Live Sessions
DAY 1 – Fairmont San Francisco
Registration opens
Morning Coffee With the Angels
Less than 1% of startups get funding from investors – what is magic in getting investors to believe in your innovative idea?
This panel will discuss what they are investing in and the criteria they use to decide to fund longevity startups. Most entrepreneurs begin with angel investors who provide business development, sales, strategy, and their networks and experience. Increasingly, entrepreneurs are turning to social impact investors who view aging as a triple bottom line opportunity —financial, social, and personal—particularly meeting the needs of the large underserved and financially challenged population. The latest data and trends will be shared to inform the investment thesis of those planning to invest in the longevity market.
Moderator: Paul Stich, Managing Principal, Lunada Ventures
Presenters:
Carl Hirschman, Angel Investor and Founder, CareTree
Jeannee Parker Martin, President and CEO, LeadingAge California
Sarah Thomas, Venture Partner, AgeTech Capital
Opening Remarks and Welcome
As one of the key leaders in longevity, Mary Furlong will welcome attendees and provide an overview of the longevity ecosystem, identifying submarkets and highlighting opportunities for investing in the “riches and the niches,” with a focus on what’s scaling and how in the $9.5 trillion longevity economy. Amelia Hay from AgeTech Collaborative from AARP will share highlights of AARP’s innovation journey that culminated in the 2021 launch of the AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP, a one-of-a-kind ecosystem, which now has over 400 participant companies. Mel Barsky with Centre For Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) will provide insights into investment opportunities in brain health and will give an overview of the conference topics.
- Mary Furlong, CEO, Mary Furlong & Associates, Executive Producer, What’s Next Longevity Venture Summit
- Amelia Hay, VP Startup Programming, AgeTech Collaborative from AARP
- Mel Barsky, Director, Business Development, Centre For Aging + Brain Health Innovation
KEYNOTE - Think Remarkable
Guy Kawasaki will share insights from his latest book, Think Remarkable, which we recommend you read prior to the conference. Guy is the chief evangelist of Canva and host of the Remarkable People podcast. He was the chief evangelist of Apple, Mercedes Benz brand ambassador, and trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He has also written The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and 12 other books.
Presenter: Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist of Canva, Podcast Host and Author.
Research Briefings
Shifting Tides: The Future of Work and Older Workers
King will share ongoing research on the global trends and shifts driving the future of work, including AI and automation, and how they will impact older workers (aged 40+).
Stephen King, Founding Partner, Emergent Research.
Investor Trends in Today’s Economy
Noted author and legendary internet stock analyst, Mark Mahaney, will share insights into today’s investment climate and how to invest wisely for future returns. He will share knowledge on how to invest in growth opportunities that lie ahead and how to determine when high valuations are a warning sign and when they signal an opportunity.
Mark Mahaney, Senior Managing Director, Evercore ISI, CNBC Contributor, and Author, Nothing But Net: 10 Timeless Stock-Picking Lessons from One of Wall Street’s Top Tech Analysts
Partnering to Advance Innovation to Support Underserved Older Adults
This session will provide a strong overview of the research around the “forgotten middle” as well as the Medicaid market. Two of the top venture investors serving the market will provide use cases of companies in the market. This session will be market leading in demonstrating how foundations and venture capitalists can work together to more quickly advance innovation to meet the needs of this vast community of older adults.
Moderator: Adimika Arthur, CEO & Executive Director, HealthTech for Medicaid
Robert Garber, Partner, 7wire Ventures
Sarita Mohanty, President & CEO, The SCAN Foundation
Stephen Samuels, Vice-President, Innovation & Impact Investing, Volunteers of America, VOA.org
Networking Lunch
Innovation & Partnerships
Two state leaders in aging who have been advancing innovation at a rapid pace will share their strategies and engage in discussion with the CEOs of the successful companies with whom they are partnering. They will demonstrate how these partnerships have had an impact in serving the needs of older adults, and they will examine what has changed in the market and why states are increasingly important to a start up’s success.
Presenters:
- Ted Fischer, President and CEO, Ageless Innovation
- Lawrence Kosick, Co-Founder, GetSetUp
- Greg Olsen, Acting Director, New York State Office for the Aging
C-Suite Perspectives on Innovation and Leadership
CEOs are setting the strategies for fast-moving companies in home care, health care and housing. Learn from three of the top CEOs and C-suite executives what their forecast is for the year to come. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the presentation.
Moderator: Sherwin Sheik, Head of Business Operations, Verily
John Cochrane, CEO, HumanGood
Ernie Ianace
Learn from the Judges: Investor Priorities
Investors in the longevity marketplace will discuss the trends that will dominate the market in the coming year; the stage of their investment and share advice about where entrepreneurs should focus their attention.
Moderator: Mel Barsky, Director, Business Development, Centre For Aging + Brain Health Innovation
- Christine Brocato, Vice President of Strategic Innovation, CommonSpirit Health
- John Reinhart, Entrepreneur In Residence, National Institute on Aging
- Dan Hermann, President & CEO, Head of Investment Banking, Ziegler
- Amelia Hay, VP Startup Programming, AgeTech Collaborative from AARP
- Robert Garber, Partner, 7wire Ventures
$10,000 Business Plan Competition
This session will kick off with an overview of investor priorities from the panel of judges composed of leaders in the longevity market and the venture capital community. Then three entrepreneur finalists will compete for the $10,000 prize by presenting their business plans before the judges. This annual competition recognizes innovative plans for products, services and technologies that enable quality-of-life improvements for older adults. This year’s focus is on closing the gap in the following areas: mobility challenges, care services and innovations. Watch as the finalists pitch to a panel of distinguished judges to determine who walks away with the $10K prize.
Moderator: Mel Barsky, Director, Business Development, Centre For Aging + Brain Health Innovation
Judges:
- Christine Brocato, Vice President of Strategic Innovation, CommonSpirit Health
- John Reinhart, Entrepreneur In Residence, National Institute on Aging
- Dan Hermann, President & CEO, Head of Investment Banking, Ziegler
- Amelia Hay, VP Startup Programming, AgeTech Collaborative from AARP
- Robert Garber, Partner, 7wire Ventures
- Chris Furmanski, Managing Director, Pacific Health Ventures
- Allison Sekuler, President and Chief Scientist, Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation
Day 1 Closing Remarks
Mary Furlong, CEO, Mary Furlong & Associates, Executive Producer, What’s Next Longevity Venture Summit
AgeTech After Dark Pitch Challenge and Networking Reception
Join us to unwind and enjoy cocktails and appetizers in the iconic Tonga Room at the Fairmont while watching Aging Made Easier Pitch Challenge finalists present their tech solutions for making aging easier. The finalists in the competition will pitch their solutions that address the following:
- enabling mobility
- supports financial resilience
- promoting social connections
- fostering emotional wellness
- promoting physical health
Moderator: Danielle Duplin, President, FreeWind Productions
Judges:
Sarita Mohanty, President & CEO, The SCAN Foundation
Ted Fischer, President and CEO, Ageless Innovation
Katie Schmitz, Chief Administrative Officer, Ziegler Link-Age Funds
Live Sessions
DAY 2 – Fairmont San Francisco
AI and the Longevity Economy
It’s hard to turn on our computer or look at your phone without seeing an article or commentary about artificial intelligence, or AI. Regardless of pro or con, there is no doubt that AI is quickly becoming integrated into our society, even though not everyone knows how to utilize it. This session will examine the role of AI in the longevity economy. We will open with a keynote outlining the challenges and potential of artificial intelligence, followed by presentation of use cases by entrepreneurs in this space.
John Hagel, Founder, Beyond Our Edge, LLC
Shyamala Prayaga, NVIDIA
Laurie Orlov, Founder, Aging and Health Technology Watch
Lawrence Kosick, Founder and CEO, GetSetUp
Geoffrey Auchinleck, CEO, Claris Healthcare Inc.
National Institute on Aging Strategy Overview and Portfolio Showcase
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Small Business Research Programs provides more than $100M 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 start-ups developing evidence-based solutions to help older adults age well in place.
Moderator: Vicky Cattani, Ph.D., Program Officer, NIA Office of Strategic Extramural Programs
Presenters:
Gabriela Pelin, CEO, VoiceLove
Emily Wang, Founder and CEO, Beaver Health
What Venture, Corporate, and Late Stage Investors Are Looking For
Deal flow is top-of-mind for 2024 and beyond. Tech Crunch reported VCs invested $156 billion in 2020 – an increase of $56 billion from 2019 levels. In turn, American startups made $291 billion in 2020 showing investments paid off. Meet the late stage investors in the longevity market and what their priorities are for the coming year. They will share trends, and insights on who will be the winners and why. 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, Head of Investment Banking, Ziegler
Presenters
Mel Barsky, Director, Business Development, Centre For Aging + Brain Health Innovation
Cayse Llorens, CEO, Brockhurst and Buchanan
Jane Lindner, Vice President, HM Venture Partners
Pitch for Distribution to the Corporations and Organizations Investing in the Longevity Economy
These companies in the longevity market have successfully developed their product or service and are producing revenue and profitability. The next stage of growth is to provide distribution partners that help scale and build their enterprise. Distribution partners are looking for strategic solutions for home care, healthcare, housing, nonprofit and government. Watch as the companies pitch to the panel, and see which distribution partners are willing to “take a meeting.”
Case Studies: Going to Market in the Longevity Economy
Insights Into the Care Economy Investors and Strategic Partners
The $648 billion care economy is gaining momentum with unicorns such as Honor and Biofourmis leading the way for startups to capture investor funding and attract new distribution partners. There is a growing army of family caregivers – today 53 million strong – and trends in Medicaid funding are increasing for aging in place. As well, America’s workplaces are changing with 1 in 5 employees affected by caregiving duties for older adults and 23% of the U.S. workforce are sandwich generation caregivers. This panel focuses on the opportunities arising in funding, pilots and partnerships as we witness the new era of a nation of caregivers.
Moderator: Sherri Snelling, corporate gerontologist, author, and CEO, Caregiving Club
Networking Lunch
Structuring Successful Investments in the Longevity Market
Everyone knows that broader markets changed dramatically from 2022 to 2023, and into this year, and the venture market was no exception. Venture company valuations are lower, companies that continue to burn cash are finding it difficult to raise additional capital, and stock deals across the board are increasing in strategic acquisition scenarios. At this point in the economic cycle, the public markets have yet to unlock driving illiquidity throughout the investment chain from large scale private equity, down to growth investments, and venture. Given the difficulty that fund managers have had in driving liquidity to their investors, new funds are becoming smaller and first-time fund managers are finding the raise environment particularly difficult. In the current market, investors with capital have the luxury of being very particular about which investments they close. Like buying a house in a tough market, investors seek the best deals, perform a lot more diligence, and just generally try to make sure each investment is their “dream-house” before writing a check. While raising capital amid these challenges feels daunting, there are still deals getting done – especially in the early part of this year. This fireside chat will address the following questions and more: What investment structures are working in this market? How are term sheets changing? Most importantly, what can you do as an entrepreneur to get the best deal?
Matthew Mohn, Chair, U.S. Corporate Group, Reed Smith LLP
Katie Schmitz, Chief Administrative Officer, Ziegler Link-Age Funds
How-To Sessions: Skills for Businesses to Thrive in 2024 and Beyond
Conference Wrap-Up and John Hopper Impact Award Presentation
Mary Furlong, CEO, Mary Furlong & Associates, Executive Producer, What’s Next Longevity Venture Summit
Katie Schmitz, Chief Administrative Officer, Ziegler Link-Age Funds