Episode 12:9 Age-Tech Expert and Investor Sarah Thomas on Progress in the Aging Space

The CEO of Delight by Design and MezTal talks about the progression of senior living and age-tech, new definitions of wellness, and her foray into venture capital with Third Act Ventures and AgeTech Capital.

About Sarah

Sarah Thomas is an accomplished leader of innovation. She serves as a global aging expert advising startups, large corporations and investors, with over 20 years dedicated to transforming the aging experience. Sarah is CEO of multinational staff-hosting company, MezTal in Guadalajara, Mexico & 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 has served as Executive-in-Residence at Aging2.0 and currently serves as Principal Fellow in the Nexus Insights firm for aging transformation and Mentor to Techstars Longevity Accelerator. She also is co- founder of AgeTech News, a media platform for global AgeTech News and deal flow and sits as a Venture Partner to AGETECH Capital and ThirdAct Ventures.

Key Takeaways

• Consumer adoption of technology is increasing, including smart devices and telehealth, and more personalized, customized approach to technology consumption
• There is a trend towards a lifestyle approach, with resources for health, mental health, and general well-being in the senior living and consumer markets. The focus is on all the dimensions of wellness across our lifespan.
• Robotic food delivery can offload up to six miles per shift to a robot to save wear and tear on the human body from going from kitchen to table. The human experience can be much more personal and more around the customer service experience at the table rather spending time bussing tables.
• Saving burden on the body opens workforce opportunities for older adults to continue working or come back into the workforce.
• Membership models created a personalized approachthat matches activities based on personalized goals. With artificial intelligence, we can make suggestions based on predictive behavior.