A curriculum and startup solutions focused on Aging & Alzheimer’s
The current cohort of Founders Fellows, as well as the next cohort beginning in May, are working on solutions related to the aging population thanks to a grant from The National Institute on Aging Research and Entrepreneurial Development Immersion (REDI) Program.
Their work is helping to not only provide innovative solutions for an aging populace (20% of Americans will be 65+ by 2030) but also draws awareness to the difficulties older adults face – as well as how they can proactively approach physical and cognitive decline.
“[The Founders Fellowship] has a ripple effect. We can’t have a blind eye to our aging society – we have to go all in and address the needs of the tsunami of older adults that is in front of us,” explains Dr. Kevin Baumlin, the Science Center’s Chief Medical Affairs Officer. “Over 11,000 people are turning 65 every day and we need to be thinking about how we address the cost of care, and also the quality of their lives. Can we do both and have a better outcome? I think we can.”
Dr. Baumlin helped develop the cohort’s curriculum and says that it focuses on the four M’s – Medication, Mobility, Memory and What Matters (Institute for Healthcare Improvement). For the first six months of the program, the fellows took a deep dive into an aging and longevity curriculum – meeting with experts in the fields of chronic disease management, Alzheimer’s and dementia, regulatory/compliance, end of life ethics, and more.
Finding novel ways to approach classic aging issues is a core theme of the Fellowship. The entrepreneurs aren’t just looking for ways to improve the lives of aging individuals – they’re also figuring out how to proactively catch problems before they happen, helping to reduce costs for payers and providers (a win-win).
At the core of healthy longevity solutions is often finding a way to age that brings joy and peace – enabling elderly patients to live in their homes safely, for longer. “Older adults don’t want to be in a hospital or a nursing home,” notes Baumlin. “They want to be independent for as long as possible.”
If healthcare innovations can enable that, it’s a win for everybody.
Founders Fellows Jun Beom Pyo, Cole Hagen, and J.M. Kim
Novel Aging Solutions Can Solve Patient Problems – While Saving Providers Money
Entrepreneurship often feels more approachable when you can learn from those who’ve navigated the path before you. That’s why the fellows have met with multiple experts in the aging and Alzheimer’s space, including many founders who have managed to carve out their own space in the industry with their innovative solutions. Here are some of the changemakers they’ve encountered.
Dirk Soenksen with Ceresti
One of the fellowship’s memorable sessions was led by Dirk Soenksen, CEO of Ceresti. Using a big data model, Ceresti’s technology analyzes data and risk factors of end stage dementia patients to predict when certain behaviors potentially indicate a larger problem. If a patient stops eating half of what they did the day before, for example, it might indicate a urinary tract infection (a common issue for Alzheimer’s patients) and recommend a rapid urine check. By getting antibiotics for the patient before the infection becomes serious, they’re less likely to develop sepsis, which frequently requires a long and expensive hospital stay.
Pamela Cacchione with PennCURF
Robot seals might seem unrelated to aging/Alzheimer’s care, yet the founders were able to learn a great deal when Pamela Cacchione, who was leading a study through PennCURF, demonstrated how PARO therapeutic robots interact with potential patients. Sensors allow these robot seals to respond to both touch and greetings, and they recognize and recall user preferences. Interacting with the seals has been shown to reduce both agitation and pain in older adults in medical settings.
Patricia Lucas-Schnarre with Ahersla Health
This past winter the founders heard from (and smelled with) Patricia Lucas-Schnarre from Ahersla Health, Inc. Patricia, a Capital Readiness Program alum, is pioneering the use of olfaction (smell) technology to detect and potentially treat neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
She spoke with the Fellows about her work in using technology of olfaction to redefine assessing and treating health conditions.
"We think about smelling as something we do with our nose – we don't think about it happening in the brain," she noted, explaining to the group that the loss of smell is an early bio marker for both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's – and that newly emerging evidence indicates that olfactory enhancement may help with cognitive function.
Being able to detect Alzheimer’s earlier means being able to treat it earlier, slowing the rate of cognitive decline that can be taxing both for the individual and the people tasked with their caretaking.
Founders Fellows with Ahersla Health conducting a smell test
Transformative Innovations for the Aging Community
Although all the fellows are exploring innovations in the aging/Alzheimer’s space, their projects are unique and distinct from each other as a result of how diverse the problems facing the aging community are – and thanks to the diversity of perspectives the founders bring, hailing from different upbringings, countries of origin, ages, and fields of expertise. They share, though, one goal: making the world better for healthy aging.
Chinae Daniels, who has a background in business analytics, is researching elder financial safety and working on developing a platform that combats financial scams targeting the elderly. Financial crimes against the elderly are on the rise, with an 11% jump in reported losses between 2022 and 2025. A deep dive into customer discovery for the first half of the program helped her dial into the obstacles she’d have to overcome to effectively reach an older population.
“Users emphasized a fear of scams, hesitation to adopt new tech, and the desire for a supportive, personalized approach to financial safety,” she explains. “These discussions led me to simplify core interactions and integrate educational elements. It confirmed that success lies in blending robust security with empathetic design, making technology feel less intimidating and more empowering.”
Meanwhile, J.M. Kim is creating digital experiences to keep people physically, cognitively, and socially active in their own homes – and connected to their community. She came to the idea through the work she does at her day job for AI-CARING, an NSF AI Institute focused on supporting older adults.
She notes that her involvement in the fellowship program has deepened her understanding of what it means to get older. “As we age, because healthcare should meet us based on our life goals, not just consider whatever latest ailment we have,” she explains.
AARP and other global health leaders emphasize enhancing quality of life over simply extending it. Rather than focusing solely on lifespan, they are prioritizing “healthspan” – the concept of older adults staying healthier and more active as they age.
Founders Fellow, Chinae speaking about her business idea at Venture Cafe
Aging Reimagined: From Challenge to Opportunity
Aging isn’t just about decline – it’s about adaptation, resilience, and opportunity. By shifting the narrative from inevitable deterioration to proactive innovation, founders in the Fellowship are helping redefine what it means to grow older in the modern world.
J.M. Kim agrees. “Once you start to pay attention, it becomes clear the huge size and seriously underserved market that exists with adults who are getting older - and that market is only getting bigger with the Baby Boomers reaching retirement age,” she says.
“We as a society need so many new products, services, and innovations to help people live well. I hope more people recognize the need and opportunity, because I am not getting any younger.”
