Rehab Tech Summit Mini-Summit Speakers
Sarah Thomas
OTR/L
Sarah Thomas
OTR/L
Sarah Thomas is an accomplished leader of innovation. She serves as a global aging expert advising startups, large corporations and investors, with nearly 20 years dedicated to transforming the aging experience. Sarah is CEO of multinational staff-hosting company, MezTal in Guadalajara & CEO of the consulting firm Delight by Design, creating age-inclusive products, brands, spaces and experiences that delight the consumer at every age. Sarah has held key leadership positions across the US and Asia, developing and implementing strategic corporate innovation initiatives, including change management. She serves as Executive-in-Residence at Aging2.0,Principal Fellow in the Nexus Insights firm for aging transformation, and co- founder of AgeTech News. She formerly led all commercial activity for Seismic Holdings - a Silicon Valley-based company shaping human potential through integration of apparel and robotics to augment human strength and performance. Sarah’s commercial expertise helped position the organization for esteemed recognition by the World Economic Forum, Fast Company, The Economist and CES. Prior to Seismic, Sarah led all global innovation for the largest post-acute care provider in the US, Genesis, serving more than 55,000 individuals a day. She combines her Occupational Therapy expertise with her operational, clinical and entrepreneurial experience to inspire global improvements in design and systems innovation worldwide. She designed an innovation center in China as a part of a vitality initiative to improve the health and well-being of global communities. A published author, she serves in multiple advisory positions, sits on numerous boards and is an accomplished keynote speaker on topics like healthy longevity and aging innovations.
Dr. Charlotte Yeh
Chief Medical Officer, AARP
Dr. Charlotte Yeh
Chief Medical Officer, AARP
Dr. Charlotte Yeh is the Chief Medical Officer for AARP Services, Inc. In this capacity, she works with independent carriers that make health-related products and services available to AARP members on programs that help lead to enhanced care for older adults. She brings more than three decades of healthcare experience to this role as a practitioner and Chief of Emergency Medicine at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Tufts Medical Center, Medical Director for the National Heritage Insurance Company, Medicare Part B claims contractor, and the Regional Administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Boston. She has been widely recognized for her achievements.
Andrew Sixsmith
Associate Scientific Director, AGE-WELL NCE
Andrew Sixsmith
Associate Scientific Director, AGE-WELL NCE
Andrew Sixsmith PhD is the Associate Scientific Director of AGE-WELL NCE, the Director of the STAR (Science and Technology for Aging Research) Institute at Simon Fraser University (SFU), and a professor in the SFU Gerontology department. He is past President of the International Society of Gerontechnology and was previously Director of the Gerontology Research Centre and Deputy Director of the IRMACS Centre at SFU. His research interests include aging, social isolation, technologies to connect people, technology for independent living, technology policy and the digital divide, theories and methods in aging and understanding the innovation process. His work has involved him in a leadership and advisory role in numerous major international research projects and initiatives with academic, government and industry partners. He received his doctorate from the University of London and was previously a lecturer at the University of Liverpool in the Institute of Human Ageing and Department of Primary Care.
Bianca Stern
BSc. OT, MSc., Executive Director, CABHI
Bianca Stern
BSc. OT, MSc., Executive Director, CABHI
Bianca’s career spans over 40 years in health care within private and public sectors; including community, post-acute and long-term care. She has also been involved at university and college levels in curriculum design, research, teaching and student mentorship. Bianca has built on her bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from McGill University and master’s degree in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Toronto, creatively intersecting the art and science of healthcare with innovation, technology, and industry.
In the last 26 years at Baycrest Health Sciences, Bianca has acted in leadership roles including the Director and Professional Practice Chief for the Occupational Therapy Department, Co-Director of the Brain Health Center, Executive Director of the Culture, Arts & Innovation Department and Executive Director, Health Innovations, Center for Aging & Brain Health Innovation (CABHI).
Bianca is a thought leader in the area of innovation, blending an occupational therapy lens, design thinking and arts-based tools with an inclusive, participatory user focus; capitalizing on emerging technologies and theoretical knowledge to stimulate innovative solutions for the journey of aging. Bianca currently oversees the Innovation Office, Knowledge Mobilization team and Leap virtual end user community. She is also actively involved in helping to foster a culture of innovation and knowledge mobilization at Baycrest and across the CABHI network partner sites.
Keren Etkin
MA Gerontology, BSc
Keren Etkin
MA Gerontology, BSc
Keren is the best-selling author of The AgeTech Revolution - a book about the intersection of technology and aging, founder of TheGerontechnologist.com, a media platform that covers the global agetech ecosystem and offers online courses through the AgeTech Academy, and the founder/director of AgeLabIL at Shenkar college in Israel, an interdisciplinary R&D center focusing on agetech. Named one of the most influential people in aging, Etkin is a sought-after public speaker and advisor for agetech startups, investors in the longevity economy, care providers and organizations who work on innovation in aging. Previously, Etkin was the first employee at Intuition Robotics, maker of ElliQ, a pioneering social robot designed with and for older adults, and co-founder & VP of Product at Sensi.ai, a startup that developed the first artificial intelligence solution for remote care monitoring. She holds an M.A. in Gerontology and a B.Sc. in Life Sciences from Ben-Gurion University.
Lise Pape
Founder, Walk With Path
Lise Pape
Founder, Walk With Path
Lise Pape is the Founder of Walk With Path and in charge of business development, strategy and partnership. Lise holds a BSc in Human Biology from King’s College London and a double masters MA/MSc in Innovation Design Engineering from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. In addition, Lise has worked in finance for J.P. Morgan, where she held roles in Product Management, Network Management, and was responsible for client and stakeholder relationships internally and externally. She has also worked in advertising for AOL’s Advertising.com, where she was a Delivery Manager responsible for the Nordic region. Additionally, Lise has worked as Investment Manager at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark at the Royal Danish Embassy in London, where she was responsible for job creation intoDenmark within life sciences and clean technologies. Lise founded Walk With Path in 2014, based on her developments during Innovation Design Engineering, and her personal experience with Parkinson’s suffered by her father. The company launched its first product in 2017; Path Finder, a visual cueing shoe attachment to help those with Parkinson’s. The second product, a haptic feedback insole to improve balance; Path Feel, is in development.
Amanda Rees
BSE
Amanda Rees
BSE
Amanda Rees is the CEO and cofounder of Bold. Bold's digital platform uses personalized, science-backed programs to address the most fundamental health and wellbeing challenges faced by older adults. Bold leverages research and clinical interventions to prevent falls, reduce arthritis related disability, and increase activity levels for older adults. Bold partners with health plans and providers to improve outcomes and reduce care costs. Prior to co-founding Bold, Amanda managed strategic grantmaking for the renewable energy and transportation portfolio at The 11th Hour Project, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation. She previously held roles as a researcher at Stanford, Princeton, and UCLA. Amanda has also been a fitness instructor for over a decade, teaching dance, yoga, indoor cycling, and tai chi. She holds a BSE in chemical & biological engineering from Princeton University.
James Li
Co-Founder & CEO, Mighty Health
James Li
Co-Founder & CEO, Mighty Health
James Li is the co-founder and CEO of Mighty Health, the first exercise, nutrition, and wellness platform designed specifically for adults over 50. Mighty Health is backed by Y Combinator, Vivek Garipalli (Clover Health), NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana, RRE Ventures, and NextView Ventures. Previously, James co-founded Encore Alert, a social media analytics platform that helped executives at brands like IDEO, Under Armour, and the American Cancer Society identify and act on their top opportunities and crises each day. In March 2016, Encore Alert was acquired by Meltwater, the leading media intelligence platform. James also regularly writes and speaks about practical startup tactics at his site, JamesLi.com, and his work has been featured in the Washington Post, TechCrunch, NPR, and Bloomberg.
Ellen Corman
Injury Prevention and Community Engagement Manager, Stanford Health Care
Ellen Corman
Injury Prevention and Community Engagement Manager, Stanford Health Care
Ellen Corman, Injury Prevention and Community Engagement Manager for the Trauma Service at Stanford Health Care, has over 20 years experience working in the area of injury prevention. She has an undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy and a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Administration. She is a strong collaborator, building relationships with local and state health departments, law enforcement representatives, schools, community leaders and others in order to maximize efforts in injury prevention. Ellen is a leader in the Stop Falls California network, and state representative for the National Council on Aging’s Falls Free Network. Ellen developed and manages a fall prevention program for older adults called Farewell to Falls at Stanford’s Trauma Service and currently co-chairs the Santa Clara County Fall Prevention Task Force. She is a lead trainer and Master Trainer for the Matter of Balance program and certified in SAIL (Staying Active and Independent for Life), and is a Stepping On Instructor. She has published in professional journals, has presented locally to seniors, caregivers and professionals and has presented on fall prevention for webinars and at national conferences. Other injury prevention efforts include work on bicycle safety, pedestrian safety, and impaired driving, She is a member of California Teen Safe Driving Coalition, on the Steering Committee for Traffic Safe Communities Network of Santa Clara County, the board of Silicon Valley Healthy Aging Partnership, and is a member of the injury prevention committee of TCAA (Trauma Center Association of America).
Dr. Pooja Viswanathan
PhD, Robotics and Assistive Technology
Dr. Pooja Viswanathan
PhD, Robotics and Assistive Technology
Dr. Pooja Viswanathan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Braze Mobility. She has a passion for improving accessibility and independence for people with physical disabilities. She has completed doctoral and post-doctoral research in robotics and assistive technologies, and has been working with "smart" wheelchair technology for over a decade. Pooja is an expert in knowledge translation and commercialization and acts as a consultant to many Canadian networks and organizations. She has received awards and scholarships from several prestigious organizations in Canada and the U.S., including Google. When she's not working, she's climbing, teaching music, playing racquet sports, or solving escape rooms.
Shaun Chavis
Founder and CEO, LVNGbook
Shaun Chavis
Founder and CEO, LVNGbook
Shaun Chavis is the founder and CEO of LVNGbook, an Atlanta-based health engagement company that helps people prevent or manage chronic disease through food, technology, culture, and behavioral science. LVNGbook is a recipient of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund and a Finalist in the 2020 AARP Innovation Labs Grand Pitch Finale. Shaun’s career includes 20 years as a journalist and media professional for organizations such as Time Inc. and ABC News / The Walt Disney Company. Her work has won two a James Beard Award and made the New York Times Nonfiction Bestsellers list. She co-founded of FoodBlogSouth, which became the largest food blogging conference in the Southeast US. She has a culinary degree and a Master of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy from Boston University and has taught in Boston University’s avocational culinary program and at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta.
Gina Adams
Founder and CEO, Ware•ologie
Gina Adams
Founder and CEO, Ware•ologie
Gina Adams is the Founder and CEO of Ware•ologie, a social venture that creates innovative hardware to restore levels of independence and empower people with physical challenges. After witnessing the severe impacts of Parkinson’s on her step-father, Adams understood first hand, the physical and emotional impact on individuals and their caregivers. She launched Ware•ologie in 2018, with the company’s flagship product, Buttons 2 Button Magnetic Adaptors. Adams invented the adaptive consumer dressing aid to help people carry out a vital activity of daily living and button effortlessly. Gina holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Wayne State University and a bachelor’s degree in Human Environment and Design from Michigan State University. In addition to her startup, Adams is active as the Founder and Executive Director of the environmental nonprofit, Peace, Love & Planet, is a member of the Lawrence Tech University Centrepolis Accelerator, Michigan Recycling Coalition, and Inforum. She also sits on the planning committee of MI Arthritis Foundation and is a board member of the MI United Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
Sam Tackeff
Co-Founder, Ompractice
Sam Tackeff
Co-Founder, Ompractice
Sam Tackeff is the Co-Founder of Ompractice, the leading two-way video yoga and wellness platform for large organizations, and teams. Ompractice has been building virtual yoga and wellness at scale since 2018, and partners with companies like AARP, Harvard Pilgrim, and the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Their north star is serving people who the wellness industry has historically overlooked, and providing disproportionate access to the proven health outcomes of yoga and mindfulness to those who need it the most. Prior to founding Ompractice, Sam led globalization for the mobile fitness app, Runkeeper, helping to scale to millions of users worldwide, and was an early team member at Square. Among her other pursuits, she’s a culinary adventurer and former manager of the cookbook haven Omnivore Books, a certified personal trainer and running coach; and teaches courses for women and entrepreneurs on Self Care. Sam is a graduate of Wellesley College.
Charlene Nadalin
Founder, Amintro
Charlene Nadalin
Founder, Amintro
Charlene Nadalin is a social entrepreneur in Toronto who is working to combat the effects of loneliness among older adults. She’s the Founder of Amintro, a free social platform and information hub designed for people aged 50+ who may feel lonely and/or socially isolated. The idea for Amintro came to Nadalin in 2012. Her mother, Marge, had been widowed 11 years earlier at the age of 56. Marge was independent and active, but over time, she had become increasingly alone, says Nadalin. Like many women of her generation, Marge was focused on family and work in her younger years, and she didn’t have much time to socialize or nurture friendships. Nadalin wanted to help her mom connect with other older adults and make new friends. Noticing that her mom used social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, the idea of Amintro was born- an accessible platform for her to make new friends and find activities easily. Amintro was launched in 2018 to provide her mom with an easy way to make new friends locally and access activities and experiences to share with her new friends.
Daniel Marrello
Daniel is considered one of Canada’s leading experts in the field of senior digital literacy. After recognizing that seniors were facing severe isolation as a result of COVID-19 social distancing measures, he started the non-profit organization TechServe (formerly TechServeTO) with his brother David in April 2020. TechServe is a free software-enabled platform that pairs tech-savvy young volunteers with older adults who require technological assistance. TechServe provides one-on-one technical support sessions, hosts virtual workshops on various online platforms, creates digital literacy resources, and refurbishes used devices for distribution to low income seniors. To date, TechServe has provided support to over 1500 seniors across Canada through the mobilization of over 175 volunteers and has been featured in national media sources such as the Globe & Mail, Global News National, the Toronto Star. Following acceptance into the prestigious Next 36 startup accelerator, Daniel co-founded UpTOSpeed, a marketplace for universal technical support and education tailored for older adults. UpTOSpeed employs the insights from TechServe to provide a premium service for residents and patients of retirement homes, independent living centres, pensions associations, and healthcare institutions.
Dorina Simeonov
Dorina Simeonov is the Policy and Knowledge Mobilization Manager at AGE-WELL, Canada’s technology and aging network. She is a visual communicator, knowledge mobilizer and policy enthusiast. Dorina enjoys working with diverse teams to dream up innovative ways of putting research into practice. She has a formal education in the health sciences with a focus on methods and policy. Dorina enjoys speaking to broad audiences, brainstorming new ideas, and working collaboratively to implement solutions. She is part of the ROSE project – reusable open source equipment – developing a reusable face mask that meets medical standards for safety. She is a fierce mental health advocate and also the Operations Officer for Art the Science, a Canadian not-for-profit organization committed to celebrating the connections between art and science.
Manik Chaudhery
Manik is currently the co-founder and CTO of UpTOSpeed, a marketplace for universal technical support and education that works to narrow the digital divide. He is a highly-motivated entrepreneur driven to find the gaps in the product market and innovate ways to major societal issues. Manik completed his computer engineering degree from the University Of Toronto where he specialized in artificial intelligence and business. Manik has previously co-founded 2 startups, one of them being Easy Jobs, an iOS application to help struggling students find jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has a spectrum of experiences in the technology space, having previously worked as a Data Scientist at Ecobee, software developer at Interac, and a technical product manager at a non-profit organization, Livelihood Project. Manik is also an avid hackathon enthusiast, where he has developed award winning innovative products for Canadian banks, Toronto Police Services (TPS), and mental health initiatives, all aimed towards the betterment of society.
Andy Tubman
Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer, SingFit
Andy Tubman
Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer, SingFit
Musical Health Technologies co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer, Andy Tubman is a board-certified music therapist with over 20 years experience developing innovative techniques that help clients achieve their therapeutic goals. Andy also trains fellow healthcare professionals in his methodologies internationally. Andy’s experience includes working with children, adults and seniors in a variety of settings, including in-patient care. In 2005 Andy founded Integrative Music Therapy Services (IMTS), which provides music therapists for health care facilities, drug and alcohol recovery centers, state-funded regional centers and individual clients throughout Southern California. IMTS provides therapists for a variety of client populations for both group and individualized therapy, including children and youth with developmental delays, while also specializing in drug and alcohol disorders in teens and adults. In 2011, Andy co-founded Musical Health Technologies, creator of SingFit, a digital health solution that allows other healthcare professionals and caregivers to easily facilitate therapeutic music interventions. Andy is a frequent speaker on the intersection of music and health at conferences that have included AgeTech West, LeadingAge, The ICAA, Senior Living 100 and the Alzheimer's Association of Southern California.
Grace Andruszkiewicz
Director of Marketing & Partnerships, Rendever
Grace Andruszkiewicz
Director of Marketing & Partnerships, Rendever
Grace has spent her career focused on improving the quality of life for older adults through technology and innovation. Prior to Rendever, Grace spent five years building and scaling Aging2.0, where she ran an accelerator program, created a global network of chapters and global startup competition, oversaw brand strategy, and produced hundreds of events - including the annual 1,000+ attendee Aging2.0 Optimize conference. As the Director of Marketing & Partnerships at Rendever, Grace is responsible for leading brand, communications, and marketing strategy, as well as exploring and fostering relationships with potential partners.
Julie Lineberger
President, Wheel Pad L3C
Julie Lineberger
President, Wheel Pad L3C
Julie Lineberger, EdM Harvard, is a successful entrepreneur, and President of Wheel Pad L3C providing accessible living and working spaces for people with mobility challenges, keeping families together in emergency, temporary, or permanent situations. Offerings include accessible bed/bath additions, accessible tiny homes, accessible work spaces, and accessible multi unit buildings. All PADs are built with standard features to make it easier to live, play, and work from the comfort of one’s own home. Her past success with LineSync Architecture, a green and sustainable firm in southern Vermont, garnered numerous awards for both Design and Business Management. A previous career in International Development included managing and participating in projects for the United Nations Development Program, the International Rescue Committee, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees throughout the world. As current chair of Green America Board of Directors and past chair of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility Board of Directors, Julie leads many workshops and is a consultant on various aspects of business management. She is also involved in various community efforts and in maintaining positive, healthy work environments both at LineSync Architecture and at Wheel Pad L3C.
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