Our mission is to unlock the time and wisdom of older adults as a new natural resource for all generations to thrive. We do this by connecting vetted adults 60+ with youth ages 6–17 for weekly virtual mentoring sessions, building protective relationships that reduce loneliness on both sides of the connection.
Safety is our primary infrastructure. Every session transcript is reviewed by our proprietary AI Chaperone, not to surveil, but to protect. Every mentor is vetted, background-checked, and trained before their first session. Every family is kept in the loop.
Across the Eldera team, we have each been shaped by the gap between generations, as grandchildren, as parents, as people who have felt the particular loneliness of being overlooked. It drives everything we build.
Welcome to the era of the elders.
The Eldera Story — 2024
The youth mental health crisis, the older-adult isolation epidemic, and the collapse of intergenerational connection are converging into a single global emergency — at the precise moment the world's 60+ population is set to double.
young people are lonely. 1 in 3 older adults are lonely. The middle generation carries a double caregiving burden.
cost of loneliness across healthcare and workforce globally — a figure that grows every year without structural intervention.
people over 60 worldwide — the fastest-growing demographic on earth, and the most underutilized human resource we have.
Founded in 2020 with a bold conviction: that older adults are one of the most underutilized resources in the world.
Founded with a bold vision: unlock the time and wisdom of older generations to build a more connected, resilient world. First 500 members. First connections made.
Created a social platform uniting older adults across geographies around shared purpose — not just mentoring pairs, but a living community of contributors.
Launched community initiatives led by and for older adults — virtual book clubs, councils, and social gatherings that deepen belonging beyond the 1:1 session.
National media attention across TIME, Washington Post, NPR, PBS, CNN, and The Atlantic. "It's a win-win: Elders get a way to combat loneliness, teachers and parents get help they desperately need, and children get another grown-up to guide them."
Eldera formally qualifies as a Social Prescription intervention under WHO 2024 standards. Research partnership established with Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center under Dean Linda P. Fried.
Introduced proprietary AI safety infrastructure and personal impact tracking. Completed 12-week pilot with California Commission on Aging across 5 counties. 0 safety incidents. 170,000+ safe connection hours accumulated.
We are transitioning to a Public Benefit Corporation — a governance model designed for public partnership, not monetization. Every structural decision reflects this commitment.
Director, AI for Good at AI Commons. Director, BrightFocus Foundation. AdAge "40 Under 40." Raised by her grandparents. San Francisco, CA.
Engineering Manager, People.ai. Lead Architect, Ring.com. Senior Software Engineer, Yelp. Grenoble, France.
Former Design Director, Lumosity. VP of Design, Originate. Creative Director, Deutsche Telekom. Eldera Parent. Surrey, UK.
Former Manager, Business Integrity at Meta. VP, News & Opinion at CNN. Berkeley, CA.
Former Eldera Mentee. Santa Clara University. Santa Clara, CA.
Buttons & Widgets, Pinterest. First Mobile Developer, Netflix. Hack Day Enthusiast, Yahoo. Kaua'i, HI.
Classically trained executive assistant with 23 years of experience. Canton, OH.
Dean, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Founder, Experience Corps (now AARP). Head of Aging, World Economic Forum.
Co-Founder, AgeWave. International Council on Aging. Eldera Mentor and Investor.
Co-Founder, AgeWave. Co-Founder, Women Against Alzheimer's. Eldera Mentor and Investor.
Founder, Modern Elder Academy. Former Head of Strategy, Airbnb. Eldera Investor.
Former Chief Clinical Transformation, Blue Cross Blue Shield. Chief of Population Health, Cleveland Clinic.
Veteran NASA Astronaut. Stanford Engineer. Global Space Diplomat.
Technical Director, Office of the CTO, Google AI for Good. Former Distinguished Architect, Rackspace. Eldera Parent.
Professor, Seattle University Hospital. Eldera Parent.
Former CEO USA, Burson-Marsteller. Eldera Mentor.
Eldera really is revolutionary care. By pairing adults 60+ with youth for regular, safe conversations, it strengthens both purpose in life and social connectedness — two fundamental factors linked to mental well-being, cognitive resilience, and reduced risk of dementia, stroke, and depression.
Eldera's model has been recognized by the world's foremost institutions working on loneliness, aging, and population health — from the WHO to Harvard to the California Master Plan on Aging.
Center for the Future of Aging made the case for scaling Eldera as an intergenerational solution to the U.S. Surgeon General's declaration of the Loneliness and Social Isolation Epidemic.
Eldera formally qualifies as a Social Prescription intervention under the World Health Organization's 2024 standards for social health.
Research partnership with the Harvard Global Brain Care Coalition under the leadership of Professor Jonathan Rosand, Massachusetts General Hospital.
California Master Plan on Aging Implementation Partner, working with the California Commission on Aging across 5 counties.
Where aging is an opportunity and the wisdom of older adults is an asset to all of society.