Bridging AgeTech and Elder Care: Insights from ASA’s Leanne Clark Shirley | The AgeTech Podcast S4E9

What happens when he bring cutting edge technology and the people shaping the future of ag together in one room. Welcome to another episode of the AgeTech podcast. I’m Keren Etkin. And my guest today is Leanne Clark, Shirley, the president and CEO of the American society on aging. In this episode, we’ll explore how the ASA is fostering meaningful partnerships between non-profits and techie innovators by leveraging its 5,000 strong membership. And how caregivers professionals in the field of aging and tech entrepreneurs can connect, learn, and collaborate at on aging to make a bigger impact. There’s so much to unpack.

So let’s dive, right. It.

Keren Etkin: Leanne, welcome to the show.

Leanne Clark Shirley: Thanks, how are you, Keren?

Keren Etkin: I’m doing great. How are you?

Leanne Clark Shirley: doing well.

Keren Etkin: it’s been a while since I first invited you to go on the show and now felt like the perfect timing because we just have so much to talk about because on aging is just around the corner. I want to maybe take a step back and start by having you introduce the ASA,

Leanne Clark Shirley: Sure, Yeah,

thank you.

I have the distinct pleasure of being

the president and CEO of the American Society on Aging, which is America’s oldest and largest multidisciplinary professional association for everyone working with And on behalf of older

people. We convene our members once a year in person, but year

long through our on aging Institute, we publish three publications under our generations title,

Great resource to learn everything about aging from

health to economic security, to climate, to sexuality.

Everyone from every sector and we’re growing.

Keren Etkin: is amazing. It’s already like a 5, 000 strong membership.

Leanne Clark Shirley: it is yes and about half of our membership are actually organizations,

Touching, you know

all kinds of staff and members, and older adults across the country and globally.

Keren Etkin: So let’s talk about on aging and next year is going to be in April in Florida. What’s going to happen on aging this next year?

Leanne Clark Shirley: Yep. So

You on Aging will happen in Orlando, Florida,

April 21st through the 24th.

Plenty of time to go to Disney before or after,

or to check out the really cool city of Orlando that has all kinds of surprises, excellent culinary scene, excellent parks outside of Disney. Lots of good reasons to come there. I think, we also recognize Florida is not an easy location for a lot of people to.

A lot of people aren’t feeling safe to be in Florida right now. Some people are, and so we’re recognizing that and making space for everyone to connect, come together around advocacy, come together to share best practices, come together to learn about the issues in Florida and what to learn and take back to your work in other states and other countries.

Lots of reasons to go. But I think one exciting reason is our third annual On Tech conference happening as part of that.

Keren Etkin: On Tech is definitely the part that I’m most excited about. I mean, I am a gerontologist, but I’m also a huge nerd. and I had the honor and privilege of presenting at On Tech last year. And I can tell you that, I was going through the program, on aging in general, trying to figure out where I want to be at any given moment.

My head was spinning. I had constant FOMO for the entire week. and as much as I got to experience, I still feel that I missed out on, on so much just because there was so much going on all around. so what can we expect at OnTech this year and maybe broadly even at OnAging?

Leanne Clark Shirley: Yeah. intellectual FOMO. I like that. I, more of the same, I would say. This year our theme is ageism and culture and so show up expecting to see a lot of conversation, dialogue, activities very tangible activities that relate to how our society views, engages, fears, runs away from, runs towards and so on. everything aging. That’s the overarching theme, but when you come to on tech this year, we’re really starting to think about our long term strategy of how we support the field, the innovation field, let’s call it, which I think includes age, tech and  beyond, let’s call it.

We’re really this whole, This all started with this hypothesis that if you bring the tech world together with people that serve older people and community, better tech, better relationships can happen. And we found a lot of success with that so far, but now we’re seeing a need for better, let’s call it a distribution infrastructure. That supports everyone as they age in homes and in communities being able to access the innovations that are popping up every day. We are asking ourselves questions like, what can ASA do to support as many people as possible having access?

What can we do to support better distribution channels? How can we help the tech sector scale up its impact? Come to the program and, Be part of that conversation.

Keren Etkin: I love that. I love that. so much opportunity for startups coming to UnAging to learn, to network and to really not just get a better understanding of the space by talking to So a huge variety of professionals who work in the aging space, also, presenting their ideas and getting like honest feedback, from people, which is always valuable. can you walk me through the, It’s a thought process or maybe they tell me a little bit about the conversation that was going on in the room three or four years ago when the ASA first decided to have, to even have a tech track because it’s not something that a lot of conferences in aging have these days.

Leanne Clark Shirley: Yeah, it’s true. this is born out of, ASA put a flag in the ground that we wanted to play a role in help solving the digital divide. And of course, this was happening during the pandemic. It would have happened anyways, to be candid though. But we were seeing all of these tech solutions popping up and the sector really wanting to lean into the changing demographics. We’re an aging society, globally.

We think that should be celebrated. So, this all started from, questions from the tech sector.

How do I do this? in the right way. How do I build tech that taps into the potential of our aging society?

And at the same time, ASA’s membership segment that are community based organizations serving older adults, were asking us, Hey, I need some tech. How can you help me figure out options that I can adopt,

How to make it easier to adopt tech and bring it into my organization? And so we thought, Hey, what this isn’t a conversation here and here. This is a conversation that all of us should be having together.

Keren Etkin: Absolutely. And what better place to have it OnAging? so startups can apply to present, to have like a booth at OnTag. and will there also be a pitch competition?

Leanne Clark Shirley: We’re actually thinking maybe not this year. So you’re, yeah, And I’ll tell you why we

will, we absolutely have, a resource center space for new and existing tech solutions to come and show off their wares, talk to community based organizations about, adopting that tech.

We’re also going to have, Four tracks of programming, so a little bit intellectual FOMO will probably happen, there’s going to be competing things happen at the same time, Those tracks are aging in place with help from tech, leveraging tech for better care, supporting caregivers, and tech for a better brain and body. So at any given moment, there will be educational sessions to go to. but what I love is some programming that we’re working on right now that after you attend educational workshops, you can come together to have conversations about what do you need to scale your impact? Who in the room can you work with to perhaps collaborate on joining forces around impact that your solution brings?

What do I mean by that? Every day I learn about a new product or solution or something, some innovation that’s popping up that helps caregivers. And the next day I’ll learn about an innovation that is aimed at FinTech solutions for caregivers. And it’s really clear to me. That this FinTech person should be talking to the healtAgeTech person who are both serving the same caregiver.

We’re finding ways to have those conversations and potential collaborations happen at OnAging.

Keren Etkin: I love that. Speaking of caregivers, do you feel that the ASA, as a professional organization, has a place for everyday caregivers to join as members and to come to On Aging, will they feel like they have a place?

Leanne Clark Shirley: Absolutely. first of all, caregiving, you will be surrounded by other caregivers. Caregiving is such a shared human experience that even if you’re working in the sector or not you’re going to run into folks who are having the same sort of experience as you. But I think it’s a really good place to come just to get a good grounded understanding of the very broad set of services, supports, programs, innovations that are being designed and operated for caregivers. In fact, I can’t really think of a better place for a caregiver to be, actually. You get to meet the leaders of these organizations, talk with them, learn about how to access the services, give them feedback on what you need, what the gaps are.

Keren Etkin: That is such an important point that you’re making, we actually made multiple really great points, but I want to touch upon two of them. So, One is that caregiving is pretty much a universal experience. If you have older loved ones, chances are you are a caregiver or you will be in the future. That’s one. that there are so many, services out there available for caregivers. And unfortunately, the organizations who provide them don’t always have like the huge huge budgets to spread the

word, which is unfortunate because it means that sometimes budgets go unused that are supposed to go towards caregiver support. also, yeah, I would definitely want to encourage anyone who is a caregiver or is a future caregiver to definitely not just join the ASA, but also come to On Aging and see everything that’s available and have some of these conversations and participate in some of these conversations.sometimes, as

professionals, when we do become caregivers, sometimes It is an overwhelming experience, as much as it would be for a non professional.

I mean, have the network. You can reach out to your colleagues to get advice, but it is overwhelming for anyone who just becomes a caregiver

overnight.

Leanne Clark Shirley: Keren, you and I are both gerontologists and we’ve been steeped in this field for decades now. I always say, Everything I know about gerontology goes out the window when it gets personal. It’s so true. It’s so true.

Keren Etkin: Exactly. other thing that I always wanted to ask you would never get a chance to. Can anyone become an a SA member, I mean, even non gerontologists.

Leanne Clark Shirley: Oh, yes! The answer is yes. And I think probably most of our members, aren’t The academic ilk. Like you and I started our careers in Listen, aging is a story about all of us and. I always say, one of our strengths is preaching to the choir in the field of aging, so let’s make our choir bigger. Because we’re all part of it, no matter what sector we work in, if we’re a student, if we’re retired, we’re all part of all part of this

Keren Etkin: what type of technology are you most excited about right now? Because you get to see so much of it and I wonder what gets you excited or what are the challenges that you’re seeing in the field that you would love to see tech companies working on right

Leanne Clark Shirley: Ooh, a magic wand question. Okay, I think the answer is the same. We know, as we age, our health, our economic security, our connections to other people matter immensely. At the same time, we also know that, because of ageism and for other reasons, not everybody pays attention to our sense Autonomy and choice and meaning, And I get really excited when innovation leans into the meaningful parts of our lives. of our lives. as we age. I get really excited about tech that helps us connect, not just

to solve social isolation, which is hugely important, but

tech that reaches out directly

to people in their 50s, 60s, 70s.

with support

for and resources for starting a new business

or learning a

new knowledge set

or connecting with other

people to teach something that you’re an

expert in.

Innovation that really

taps into our full sense

and full

experience of humanity.

We’re just humans. We’re just humans and

we stay humans the older that we get.

Keren Etkin: I not agree more. It’s also one of the things that I’m most excited about in this space when I see not just startups who really, treat their users as whole human beings, which believe most HVAC startups are really trying to do, startups that are, Targeting those younger, older adults who are often overlooked because they’re still relatively young.

They’re healthy. they’re active, but they have needs that stem from the fact that they, facing 20 or 30 years, of this new act of life, possibly 20 or 30 years of retirement. And, um, We’ve never had that before in human history. So there’s so many needs that aren’t yet being addressed and so much opportunity for startups in those areas.

Leanne Clark Shirley: Yeah. I agree. It’s really exciting. At ASA, we talk

about our aging society as something to be celebrated, not something to be

feared. And. I think this relates to that.

Keren Etkin: story. absolutely, we’re all part of this story. unfortunately, sometimes people aren’t

ready to, face the fact

that we’re all aging and if you’re lucky, you too will grow old. it’s definitely Becoming a more prominent part of like the human experience as we have more and more people reach. Very old ages.

Leanne Clark Shirley: Yeah, it’s so

Keren Etkin: so true.

So do you see, ASA five or 10 years from now, and what do you see How do you see the ecosystem evolve? How do you see this, dance between tech and aging evolve? Five, 10, or 15 years from now.

Leanne Clark Shirley: Yeah.

I, for all of

the sort of business opportunity that, that we talk about that exists now for merging business and aging and tech and innovation,

we haven’t even

started

to hit the crest of that yet.

So the economic

opportunity.

will only grow

and

peak maybe 20, 25, 30 years down the road.

That’s

a

lot of time.

I

see ASA staying the course, inviting sectors in

inviting

innovation

in, figuring out how we can support the innovation ecosystem,

scale

impact,

connect people to the innovations. out there who need them. And, we’re really,

our guiding

principle is to help everyone have

a full and fair shot at

longevity that we’re achieving at a

public health level. It’s not available to

everyone right

now. We want to invite in people that

want to help everyone have a full and fair chance at good long lives.

Keren Etkin: lives. love that. I love this mission. and so the essay is nonprofit organization. How do you see the role that other nonprofit organizations could play in this ecosystem? Because I, get this feeling that sometimes, nonprofits away from, not necessarily from innovation, but shy away from technology and shine away from any type of association with anything that can be for profit.

Leanne Clark Shirley: That’s interesting. I have seen that too. I will say,

I think the, especially ASA’s

members and our members represent a broad range of nonprofits, philanthropic, private sector entities.

but especially in the nonprofit sector,

I see a real willingness to

Partner in meaningful ways with the

private sector. I see.

Attempts to do

that. And I see, I hear questions like, how can I

Demonstrate my

value

to the product, you know, of the services that I’m providing to the private sector

so that we can join

forces and work together. so I think that sentiment is changing and it’s certainly.

a sentiment that you’ll see at on aging, if you come but it’s

really important,

Keren Etkin: especially right

now. you see the role of nonprofits as partnering with, Private sector organizations, potentially startups, potentially tech companies to basically help them build better tech, and possibly help them with user research, possibly help them, reach underrepresented demographics within the older adults market that startups may not have access to. What about distribution? Because I think We’ve talked about that being a struggle, startups in this space and just scaling up your company. how do you see nonprofits sort of participating

in that?

Leanne Clark Shirley: Yeah. so when I think about ASA’s members, most of our members are working at a hyper local level.

They’re working in cities and towns, sometimes at the state level,

but with reach into neighborhoods. and

faith

based communities. We’re hyper local.

And I

think that’s a, an

asset

to the

innovation and tech sectors. To the extent that

you want to learn about design with,

and not

just for,

people living in communities, whether that’s in their homes, in a neighborhood, in an assisted living community,

in a

town.

ASA

members.

Nonprofit organizations can help you with this. They are in

those environments every day That’s a real

important component

of figuring out distribution and figuring out how to scale impact.

Keren Etkin: Absolutely. and Sometimes working with hyperlocal organizations can definitely help you understand sub segments of the market Way better than any desk research could. So I think

that those were all of my questions. Is there anything that we didn’t talk about that you would like to add?

Leanne Clark Shirley: So I think

I’ll You know, invite

the listeners of this podcast. If there’s something

you

wanna talk about, you wanna learn

about,

people you want to connect with at the On Aging conference or virtually, throughout the year.

Send us a note. We wanna hear

about it. You can reach us at [email protected].

org,

And the other thing is if you want to join us in Orlando, which I hope you do,

check

out

our conference

website. Just Google On Aging

and you will reach and you will reach us in a few different

pathways.

Think the other thing

I would like to say is,

One of the first things that you learn

when you take any gerontology

class is the

heterogeneity of aging. The diversity

inherent in aging.

And I think about

the older we get, we’re bringing literal lifetimes of needs and wants and experiences and health statuses and economic opportunities, disparities.

We bring all of these things with us

as we age. and

yet

society still continues to view and treat older adults

as like a segment. as if we all need and want the same

thing.

And

one of my favorite parts about ASA

and on aging and on tech.

and

the people that are in our,

community. in our

environment is

an

understanding that we have to lean into that diversity, that heterogeneity in order to get this right.

And while it’s

hard to do that,

ASA is a really good place to come to, to figure out how.

Keren Etkin: Absolutely. I will put the, email for the essay suggestion box in the show notes and everyone watching or listening, you are invited to join the essay and sign up and register for On Aging, which is happening in April 21st, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. Leanne, thank you so much for joining me on the show today.

It’s Always a pleasure,

chatting with you.

Leanne Clark Shirley: Always a pleasure, Keren. Thanks for having me.

Contact: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more: ⁠www.asaging.org