By Lola Rain with assistance from ChatGPT

For 22 years, Mary Furlong has united visionaries, sparking essential conversations about what’s next. She is the connector, bringing together the brightest minds in longevity. Twice a year, she curates workshops, collaboratives, and stages where seasoned professionals share hard-earned wisdom with the next generation of entrepreneurs. It’s always a thrill to witness the energy build as inventors unveil fresh innovations and startups share the realities of creating meaningful change for older adults — and those who serve them.

At the June 2025 What’s Next Longevity Venture Summit in Berkeley, California, Carrie Shaw, founder of Embodied Labs, moderated a powerful conversation on transformation in senior living — one rooted in empathy, innovation, and the willingness to evolve. Carrie posed questions that challenged each founder to reflect on the vulnerable process of change. 

Dr. Raj Kalra, co-founder of Aroha Memory Care, shared how watching his parents age drove him to bridge the gap between healthcare and senior living by designing a new concept for memory care. “It’s about improving longevity and wellness through evidence-based models — and building something we’d trust with our own family.”

Jack York, founder of iN2L and Talegate, is known for his energy and candor. He spoke about his evolution from vendor to storyteller. “Don’t lose your humanity chasing ROI,” he said. “There’s a lonely person at the end of what we’re all doing. Make yourself spend time with them. It’s a lot of fun.”

Mary Haynes, founder of Nazareth Home, reflected on her rural roots and how her great-grandmother’s quiet leadership influenced her perspective on community. “Everything I need to know, someone else knows,” she said. “I just need to create an environment kind enough — or bold enough — for them to share it.” Her guiding question, “Will it free the people?” is one we all might carry into our work.

Here are the key takeaways:

  • Connection over amenities: Raj emphasized that residents and families aren’t looking for chandeliers — they’re looking for trust, oversight, and human care.
  • Storytelling matters: Jack transitioned from tech founder to storyteller because “the residents are the heart and soul of our industry.”
  • Let go of being the expert: Mary shared how humility and listening have become essential leadership tools in a fast-changing field.
  • Redesign with science and soul: Evidence-based design, lifestyle medicine, and tech are not add-ons — they’re central to wellness and cognition, says Raj.
  • “Free the people”: Mary’s personal North Star reminds us to evaluate every decision by whether it empowers those we serve.
  • Don’t wait: Jack’s childhood memory of quitting too early became a lifelong lesson — better to fail than to wonder what if.
  • Transformation takes courage: Let go of something — ego, certainty, control — in order to step into something better.

Graphic provided by Carrie Shaw

Writer’s note: As someone who goes to a lot of conferences, I found that by recording sessions using the Voice Memo on my iPhone and then uploading the transcript to ChatGPT, I can create bullet points to refer back to. It allows me to be completely present and not rely on taking notes.