New Longevity Fellows
Ai-jen Poo
National Domestic Workers Alliance, USA, 2012
Ai-jen Poo
National Domestic Workers Alliance, USA, 2012
Ai-jen Poo is building a new movement for one of the most excluded sectors of the American service industry, domestic care workers, National Domestic Workers Alliance that aligns them with the needs and demands of today’s economy while preserving and promoting dignity in their relationships.
Albeiro Vargas
Fundación Albeiro Vargas y Ángeles Custodios, Colombia, 2006
Albeiro Vargas
Fundación Albeiro Vargas y Ángeles Custodios, Colombia, 2006
Albeiro Vargas, through Fundación Albeiro Vargas y Ángeles Custodios, is improving societal treatment of the elderly and creating a model for strong intergenerational relations in Colombia. His program brings children more closely and more regularly into the lives of older people.
Alejandra Sanchez Cabezas
Surcos, Argentina, 2013
Alejandra Sanchez Cabezas
Surcos, Argentina, 2013
Committed to a holistic and collective approach to individual and community health, Alejandra Sánchez Cabezas, through her organization Surcos, has developed an inclusive, interdisciplinary strategy that fosters collaboration between communities and public health institutions. This initiative empowers communities to take a leading role in ensuring their own health and well-being.
Alejandro Marius
Trabajo y Persona, Venezuela, 2015
Alejandro Marius
Trabajo y Persona, Venezuela, 2015
Alejandro Marius breaks the vicious cycle of poverty through his organization Trabajo y Persona (Work and People). He promotes the development of entrepreneurs’ abilities and their training in offices for productive work. He makes an impact on excluded women and youngsters who don’t work or study and who don’t have any opportunities of overcoming their situation. Alejandro develops an ecosystem linking these Training Centers with enterprises to create an inclusive business model to strengthen their sustainability. Through his own methodology called Emprender 360, which innovatively trains facilitators from Training Centers on different offices to give their students the opportunity to empower themselves in entrepreneurship and self-employment, with opportunities that make a difference by having a job that stops poverty and gets them away of crime, earlier.
Ana Urrutia Beaskoa
Fundación cuidados dignos, Spain, 2015
Ana Urrutia Beaskoa
Fundación cuidados dignos, Spain, 2015
Ana Urrutia, through her organization Fundación cuidados dignos, is transforming Spain's socio-sanitary care system. Beginning with the elimination of physical restraints—a common yet troubling practice worldwide—her movement has grown into a radical overhaul of the traditional, risk-focused care model. Ana’s approach champions dignified and humanized elder care, focusing on reshaping care institutions by transforming their work culture and prioritizing the needs of each individual.
Andrea Escobar
Fundación Soydoy, Colombia 2022
Andrea Escobar
Fundación Soydoy, Colombia 2022
Malnutrition and poor eating habits remain overlooked on Colombia’s public agenda, despite recent FAO data showing that nearly 50% of Colombians are silently affected by these issues. Andrea, through her organization Fundación Soydoy has created a sustainable model that links economic empowerment with healthy eating practices in Colombia’s most vulnerable communities. Recognizing the influential role of mothers in shaping family economic dynamics and habits, Andrea incorporates them as essential agents of change, transforming the community’s relationship with food—from nutrition to entrepreneurship.
Anil Patil
Carers Worldwide, India, 2015
Anil Patil
Carers Worldwide, India, 2015
Through his organization, Carers Worldwide, Anil is shedding light on a largely unrecognized issue in developing countries—the experience of being a carer. By highlighting the emotional, social, and economic challenges carers face, he is placing their needs on the mainstream development agenda and driving a transformational shift in how organizations globally engage with and support carers. Learn more.
Anne Basting
TimeSlips, USA, 2017
Anne Basting
TimeSlips, USA, 2017
Anne Basting, through her organization TimeSlips, is transforming the experience of aging and the stigma surrounding dementia and memory loss by empowering older adults and their caregivers with new practices rooted in creative expression and community building. Having demonstrated the impact at the individual level, her sights are now set on transforming institutions of care into cultural and community centers of creative expression and growth.Learn more.
Arundhuti Gupta
Mentor Together, India, 2024
Arundhuti Gupta
Mentor Together, India, 2024
Arundhuti Gupta is enabling an entire generation of India’s excluded children and youth to break the cycle of unequal opportunities, venture into new territories, experience well-being and upward social mobility by architecting and spearheading India’s largest mentoring program, Mentor Together.
Ashwin Naik
Manah Wellness, India, 2010
Ashwin Naik
Manah Wellness, India, 2010
At Manah Wellness, the mission is clear: To cultivate champions of well-being by empowering individuals and organizations to embark on their mental health journey. In a world where mental health often takes a backseat, Manah Wellness confronts the prevalent issue of neglecting mental well-being. They recognize the silent crisis of untreated conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress, which silently erode the fabric of individuals and communities, fostering a culture of silent suffering. Understanding the profound consequences of ignoring mental health, Manah Wellness conducts extensive awareness campaigns and destigmatization efforts while improving access to mental health resources. They firmly believe that addressing mental health is not just an individual concern but a societal imperative, as untreated issues affect personal relationships, work productivity, and community cohesion.
Beka Ntsanwisi
Beka Ntsanwisi Foundation, South Africa, 2014
Beka Ntsanwisi
Beka Ntsanwisi Foundation, South Africa, 2014
Through the Beka Ntsanwisi Foundation, Beka works to improve aging by helping older adults in South Africa live active, healthy lives even into their 90s. Many older adults in rural areas care for grandchildren due to rural-to-urban migration, which often leaves them with stress-related health issues like high blood pressure. Understanding that a lack of exercise worsens physical decline, Beka’s foundation brings together women over 50 to form soccer teams in their communities.
.
Benedicte Defontaines
Réseau mémoire Aloïs, France, 2013
Benedicte Defontaines
Réseau mémoire Aloïs, France, 2013
With only 2,000 neurologists available to support over a million aging individuals with cognitive diseases in France, the lack of managed care creates significant bottlenecks in the healthcare system, resulting in severe social and psychological consequences for patients and their families. Bénédicte Défontaines, through her organization Réseau mémoire Aloïs, is addressing this challenge by establishing a radically new intervention chain that begins at the early signs of cognitive decline. She provides patients, families, and medical professionals with the tools needed to manage these situations compassionately, empowering society to reduce the risks and costs associated with cognitive diseases.
Carlos Atencio
Fundación Venezolana para la Medicina Familiar, Venezuela, 2014
Carlos Atencio
Fundación Venezolana para la Medicina Familiar, Venezuela, 2014
Carlos is responding to the failing healthcare system in Venezuela by introducing a new model of care based on family practice medicine and centered on community participation and responsibility. His Family Medicine Foundation, Fundación Venezolana para la Medicina Familiar provides affordable primary care (that resolves 85% of health issues in low income communities), trains medical professionals in family medicine techniques, and makes patients aware of their role in their own healthcare. As a result, Carlos is reducing medical costs, reviving a dying “specialty”, and putting communities in charge of their wellness.
Catalina Santana
101 Ideas,2023
Chris Underhill
Elders Council for Social Entrepreneurs, UK, 2012
Chris Underhill
Elders Council for Social Entrepreneurs, UK, 2012
Chris Underhill, through his organization Elders Council, has created a movement in the field of mental health that expands existing talent in local communities and puts the mentally ill and their families in charge of resolving challenges. Chris has spread his model across the developed and developing world, and in this process normalized the integration of the mentally ill into society as active and engaged citizens.
Diane Dupre la Tour
Les Petites Cantines, France,2020
Diane Dupre la Tour
Les Petites Cantines, France,2020
Our modern societies are facing the erosion of social bonds, leaving a significant part of the population feeling abandoned, excluded, or useless. Through Les Petites Cantines, Diane designs a new type of communal space in the form of lunchrooms open to all, offering neighborhood residents new opportunities for social interaction. She is revolutionizing the approach to loneliness by empowering citizens to become agents of social cohesion and to rediscover the value of meaningful social bonds.Learn more.
Didier Ketels
Droits Quotidiens, Belgium, 2008
Didier Ketels
Droits Quotidiens, Belgium, 2008
Didier Ketels founded Droits Quotidiens to train social workers as legal intermediaries who simplify the law and help disadvantaged groups resolve legal disputes quickly and fairly. His approach prevents less resourced people from getting caught in the bureaucracy of social and legal help for matters such as housing, debt repayment, or health and family problems—many of which can be worked out without ever needing a lawyer.
Dixon Chibanda
The Friendship Bench, Zimbabwe, 2022
Dixon Chibanda
The Friendship Bench, Zimbabwe, 2022
Guided by values of empathy and connection and anchored in over a decade of rigorous research Dixon, through Friendship Bench, is reimagining the delivery of evidence-based mental health. The Friendship Bench clinical team trains community health workers (also known as lay health workers) to provide basic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with an emphasis on Problem Solving Therapy, activity scheduling and peer led group support. This task shifting approach means they can deliver an effective, affordable, and sustainable solution to bridge the mental health treatment gap at a primary care level.
Learn more about Dixon and the Friendship Bench here.
Dr. Sanjeev Arora
Protect ECHO, USA, 2009
Dr. Sanjeev Arora
Protect ECHO, USA, 2009
Dr. Sanjeev Arora is addressing the urgent need for accessible, specialized care by connecting underserved communities to expert knowledge through Project ECHO. By leveraging communication technology, Dr. Arora is not only closing critical gaps in the U.S. healthcare system for patients with chronic diseases but is also transforming the way communities access life-saving information. Through the ECHO Model, his organization empowers local leaders across healthcare, education, and civic sectors, making specialized expertise a shared resource for everyone. Project ECHO is on a mission to reach 1 billion lives by 2025, creating a global movement to improve health and well-being everywhere.
DY Suharya
Yayasan Alzheimer Indonesia, Indonesia, 2017
DY Suharya
Yayasan Alzheimer Indonesia, Indonesia, 2017
For a long time, dementia has been viewed as a normal part of aging, and many people are not aware that it is often caused by Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative condition affecting brain tissue. Through Yayasan Alzheimer Indonesia, DY is creating a support system for individuals with dementia while also raising public awareness of its warning signs. Learn more.
Elena Parras Durán
55+, Portugal, 2024
Elena Parras Durán
55+, Portugal, 2024
Elena, through 55 Mais, is transforming societal and self-perceptions of individuals over fifty-five by positioning them as essential contributors within their communities. She is igniting a movement that celebrates their vitality and encourages active participation, helping to dismantle stereotypes and highlighting the value that older adults bring to society.
Farha (Ciciek) A.K. Assegaf
Tanoker Ledokombo, Indonesia, 2006
Farha (Ciciek) A.K. Assegaf
Tanoker Ledokombo, Indonesia, 2006
In Indonesia, where religious conservatism and fundamentalist Islam are on the rise, Farha Ciciek, through Tanoker Ledokombo, is demonstrating that the betterment of women's roles and positions can be achieved through religious teachings. She collaborates with Islamic boarding schools to educate women, girls, as well as boys, men, and religious leaders about gender equality and to provide women's health services.
Federico Armenteros
Fundación 26 de diciembre, Spain, 2022
Federico Armenteros
Fundación 26 de diciembre, Spain, 2022
Through Fundación 26 de diciembre., Federico is transforming the lives of LGBTQ+ seniors in Spain, a group historically marginalized and isolated from traditional elder care. Despite recent legal progress, LGBTQ+ seniors still face high rates of loneliness and have a suicide rate 50% higher than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. Federico is addressing these challenges by empowering LGBTQ+ seniors to lead and co-create spaces where they can live authentically, build supportive communities, and shape new opportunities for a fulfilling life.
Frederic Simonart
DUO for a JOB, Belgium,2018
Frederic Simonart
DUO for a JOB, Belgium,2018
DUO for a JOB is redesigning the traditional structures of mentoring, placing successful Belgian retirees as formal coaches for non-European unemployed youths entering the job market. In uniting these two populations, they are unlocking the social and cultural capital largely held by Belgian populations and fostering empathy between the local communities and people on the move.Learn more.
Gabriela Agustini
Olabi, Brazil, 2023
Gabriela Agustini
Olabi, Brazil, 2023
Aware of the growing importance that understanding and building technologies has today, Gabriela, through Olabi, is working to increase the diversity of gender, race, and age by flipping the approach to learning technology and promoting digital inclusion.Learn more.
Gautam Bharadwaj
pinBox Solutions, India, 2012
Gautam Bharadwaj
pinBox Solutions, India, 2012
Through pinBox Solutions, Gautam Bharadwaj is helping to design, build, and deploy inclusive digital micro-pension systems that empower non-salaried workers to save for a secure and dignified retirement. His approach creates accessible financial tools and encourages lifelong savings, making retirement planning a viable option for millions who previously lacked access to such resources.
Girlie Garcia Lorenzo
Kythe Inc., Phillipines, 2013
Girlie Garcia Lorenzo
Kythe Inc., Phillipines, 2013
Children from less-resourced backgrounds suffering from chronic illnesses in Philippine public hospitals endure extreme stress and pain. Their families and hospital staff also face the physical demands of caregiving and the emotional strain of managing serious, often terminal, conditions. Through her organization, Kythe Inc., Maria Fatima “Girlie” Lorenzo is transforming these hospitals by establishing a national psychosocial support system for underserved patients, their families, and caregivers. Learn more.
Heidi Wang
NEON, Norway, 2012
Heidi Wang
NEON, Norway, 2012
Heidi stands at the forefront of pioneering dementia care, championing early diagnosis, prevention, and a focus on individuals' remaining abilities. Through her organization, NOEN, Heidi has meticulously developed a tailored treatment program that prioritizes the unique qualities of everyone, placing them at the centre of their care journey.
Horst Krumbach
Generationsbrücke Deutschland, Germany, 2013
Horst Krumbach
Generationsbrücke Deutschland, Germany, 2013
In Germany, which is experiencing an increasing disconnect between young people and the growing elderly population, Horst Krumbach, through Generationsbrücke Deutschland, is working to form relationships across generations to foster empathy, understanding, and life-long learning. He is changing how the elderly socially define themselves and how society perceives their value as individuals.
Indrani Chakravarty
Calcutta Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, India, 1991
Indrani Chakravarty
Calcutta Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, India, 1991
Indrani Chakravarty is establishing the Calcutta Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, India’s first institute to combine research with hands-on care for the elderly. This project will provide essential services to older adults in Calcutta and aims to bring attention to the needs of the 80 million elderly people across India.
Javier Lozano
Clínicas del Azúcar, Mexico, 2012
Javier Lozano
Clínicas del Azúcar, Mexico, 2012
Javier Lozano, through Clínicas del Azúcar, has developed a low-cost, one-stop-shop clinic model to treat diabetes and prevent its associated complications. By leveraging advanced technology and diagnostic and treatment innovations, these clinics provide high-quality, affordable medical care to populations who might otherwise lack access.
Jean-Michel Ricard
Siel Bleu, France, 2006
Jean-Michel Ricard
Siel Bleu, France, 2006
As the elderly live longer lives and make up an increasing percentage of the population in Europe, Jean-Michel, through Siel Bleu, is helping them overcome various physical and psychological ailments that prevent them from enjoying their later years. His program emphasizes the importance of prevention, using unique exercises and physical training to delay the onset of age-related impairments and diseases. Equally important, it helps seniors maintain their ability to function independently and retain the social connections that have defined them for most of their lives.
Jimmy Westerheim
The Human Aspect, Norway, 2022
Jimmy Westerheim
The Human Aspect, Norway, 2022
By facilitating conversations about mental health across culture, ideology, and age, Jimmy Westerheim, founder of The Human Aspect, is reframing struggle as fundamentally human to bridge the isolation that stigma around mental health struggles too often brings.Learn more.
Joao Paulo Nogueira Ribeiro
Horas de Vida, Brazil, 2014
Joao Paulo Nogueira Ribeiro
Horas de Vida, Brazil, 2014
João Paulo is meeting the growing need for quality, timely, and affordable healthcare by connecting low-income patients to doctors and offering immediate access to medical appointments. Through his organization, Horas de Vida (Hours of Life Institute), João is not only filling a critical gap left by the public healthcare system but also providing the medical community in Brazil a meaningful way to lead and transform the conversation around health and wellness.
Learn more
Joao Souza
Fa.Vela, Brazil, 2019
Joao Souza
Fa.Vela, Brazil, 2019
João, through his organization Fa.Vela , co-created and is promoting a comprehensive and inclusive methodology to teach residents of favelas and other vulnerable areas essential life skills. He is reinventing learning for adults in these communities, paving the way for a more inclusive entrepreneurship and educational ecosystem for individuals who have historically faced a lack of rights and access to quality formal education. Learn more.
Jos de Blok
Buurtzorg, Netherlands, 2015
Jos de Blok
Buurtzorg, Netherlands, 2015
Dissatisfied with the healthcare delivery of traditional home-care organizations in the Netherlands, Jos, through his organization Buurtzorg, created a new model centered on the self-management abilities of nursing professionals. This approach has resulted in a more responsive, patient-centric system that provides higher-quality care. Over time, this model enables patients to maintain their independence and reduces reliance on costly institutionalized care.
Judi Aubel
Grandmother Project, 2012
Judi Aubel
Grandmother Project, 2012
Through Grandmother Project, Judi Aubel is transforming socio-cultural norms by mobilizing grandmothers—an influential yet often overlooked resource within communities. Her work empowers grandmothers to champion key issues such as girls’ education, delaying early and forced marriage, reducing teen pregnancy, preventing female genital mutilation, and improving maternal and child health. This intergenerational approach strengthens family communication and supports lasting change in health and social well-being.
Karen Worcman
Museu da Pessoa, Brazil, 1999
Karen Worcman
Museu da Pessoa, Brazil, 1999
Karen Worcman, through her organization Museu da Pessoa, is transforming the way history is produced, understood, and received by providing a platform for unrecognized individuals to create lasting oral histories.
Lone Koldby
Aktivitetdosetten, Norway, 2013
Lone Koldby
Aktivitetdosetten, Norway, 2013
Lone Koldby is transforming long-term care for the elderly in Norway with Aktivitetdosetten by prioritizing activity and social interaction in nursing home care plans. She empowers residents to take an active role in shaping their care routines, helping them reclaim their rights and fostering a sense of agency as senior citizens.
Lorenzo Marini
Verificat, Spain, 2023
Lorenzo Marini
Verificat, Spain, 2023
Lorenzo is on a mission to make Media and Information Literacy (MIL) an essential life skill for everyone, empowering people to navigate today's fast-paced digital landscape with confidence. Through his organization, Verificat, he’s transforming how we access and assess information in a world where the volume of data and the impact of artificial intelligence are rapidly growing. Lorenzo believes that every citizen has the right to know how to identify trustworthy sources, not just as a skill but as a fundamental right.
Luis Francisco Cabezas
Convite, Venezuela, 2022
Luis Francisco Cabezas
Convite, Venezuela, 2022
Luis Francisco is changing the predominant views of the elderly as burdensome, weak, and overly dependent by creating a system based on older adults' strengths. Luis Francisco's idea combines the generation of fact-based data on the elderly population's needs with network and community building to change public policy and revitalize the role of older adults in social life.
Marc Freeman
CoGenerate, USA, 2005
Marc Freeman
CoGenerate, USA, 2005
Marc Freedman, through CoGenerate, is changing the role of the aging population. He is building a vision that helps the growing number of individuals between retirement and old age incorporate their skills and talents into their communities.
Marcos Lacayo
Estacion Vital S.A, Nicaragua, 2018
Marcos Lacayo
Estacion Vital S.A, Nicaragua, 2018
Marcos Lacayo, through his organization Estacion Vital S.A., is improving health outcomes and shifting mindsets around preventive services in Nicaragua. He is enabling widespread access to tech-enabled screenings, remote physician consultations, and educational campaigns in high-traffic areas and online. Learn more.
Maria de Lourdes Braz
Brazil, 1998
Maria de Lourdes Braz
Brazil, 1998
Committed to working with senior citizens, Maria de Lourdes Bráz has found a simple way to transform the standard assistance-based model, to which all government agencies and members of society conform, into an effective integration model.
Marie Trellu-Kane
Unis-Cité (Civic Service), France, 2010
Marie Trellu-Kane
Unis-Cité (Civic Service), France, 2010
Over the last 15 years, Marie, through Unis-Cité (Civic Service), has designed a model to make citizen engagement a normal step in young people's lives, creating the infrastructure to help them become social changemakers. As thousands of young people continue to dedicate periods of their lives full-time to social and environmental organizations, Marie now positions her association as a genuine experimental lab dedicated to inventing new ways for youth to commit to society and creating the tools for a new generation of changemakers.
Mark Swift
Wellbeing Enterprises, UK, 2017
Mark Swift
Wellbeing Enterprises, UK, 2017
Mark Swift, through his organization Wellbeing Enterprises CIC, is creating a social movement for health that mobilizes and empowers communities to take control of their own health and well-being. He broadens the understanding and definition of healthcare, enabling practitioners to refer patients to non-clinical solutions within local communities. This approach addresses the underlying causes of illness by unlocking and strengthening the resources and talents within these communities.
Martin Loučka
Centrum Paliativní Péče, Czech Republic, 2023
Martin Loučka
Centrum Paliativní Péče, Czech Republic, 2023
Martin is leading a movement to transform end-of-life care in Czechia, creating a compassionate and patient-centered approach through his work at the Centrum Paliativní Péče. Founded in 2014, Martin's organization focuses on two key goals: gathering data on what terminally ill patients need and want as they near the end of life, and using that knowledge to help hospitals, care homes, hospices, GP offices, and government ministries develop strategies that prioritize patient dignity and comfort.
Masue Katayama
SWCSF, Japan,2012
Masue Katayama
SWCSF, Japan,2012
Masue Katayama has developed a contextually sensitive approach to changing attitudes and values about nursing care. Masue has created the broadly utilized Shinkou-Kai model for private nursing homes which provides comfortable yet affordable housing options for Japanese elderly, while employing non-Japanese caregivers traditionally shunted by society.
Matthieu Le Grielle
Duo for a job, Belgium, 2018
Matthieu Le Grielle
Duo for a job, Belgium, 2018
DUO for a JOB is redesigning the traditional structures of mentoring, placing successful Belgian retirees as formal coaches for non-European unemployed youths entering the job market. In uniting these two populations, they are unlocking the social and cultural capital largely held by Belgian populations and fostering empathy between the local communities and people on the move.Learn more.
Mauricio Parilli
Aprendo y Emprendo, Vénezuela, 2019
Mauricio Parilli
Aprendo y Emprendo, Vénezuela, 2019
Mauricio is empowering young people in Venezuela (ages 16–20) to drive a socially aware and dynamic approach to economic development through Aprendo y Emprendo. By building a youth-led movement of changemakers, Mauricio encourages young people to influence their communities and become role models for future generations. Seeing youth as a core force for innovation, he is also advocating for legal changes to allow businesses to be run by those under 18. With an intergenerational approach that includes senior consultants, Mauricio’s work with Aprendo y Emprendo is creating a collaborative platform that bridges generations, empowering young Venezuelans to lead social and economic change.
Mawuko Anani Ekuhoho
Anavi, Togo 2024
Mawuko Anani Ekuhoho
Anavi, Togo 2024
Through Anavi, Anani is establishing a nationwide system of Senior Clubs designed to enhance the health and well-being of the 60+ population. This initiative focuses on encouraging seniors to lead active lives and share their experiences through extended networks within their communities. The approach has attracted the attention of Health Ministries in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Guinea Conakry, highlighting its potential impact on elder care in the region.
Mikuláš Kroupa
Post Bellum, Czech Republic, 2016
Mikuláš Kroupa
Post Bellum, Czech Republic, 2016
Mikuláš, through his organization Post Bellum, is fostering civic engagement and a sense of responsibility for public life among youth and adults in Central Europe. He encourages individuals to examine, understand, and engage with their shared past, highlighting the importance of overcoming indifference in public life throughout human history. By orchestrating the creation of a crowdsourced collective narrative of national memory, Mikuláš is embedding critical thinking and active citizenship in young people, providing them with opportunities to practice changemaking in action.
Miriam Israel I.
Centro de Cuidados Paliativos de México, IAP, Mexico, 2010
Miriam Israel I.
Centro de Cuidados Paliativos de México, IAP, Mexico, 2010
Miriam Israel, through Centro de Cuidados Paliativos de México, IAP, is creating a culture of end-of-life care in Mexico, inspired by successful palliative care experiences in the U.S. Determined to find new ingredients that would allow this approach to succeed where previous attempts have failed, she has developed a set of integrated services to help patients and their families cope with the emotional, psychological, physical, and legal or socioeconomic consequences of death. Miriam is beginning to spread her approach through the emerging National Palliative Care Network, with members in 24 Mexican states.
Monica Guerra
Instituto Comida do Amanha, Brazil 2024
Morgan Guerra
Previta, Mexico, 2013
Morgan Guerra
Previta, Mexico, 2013
Morgan, through Previta, is turning the traditional model of community health upside down by caring for communities with chronic diseases as a whole rather than only those who are ill, enabling all community members to take charge of their own care. He seeks to shift the chronic, degenerative disease healthcare paradigm to one focused on wellness rather than disease. Using a disruptive model that includes prevention campaigns and an innovative monitoring system, he is able to maintain community well-being and chronic, degenerative disease control for each individual community member. Morgan’s model allows for remote, continuous monitoring using telemedicine, health coaches, and mobile clinic units.
Myung-sook Seo
Jeju Olle, South Korea, 2013
Myung-sook Seo
Jeju Olle, South Korea, 2013
Myung-sook Seo, through her organization Jeju Olle, is harnessing citizen participation to create cultural and economic development opportunities outside of large metropolitan areas. By mobilizing ordinary citizens to build new hiking trails that pass through villages, she enables local residents and hikers alike to discover previously unappreciated natural and community resources and to build lasting ties beyond those created through typical tourism channels.
Ole Kassow
Cycling Without Age, Denmark, 2017
Ole Kassow
Cycling Without Age, Denmark, 2017
Cycling Without Age takes elderly nursing home residents, who tend to be socially excluded, back into the streets and allows them to be part of ongoing urban life. As the elderly passengers and younger cyclists co-create new experiences on trishaws, Cycling Without Age showcases the joy of intergenerational exchange to society.
Olivier-Hugues Terreault
Teatro do Sopro, Brazil, 2014
Olivier-Hugues Terreault
Teatro do Sopro, Brazil, 2014
Olivier-Hugues, through Teatro do Sopro, is preparing Brazilian society to be able to care for their growing elderly population. Through an innovative clowning therapy, he is equipping caregivers and seniors themselves with tools for communication, meanwhile his work with decision makers and the general population creates policies and social norms that will ensure seniors’ wellbeing in society.
Philomena Anyanwu
El-Aged Care Initiative, Nigeria, 2023
Philomena Anyanwu
El-Aged Care Initiative, Nigeria, 2023
Through El-Aged Care Initiative Philomena is pioneering transformative approach to elderly care in Nigeria. El-Aged Care Initiative addresses the challenges posed by a rapidly growing aging population, including poverty, limited healthcare access, social isolation, and ageism. Focused on rural areas strained by urban migration, the initiative equips older adults to take charge of their well-being, fostering mentorship and community bonds.
By leveraging existing family and community networks, they promote holistic health through education, self-care practices, and recreational activities. They also work tirelessly to raise awareness about the realities of aging and advocate against ageist stereotypes, such as the harmful association of dementia with witchcraft.
Philomena envisions sustainable long-term care systems that combat ageist stereotypes and create age-friendly environments, allowing Nigeria’s elderly population to age with dignity in their communities. Through these efforts, the El-Aged Care Initiative seeks to enable fulfilling lives for older adults fostering aspirations and lifelong contribution.
Learn more about Philomena and El-Aged Care Initiative here.
Ra'ana Mahmood
Geriatric Care Foundation, Pakistan, 2004
Ra'ana Mahmood
Geriatric Care Foundation, Pakistan, 2004
Ra’ana Mahmood formed the Geriatric Care Foundation (GCF) of Pakistan to promote the welfare and well-being of the elderly and help meet the changing medical, legal, and social needs of senior citizens in Pakistan.
Ralf Sange
Gründer 50 Plus, Germany 2013
Ralf Sange
Gründer 50 Plus, Germany 2013
Ralf Sange, through his organization Gründer 50 Plus, is pioneering a movement that supports individuals over 50 in becoming entrepreneurs with economically sustainable models, activating their creative potential to address social challenges. By doing so, he tackles the root of age discrimination against older entrepreneurs and challenges the general perception that people in their "Third Age" have limited contributions to offer society.
Riccarda Zezza
Lifeed, Italy, 2016
Riccarda Zezza
Lifeed, Italy, 2016
Ricarda is driven by a mission to redefine work-life balance, particularly for parents, and eradicate the conflict between career advancement and family commitments. With a focus on the corporate sector, she collaborates with employers to transform the perception of maternity leave and parental care from burdens to opportunities for skill enhancement. Her groundbreaking concept, "MaaM" - Maternity as a Masters - encapsulates this transformative approach. Recognizing the undervaluation of caregiving roles in today's workplace, Riccarda founded Lifeed to elevate the significance of caregiving skills and mindset. At Lifeed, Riccarda and her team identify, quantify, and activate the additional skills cultivated through caregiving experiences, empowering individuals to leverage these skills across various contexts. By fostering self-efficacy and advocating for holistic care, Lifeed enables individuals to thrive both personally and professionally.
Rose Volz-Schmidt
Wellcome,Germany, 2008
Rose Volz-Schmidt
Wellcome,Germany, 2008
When society leaves new mothers alone and overburdened, Rose Volz-Schmidt through Wellcome helps them cope with the chaotic challenges of motherhood in the first months. She has created a broad network of volunteers and professionals to bridge the gap between families and the welfare system, and in doing so is strengthening young families and changing society's attitude towards motherhood.
Salina Akther
Subarta Trust, Bangladesh, 2015
Salina Akther
Subarta Trust, Bangladesh, 2015
Salina, through her organization Subarta Trust, is advancing equity in access to elderly housing and care in Bangladesh by linking the needs of high-income and low-income communities. Using an innovative cross-subsidy financial model, her network of care centers provides safe, dignified, and quality housing and care services for the elderly and disabled across different socio-economic backgrounds.
Sergio Serapião
LAB60+, Brazil, 2018
Sergio Serapião
LAB60+, Brazil, 2018
Sérgio Serapião, through his organization Labora, is building a national movement to change the paradigm of old age in Brazil. By creating a network and a replicable model for meetings, trainings, co-construction of new roles, and incubation of initiatives focused on the elderly, Sérgio accelerates social innovation processes that place older individuals at the center as both protagonists and beneficiaries. Learn more.
Septiaji Nugroho
MAFINDO, Indonesia, 2023
Septiaji Nugroho
MAFINDO, Indonesia, 2023
Indonesia ranks the fourth highest in terms of internet users globally, yet with hoaxes increasingly spread through social media platforms, there are still no comprehensive measures addressing this pervasive problem. In response, Septiaji Nugroho, through his organization MAFINDO (Masyarakat Anti Fitnah Indonesia) is building a civic resiliency movement that is open to everyone to engage against untruthful data, strengthen digital literacy, and renew trust between citizens and their government. Learn more.
Sheilu Srinivasan
Dignity Foundation, India, 2003
Sheilu Srinivasan
Dignity Foundation, India, 2003
Throughout India, Sheilu Srinivasan, through the Dignity Foundation, is mobilizing "dignitarians" (men and women over 50) in a movement to provide opportunities and life-enrichment services that enable senior citizens to lead productive and rewarding lives.
Sonia Andrade
CONAMOSOTEE-Corporación de Organizaciones Sociales de Atenci, Ecuador, 1999
Sonia Andrade
CONAMOSOTEE-Corporación de Organizaciones Sociales de Atenci, Ecuador, 1999
Sonia Andrade helps senior citizens reclaim their traditional social status through legal reform, public advocacy, and intergenerational business ventures. She is narrowing the generation gap by encouraging the young and old to work together, learn from each other, and jointly solve common problems, such as unemployment.
Stephanie Brobbey
The Good Ancestor Movement, United Kingdom, 2022
Stephanie Brobbey
The Good Ancestor Movement, United Kingdom, 2022
The Good Ancestor Movement exists to disrupt the mainstream wealth advisory industry by challenging traditional ideas around the economy, excessive wealth accumulation, tax minimisation and the redistribution of resources and power in society. The GAM supports wealthy individuals, families, family offices, trusts and foundations with progressive wealth stewardship and radical redistribution.
Suresh Kumar
India, 2012
Suresh Kumar
India, 2012
In response to a growing demand for palliative care, Dr. Suresh Kumar, through the Institute of Palliative Medicine, sees the need for healthcare to go beyond standard institutions and medical facilities. He has designed a volunteer-led care system that provides an alternative to the rigid and ineffective medical institutions of the region. Dr. Kumar’s approach moves services from institutions and hospitals to neighborhoods and homes to effectively address the social, psychological, and medical dimensions of care.
Tim Carpenter
EngAGE, USA, 2008
Tim Carpenter
EngAGE, USA, 2008
Tim Carpenter, through EngAGE, is engaging residents of senior apartments in purposeful, creative projects that stretch their imaginations, nourish their well-being, and enrich their communities.
Timothy Conibear
Waves for Change, South Africa, 2015
Timothy Conibear
Waves for Change, South Africa, 2015
Waves for Change is at the forefront of a movement to revolutionize mental health support, led by Tim. Motivated by the alarming projections of the global mental health crisis, Tim drives the organization's mission to make mental health interventions more accessible and enjoyable for vulnerable populations. Recognizing the pressing need for culturally sensitive interventions, especially in low-middle income countries, Waves for Change has developed a powerful model that combines sport with self regulation activities. By incorporating five active ingredients into their programs, they strive to improve mental health outcomes for children and adolescents.
Tomás Olivieri
Diagonal, Argentina, 2012
Tomás Olivieri
Diagonal, Argentina, 2012
Tomás Olivieri envisions a society that values the contributions of the 45 and older generation to the country’s growth and development. Tomás’ organization, Diagonal helps such individuals recover from a momentous personal turning point, the loss of their job, and prepares businesses and the larger society to employ and appreciate these workers.
Victor Gutierrez
Futbol maş, Chile, 2024
Victor Gutierrez
Futbol maş, Chile, 2024
Victor’s vision is to leverage sports as a therapeutic tool to prevent mental health issues and foster community cohesion, particularly among underprivileged children and youth. His foundation Fútbol Más turns sports fields into spaces for psychological and social development, addressing issues such as resilience, school dropout rates, impulse control, and gender equity. His patented academic approach transforms the person from within and delivers measurable long-term indicators targeting the root of these problems by involving entire communities—children, parents, teachers, and neighborhood leaders.
Victoria Tortosa Vicente
La Exclusiva, Spain, 2017
Victoria Tortosa Vicente
La Exclusiva, Spain, 2017
Vicky is drastically improving rural habitation and stalling rural depopulation by redesigning distribution services, providing the mainly elderly population with essential services that improve their quality of life and create opportunities for social interaction, human support and care. She founded La Exclusiva to re-establish services that have been abandoned, consequently making rural life more attractive for current and potential residents.
Wida Septarina
Foodbank of Indonesia, Indonesia, 2024
Wida Septarina
Foodbank of Indonesia, Indonesia, 2024
Indonesia ranks second in food waste worldwide. Yet, 16.2 million people in Indonesia still face hunger, 21.6% of Indonesian toddlers are stunted, and almost half of Indonesia's elderly are at risk of malnutrition. To fight the issue, Wida, through her organization Yayasan Lumbung Pangan Indonesia (YLPI), creates a volunteer-based movement consisting of housewives, teachers, local communities and private companies to process and distribute food excess from the family and food industry to the vulnerable community.
Ximena Abogabir
Travesia100, Chile, 1995
Ximena Abogabir
Travesia100, Chile, 1995
Travesia100 is on a transformative mission to reshape society's perception of aging, led by Ximena. Fueled by demographic shifts and a commitment to inclusivity, they champion labour inclusion for mature workers aged 55 and older, recognizing its profound benefits. Despite persistent age-related stereotypes in the workplace, Travesia 100 confronts discrimination head-on, amplifying the voices of older individuals through advocacy and the Greater Voices network. They challenge ageism in media and advertising, fostering a culture of respect and inclusivity. Through initiatives like columns, public programs, and social innovation movements, Travesia 100 empowers older adults to embrace their stage of life as agents of change, providing training and tools for digitalization and beyond.