Recap: ATX Aging & Innovation Summit

investor panel photo

It was standing room only at the May 4 ATX Aging & Innovation Summit, presented by AustinUP and Dell Medical School at the University of Texas. If you were there, you heard Dr. Chris Callahan, Director of the Indiana University Center for Aging Research, suggest that given the diversity of older adults, we need a diversity of new technologies and innovations to support independence; Jeffrey Makowka, Director of Market Innovation for AARP, tell us that $7.6 trillion in annual economic activity is generated by people over the age of 50; and Dr. José Colucci, Director of Research and Development at the Design Institute for Health, point out that younger adults try to identify with their age group as much as possible, while older adults do not…unless that comparison reinforces a positive self image. This, of course, is excellent insight if you are working and innovating in the aging/tech space!

If you weren’t there, or need a refresher, you can view the speakers’ presentation slides by clicking on their names below. Note: Some speakers did not have slides.

Big thanks to all who presented and attended, as well as to our fine sponsors: AARP Texas, Capital Factory, St. David’s Foundation, Google, Westminster Senior Living, Meals on Wheels Central Texas, UnaliWear and Seniorific. A special note of thanks to our event steering committee, who guided our planning process: Margo Weisz, City Lights Group – Event Chair; Mellie Price, Dell Medical School; Steve Scheibal, Dell Medical School; Sly Majid, Mayor Adler’s Office; Jessica Lemann, AARP; Susann Keohane, IBM; Dennis Cavner, Mission Capital; Eugene Sepulveda, Capital Factory; John Thornborrow, Austin Impact Capital; Hall Martin, TEN Capital Group; Char Hu, The Helper Bees; and Jennifer Vickers, Community Investment Corp.

AustinUP is working on ways to continue the conversation and collaboration, so please stay tuned for updates via the AustinUP website and mailing list![su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#cfcfcf” link_color=”#cfcfcf” size=”1″ margin=”20″]

FRAMING THE OPPORTUNITY  (Opening Keynote)    
Christopher Callahan, MD, MACP, Director, Indiana University Center for Aging Research

NEWEST INNOVATIONS AND TRENDS (PechaKucha style presentations)
José Colucci, PhD, Director of Research and Development, Design Institute for Health, Dell Medical School
David Paydarfar, MD, Chair of Neurology, Dell Medical School and Justin Rousseau, MD, MMSc, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Department of Population Health, Dell Medical School
Amy Holloway, President and CEO, Avalanche Consulting
Michael Wilson, PhD, Senior Vice President, Meals on Wheels Central Texas
Susann Keohane, Global Research Leader, Strategic Initiative on Aging, IBM
James Sulzer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES
Steve Vandegrift, CEO, Pipeline Success
Jean Anne Booth, CEO and Founder, UnaliWear
Char Hu, PhD, CEO, The Helper Bees
Sara Taylor, Director of Accountable Care Operations, Seton

INVESTOR PERSPECTIVES
John Thornborrow, Managing Partner, Austin Impact Capital
Kerry Rupp, General Partner, True Wealth Ventures
Mike Smerklo, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Next Coast Ventures

CLOSING KEYNOTE
Jeffrey Makowka, Director of Market Innovation, AARP

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Photo credit: Brian Birzer