about key milestones during Gogo's growth journey, going from managing 1 to millions of requests, how Gogo's growth intersected with rising preference  for aging-in-place 18:00 - Justin talks about a significant innovation in American aging care, and the City of Boston's innovative Age Strong campaign  24:10 - Cassandra (Cassy) discusses Reframing Aging, how aging is perceived in the US and how this perception has informed the Silver Economy and policies for older adults in America  27:45 - Justin speaks about Gogo's target audience (older adult themselves v. caregiver), how customer's Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) affect their changing demand for home services, and what Gogo's core value-add is as a digital mobility and caregiving service  41:10 - Justin discusses how Gogo balances fast growth and quality, and the challenges and successes Gogo encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic -- “Building for the Silver Economy” is a podcast dedicated to answering a deceptively simple question: why is the Silver Economy (ecosystem serving the 50+) not more popular in the United States? We interview leading operators, academics, investors, media professionals, and industry experts regarding their experience in the Silver Economy, and their take on the current lack of popularity of the Silver Economy. Hosted by Serena Dang and Sally Gao.

  6. 07/26/2022

    Building for the Silver Economy - Teaser

    This teaser episode between Serena and Sally is a conversation about our respective professional journeys that ultimately brought us together to produce this podcast about the American Silver Economy.

  • 6 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

“Building for the Silver Economy” is a podcast dedicated to answering a deceptively simple question: why is the Silver Economy (ecosystem serving the aging) not more popular in the United States? We interview leading operators, academics, investors, media professionals, and industry experts regarding their experience in the Silver Economy, and their take on the current lack of popularity of the Silver Economy. Hosted by Serena Dang, Sally Gao, and Teresa Wang.

Information

  • Creator
    Serena Dang, Sally Gao, Teresa Wang
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2023
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Serena Dang, Sally Gao, Teresa Wang
  • Show Website
    Building for the Silver Economy