Lori K. Bitter provides strategic consulting, research and development for companies seeking to engage with mature consumers at The Business of Aging. Her new book, The Grandparent Economy was released in September 2015. She serves as publisher of GRAND- the digital magazine for grandparents, and as Co-Producer of The What’s Next Boomer Business Summit and The Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit.

Lori is the former president of Continuum Crew and Crew Media, owner of Eons.com. She was president of J.Walter Thompson’s Boomer division, JWT BOOM. Prior to that she led client services for Age Wave Impact. Lori has more than 30 years of advertising, public relations and strategic planning experience. A sought-after speaker, Lori has presented research, trends and analysis about mature consumers and the longevity marketplace to more than 200 conferences and events in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe.

Elyse Dasko is a senior communications strategist with experience in technology, healthcare and the aging space. She has led communications for GreatCall / Best Buy Health – from product and service launches to corporate acquisitions and strategic partnerships – building visibility for both the organization and the longevity economy.  Prior to Best Buy Health, Elyse founded and managed a public relations firm, developing and implementing programs for a range of companies – from Fortune 500 to startups – including vaccines, pharmaceuticals, wireless technology and consumer products. She brings expertise in building public-private partnerships, leadership councils and programs that support innovation and connection.

Jane is a serial entrepreneur and operating executive who founded technology merchant bank Jane Capital Partners in 2001. Having launched a number of technology startups as well as advised numerous clients, from multinationals to early commercialization stage companies, Jane is particularly passionate about investment opportunities that have a significant social and environmental impact. Most recently being immersed in innovations that foster both independence and quality of life for older adults, Jane is advising technology companies in the senior living industry on their M&A strategies.

Jane holds a B.S. from Syracuse, an M.S. from the University of Connecticut and was a Ph.D. candidate at UC-Berkeley. Fortunate to have lived in Australia, Singapore and India during her career, she now resides in her hometown of San Francisco.  Jane has also enjoyed her directorships at a number of technology companies as well as healthcare non-profits.

Laurie M. Orlov, a tech industry veteran, writer, speaker, and elder care advocate, is the founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch and Boomer Health Tech Watch—market research that provides thought leadership, analysis, and guidance about technologies and services that enable boomers and seniors to remain longer in their home of choice.

In her previous career, Laurie spent more than 30 years in the technology industry, including 24 years in IT and 9 years as a leading industry analyst at Forrester Research. While there, she was often the first in the industry to identify technology trends and management strategies which have survived the test of time. She has spoken regularly and delivered keynote speeches at forums, industry consortia, conferences, and symposia, most recently on the business of technology for boomers and seniors. She advises large organizations as well as non-profits and entrepreneurs about trends and opportunities in the age-related technology market. Her segmentation of this emerging technology market and trends commentary have been presented in the Journal of Geriatric Care Management. Her perspectives have been quoted in Business Week, Forbes, Kiplinger, the Toronto Star, and the New York Times. She has been profiled in the New York Times and the Huffington Post. She has a graduate certification in Geriatric Care Management from the University of Florida and a BA in Music from the University of Rochester. Laurie has provided testimony about technology at a Senate Aging Committee hearing, consulted frequently to AARP, and served on Think Tank for The Philips Center for Health and Well-Being. Clients have included AARP, Microsoft, Novartis, J&J, United Heathcare, Yahoo! and Philips. She was one of the judges for the CES Innovations Awards 2014 and the Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit in 2015.

Scott Peifer is Founder and Principal at changeAGEnts. Leveraging over 20 years of experience in the aging services field – from public policy to innovation and technology – Scott is helping organizations better achieve their mission through enacting change, innovation and strategic partnerships. Prior to changeagents, Scott was Vice President of Corporate Relations at Aging2.0, a global network and innovation accelerator for aging and senior care. Scott developed the Aging2.0 Alliance, an interdisciplinary innovation community for senior care stakeholders and technology companies to cultivate knowledge sharing, connections and partnerships to scale innovations in aging and improve the lives of older adults around the world.

Sherri Snelling is a corporate gerontologist, author and founder/CEO of Caregiving Club, a strategic consulting and educational content creation firm with an expertise in the longevity economy, caregiver wellness and Alzheimer’s. Her clients range from entrepreneurial start-ups to large employer groups and organizations. Her innovative employee wellness programs include the Me Time MondayTM and 7 Ways to Caregiver Wellness workshops.  Sherri is also the author of A Cast of Caregivers – Celebrity Stories to Help You Prepare to Care and contributes news articles to PBS Next Avenue, Forbes.com, Thrive Global, USA Today and the “Aging in America Report” on Newsmax TV. Sherri’s advisory board and  task force experience includes the National Alliance for Caregiving, the White House Middle Class Task Force: The Sandwich Generation, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as several start-up companies in gerontechnology. With a master’s degree in gerontology and master’s certification from MIT Sloan School of Management “Shaping the Workplace of the Future,” Sherri is a nationally sought speaker for organizations and employers on a variety of aging and caregiving topics.

Annsley Hiles is the Executive Assistant for Mary Furlong. She has a background in freelance assistant work and joined the Mary Furlong & Associates team in 2015 as an administrative assistant. With a background in calendar management and administrative work she works closely with Mary to schedule business appointments and client meetings, She also provides assistance with registration for MFA conferences.

Joanna Ata is Digital Marketing consultant for Mary Furlong. She is founder of Liatto Web Marketing Agency and Ageless Digital Marketing. She is also co-founder and VP of Digital Marketing for AfterVault. Joanna is a creative and hard-working Master of Science in Risk Analysis and Decision Making from Stockholm University with proven communication, organisation and problem-solving skills in the field of Business and Information Technology.

Jennifer Banta is the founder and principal of Banta Management Services where the focus is on success through partnerships. With over 15 years of experience in event management and business administration, Jennifer has successfully managed all aspects of in-person and virtual conferences, provided business support services for multiple markets and fields including a Silicon Valley startup, law firms, longevity market consultants, real estate staging company and a school for children with learning challenges.  Jennifer’s strength lies in her ability to create strong relationships within organizations to become a reliable and trusted extension of the company.

Allison is MFA’s newsletter editor. She is an experienced aging and policy professional skilled in policy analysis, research, advocacy, communication, and team coordination. Her focus areas include older adults, long-term care, state and federal policy development and implementation, Medicare, Medicaid, and managed care. Allison is the State Policy Manager at PHI, a national organization dedicated to improving the quality of long-term care by improving the quality of direct care jobs. She is also the Chief Strategist of EmergingAging NYC, a networking group for emerging professionals in the field of aging. Her previous experience includes working for the Medicare Rights Center, consulting for the Care.com Senior Care Team, and working as a home health aide. Allison has her Master of Public Health, with a focus on aging and policy, from Brown University. 

Linda Jones is a project manager for Mary Furlong & Associates. She is involved with speaker and sponsor management, and supports the team’s marketing efforts for the What’s Next Summits and Living Longer, Better, Smarter podcast. She brings to MFA more than 30 years of experience in marketing and project management, many of those in the longevity space. Most recently she was Director of Marketing for the American Society on Aging for nearly two decades. She is a big proponent of lifelong learning and reframing aging.

Pat manages MFA’s client services. Though a Boomer herself, Pat is a recent recruit to the Longevity arena. Each day and each new client brings her new perspective into the Boomer/Senior phenomenon and the service, generosity of spirit, and determination expended into helping make life better for seniors. She also views the contributions of those in the Boomer/Senior space with gratitude as she is the primary caregiver for her nonagenarian mother.

Pat has a varied background from retail to aquatics to technical illustration and many incidental areas in between. Most recently she spent 14 years with Siemens Medical Solutions workings as a technical illustrator, creating drawing for all the service and user documentation for the oncology division, and as the coordinator of the employee involvement program, where she engaged employees to participate in several yearly charitable campaigns including, One Warm Coat, Relay For Life, Daffodil Days, and a monthly volunteer night at the local food bank. Pat also volunteers with a senior center choir group.