Gerotech A New Voice

To hell with circumstances, I create opportunities.

~Bruce Lee

The Geotechnologist

The field of gerontology needs new voices–outside voices, this is what my mentor Dr Rick Moody has always told me. But not just any voices, voices that are informed, on trend, coming from a place of contribution, and visionary. I have encountered just such a voice in Keren Etkin, The GeroTechnologist.

I like to think of myself as an “age tech evangelist”, shouting from the virtual rooftops how amazing this ecosystem is, how big the opportunity of the longevity economy is for entrepreneurs and investors, and telling anyone who’s willing to listen that we must include our elders in the design and development of technology.

~ Keren Etkin The GeroTechnologist

Let’s unpack Keren’s quote for some insight into her gerontological-philosophical scaffolding. First, start with the word “Evangelist,” Merriam-Webster defines it as an enthusiastic advocate, that seems to fit–anyone shouting anything from rooftops (real or virtual), has something they want to share. Secondly, employing a term like “ecosystem” (a complex network or interconnected systems) is someone who understand systems thinking and has escaped the silos which have handtied historical gerontology for decades. Thirdly, to speak in terms of aging as an opportunity for sectors of the society/economy which have exclusively worshiped at the altar of youth culture and traditionally avoided marketing to older adults, is contrarian and fresh. Finally, to have the audacity to include end-users in the process–well, this is revolutionary.

I first encountered Keren’s work from Linkedin and Twitter posts related to a gerotech startup called ElliQ that showed up in my feed, then I incrementally began to absorb her content. Now she is involved with co-founding Sensi.Ai, the website TheGeroTechnologist.com and a youtube channel, which I highly recommend looking into. I am honored Keren has agreed to share an occasional post and video as a guest and advisor. And the fact that she is a volunteer with the “Furry Friends for the Elderly” project tells me more about her than any CV could.

Frequently, I have used the acronym TNT to outline the opportunities in the Longevity Economy, TRENDS-NEEDS-TECHNOLOGY, to be successful and do good in the world just follow this formula. Ask yourself “Where’s the TREND? Where’s the NEED? And Where’s the TECHNOLOGY headed? I can not think of a more qualified guide than The Gerotechnologist, Keren Etkin. This is someone to watch…

Her Bio Her Words

My name is Keren Etkin, I’m a Gerontologist by training and a tech enthusiast by nature.

I’ve been working with older adults for almost a decade, started my career working in the nonprofit sector, and transitioned into tech when I was recruited toIntuition Roboticsas the first employee and the company’s gerontologist. IR is the startup behind ElliQ, the world’s first social robot designed with and for older adults. I was fortunate to be in a position that allowed me to research how older adults use technology, what they want to get out of it, and later, work on implementing those learnings in ElliQ.

During my time at IR, I realized there were many wonderful startups developing awesome products for older adults, so I created this website. I like to think of myself as an “age tech evangelist”, shouting from the virtual rooftops how amazing this ecosystem is, how big the opportunity of the longevity economy is for entrepreneurs and investors, and telling anyone who’s willing to listen that we must include our elders in the design and development of technology.

In 2019, I co-founded Sensi.Ai, which developed the first and only AI-based solution for remote care monitoring in the long term care industry. These days, I advise early-stage startups, investors, care providers and international organizations working on innovation in aging.I give keynotes and host webinars about age tech, and from time to time, I write for other publications like the ASA journal and Next Avenue. In my spare time, I volunteer in the “Furry Friends for the Elderly” project and enjoy taking my dog to the beach.

If you want to follow my work, receive updates from this blog and industry news, the best way would be to subscribe for the AgeTech Digest using this link.

You can also connect with me on LinkedIn, follow me on Twitter or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

See Old Dog Haven: Helping old dogs aging in place.