The Future is Old

Today’s episode takes place at the annual American Society on Aging conference with the organization’s CEO, Dr. Leanne Clark-Shirley, as a guest co-host. We are joined by Jonathan Reckford, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, and Neetu Abad, the Director of the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health and Caregiver Program. They talk with us about the housing crisis, the importance of caregiving,...

Today’s guest is Ai-jen Poo, the President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the Executive Director of Caring Across Generations. She talks with us about the history of caregiving, how we are building better systems, and why we need more stories of care in the media.  You can follow Ai-jen on Instagram,  @aijenp .  You can buy Ai-jen's book,  The Age of Dignity .  You can join Ai-jen's...

Today’s guest is Ken Stern, the Founder and Chair of The Longevity Project, and an expert on our longer lives. He talks with us about the importance of social connections, what we’re going to do with all our extra time, and why we are so scared to get older.  You can follow Ken’s GrandPeople project on Instagram,  @grand.people.longevity .  You can listen to Ken’s podcast,  Century Lives .  You ca...

Today’s episode is a double feature. First, we speak with Keren Etkin, the Gerontechnologist, about agetech and robots. Then, we head to the CES convention where we speak with Steve Ewell, the Executive Director of the Consumer Technology Association. He joins The Future is Old to talk with Cornel Amairei, the CEO and Founder of .lumen which won the 2026 CTA Foundation’s Pitch Competition.  You ca...

Today’s guest is Jacynth Bassett, the founder of Ageism is Never in Style, an international organization dedicated to intergenerational inclusion in the beauty industry. We talk about why fashion ignores older women, beauty standards around aging for men versus women, and why representation of older adults matters.  You can follow Jacynth on Instagram,  @jacynthbassett .  You can follow Jacynth’s...

Today’s guest is Debra Whitman, the Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer of AARP. She talks with us about the dangers of loneliness, how long we will live, and if we will have the money to live that long.  You can follow Debra on  LinkedIn .  You can purchase Debra’s book,  The Second Fifty .  

Today’s guest is Chip Conley, a travel industry entrepreneur turned intergenerational mentor. We talk with him about how businesses benefit from having older employees, how the generations can learn from each other, and the things that get better with age.  You can follow Chip on Instagram,  @chipconley .  You can purchase Chip’s book,  Learning to Love Midlife .   You can join Chip’s  Modern Elde...

Today’s guest is Ken Dychtwald, the founder and CEO of Age Wave, which works with companies to serve a growing aging population. He talks with us about marketing to older adults, the history of the aging movement, and tapping into the potential of aging adults.  You can follow Ken’s work at  agewave.com .  You can purchase Ken's newest book,  Radical Curiosity: My Life on the Age Wave . 

Today’s guest is Ashton Applewhite, a leading voice in the movement to dismantle ageism. She talks with us about ageist language, the importance of intergenerational social circles, and shifting toward a life-obsessed culture.  You can follow Ashton on Instagram  @thischairrocks .  You can purchase Ashton’s book,  This Chair Rocks .  And you can find everything Ashton Applewhite on her website,  t...