4-Quarter Lives

In this week’s 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox is joined by Rick Robinson, who leads innovation at AARP and is the driving force behind the Agetech Collaborative.Rick shares how a career spent at the edge of emerging technology led him to longevity innovation. From early work in online media to running AARP’s innovation lab, his focus has stayed constant. Build what matters next, and make it real.The conversation traces AARP’s shift from internal pilots to ecosystem building. Rick explains why he moved away from what he calls innovation theater and toward startups with products already solving real problems for people over 50. During COVID, that shift accelerated, giving rise to the Agetech Collaborative.Today, the Collaborative connects more than 650 startups, investors, enterprises, and testbeds across health, caregiving, fintech, mobility, housing, and AI. Rick’s goal is clear. Reach 1,000 companies and create a self-sustaining global market for longevity innovation.He and Avivah explore concrete examples already changing lives. Simpler digital wills. AI support for dementia caregivers. Secure digital vaults for family records. Exoskeleton clothing that boosts mobility. Captioning glasses for real-world conversations. Tools that help grandparents read bedtime stories in augmented reality.Rick also tackles the hard questions. Privacy. Ethics. AI in the home. He argues that older adults are far more tech-ready than most leaders assume, and that convenience, dignity, and control matter more than novelty.The episode closes with a direct challenge to big business and investors. Demographics are destiny. By 2035, people over 65 will outnumber children in many countries. The growth market is already here, and it is being ignored at real cost.Rick Robinson is Vice President of Product Innovation at AARP and is the architect of the Agetech Collaborative. With a career spanning early online media, digital product leadership, and emerging technologies, Rick has consistently worked at the frontier of what comes next. At AARP, he has helped drive innovation from internal experimentation t a global startup ecosystem focused on real-world impact for people over 50 and their families. His work connects startups, investors, enterprises, and researchers to accelerate practical solutions for longevity, caregiving, health, and independent living.Useful Links* Agetech Collaborative: https://agetechcollaborative.org* AARP Innovation: https://www.aarp.org/innovation* Trust & Will: https://trustandwill.com* Amicus Brain: https://amicusbrain.com* Zoog: https://getzoog.com* Neko Health: https://www.nekohealth.com Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s 4-Quarter Lives Podcast, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox is joined by Anu Madgavkar, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, to explore the collision of two defining forces shaping our future: global demographic decline and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.Anu has led two major McKinsey reports published in the same year, one on depopulation and shifting dependency ratios, and the other on AI, agents, robots and the future of work. In this conversation, she explains why these forces cannot be understood in isolation. Falling birth rates and longer lives are shrinking the global labour supply at the same moment that AI is expanding productive capacity.Together, Avivah and Anu unpack the scale of the demographic shift already underway. Two thirds of the world now live in countries below replacement fertility. In many advanced economies, the ratio of working-age adults to people over 65 will fall from four to two by 2050. Without changes to how we work and how long we work, this alone could remove around 0.5 percentage points of annual GDP growth.AI enters the picture as a potential counterweight. Anu shares McKinsey research showing that 57 percent of current work hours in the US could technically be automated with existing technologies. By 2030, around 30 percent of work hours may be repurposed. This does not point to mass unemployment, but to a deep redesign of jobs, workflows, and skills.A central theme is AI fluency. Demand for it has risen sevenfold in just two years, faster than any other skill. Anu argues this is not a young person’s advantage. Mid-career and older professionals often bring deep system knowledge, judgement, and pattern recognition that matter even more as work shifts from task execution to oversight, sense-checking, and redesigning processes that include AI co-workers.Anu also highlights eight high-prevalence transferable skills that appear in 70 to 90 percent of job postings. These include communication, problem solving, detail orientation, writing, operations thinking, and customer awareness. In a world of constant job change, these form the backbone of sustainable 60-year careers, especially when combined with hands-on experience using AI tools.The conversation closes with a clear message for midlife professionals. Experiment, use AI directly learn by doing. The future of work will reward those who pair human judgement, experience, and empathy with new technological partners.Anu Madgavkar is a senior partner at McKinsey & Company and a leader at the McKinsey Global Institute, where she focuses on the future of work, productivity, demographics, and technology. She has co-authored major global research on depopulation, ageing societies, AI, automation, and workforce transitions. Anu advises business leaders and policymakers worldwide on how economic and technological shifts affect jobs, skills, and growth. She is widely recognised for translating complex data into practical insights on how work and society are changing.Useful Links:* McKinsey Global Institute. Depopulation and Dependency Reporthttps://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/dependency-and-depopulation-confronting-the-consequences-of-a-new-demographic-reality* McKinsey Global Institute. AI, Agents, Robots, and the Future of Workhttps://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/generative-ai-and-the-future-of-work-in-america* Anu Madgavkar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anu-madgavkar/* McKinsey & Company Website: https://www.mckinsey.com Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox is joined by Simon Chan and Dr. Kate Schaefers, co-chairs of the Nexel Collaborative, a not-for-profit network of academic thought leaders promoting college-based midlife transition programmes. As societies shift toward age-diverse populations and 60-year careers, they explore why higher education must evolve from a front-loaded, early-life model to one that supports adults through multiple transitions across the life course.Together, they examine the rise of midlife and later-life learning programs, the demographic and economic pressures reshaping universities, and the growing demand from individuals seeking purpose, reinvention, and community beyond traditional retirement. Drawing on their work with Nexel, CoGenerate, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Simon and Kate highlight the emerging ecosystem—from intergenerational classrooms to university-based retirement communities—now pointing toward an era of lifelong, cross-generational campuses.Simon Chan is the Founder and CEO of Adapt with Intent Inc., advising organizations on longevity, work, higher education, and retirement. He partners with senior leaders to build resilient workforces, modernize retirement, and design systems for 100-year lives. A Global Ambassador for the Stanford Center on Longevity, he translates research into practice. Simon co-chairs The Nexel Collaborative to advance midlife transitions and serves on Yale’s Experienced Leaders Initiative Advisory Board. A Senior Fellow at CoGenerate, he champions intergenerational innovation. He chairs Wilfrid Laurier University’s Board of Governors and frequently speaks and writes on longevity and workforce change across various sectors in Canada and around the world.Dr. Kate Schaefers a psychologist, educator, and director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and The Midlife Academy at the University of Minnesota. As co-chair of The Nexel Collaborative, she works with universities across the U.S. to advance midlife learning, intergenerational classrooms, and innovative program design for adults in transition. She previously led the University of Minnesota’s Advanced Careers Initiative, where she developed one of the country’s first “midternship” models blending academic exploration with applied work experience. Kate’s work centers on adult development, identity shifts, and how institutions can better support individuals at pivot points such as career change, caregiving, empty nest, and post-retirement reinvention.Useful Links* Nexel Collaborative website* Campus CoGenerate: https://cogenerate.org/harnessing-the-power-of-cogeneration-on-campus/* University Retirement Communities: https://www.universityretirementcommunities.com/* Inside Higher Education Enrollment Cliff, Meet Longevity Boom: https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2024/08/08/longevity-boom-boost-higher-ed-opinion* CoGenerate Webinar - Three College Presidents on Cogeneration, Innovation and Higher Ed’s Bottom Line: * The Midlife Academy at the University of Minnesota https://ccaps.umn.edu/midlife-academy* National Resource Center for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes: https://sps.northwestern.edu/oshernrc/* Long Life Learning and the Age Integration of Higher Education, Stanford Social Innovation Review: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/long_life_learning_and_the_age_integration_of_higher_educat Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of 4-Quarter Lives Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with the leaders of a growing number of university faculties running programmes for individuals looking to change direction as they enter their 3rd Quarter of life. She discusses the origins and motivations for these programmes and how they fit into the evolving role of higher education. This week she speaks with Professor Virginia Cha, Academic Director of the new Distinguished Senior Fellows Program at the National University of Singapore (NUS)—Asia’s first university-based midlife transition program.They explore why Singapore, one of the world’s fastest-ageing societies, is pioneering this new model; how the program blends longevity science, purpose projects, fieldwork, and an ASEAN immersion trip; and the remarkable friendships and impact emerging from this inaugural cohort.Virginia shares why she launched this 13-week, executive-level program—rooted in longevity literacy, purpose, and impact—designed specifically for adults navigating their 3rd Quarter of life. She describes Singapore’s demographic pressures, the untapped “third demographic dividend,” and why midlife talent represents one of Asia’s most powerful yet overlooked assets. She and Avivah discuss the program’s unique structure: curated seminars across philosophy, religion, culture, arts, and science; a signature module, Thriving in the 100-Year Life; and team-based impact projects.Virginia also reflects on her own turning-65 moment, rediscovering early passions in anthropology and religion, and designing the program she wished existed. Unexpectedly, the deepest impact has been friendship—“like kindergarten again,” she says—revealing the joy, stimulation, and motivation that come from learning in community in later life.Professor Virginia Cha is the Academic Director of the Distinguished Senior Fellows Program at the National University of Singapore (NUS). An award-winning educator, entrepreneur, and longtime adjunct faculty member at NUS, she brings decades of experience spanning technology leadership, innovation, and executive development. After a global career in tech and business—including multiple CEO roles—Virginia turned her attention to longevity, purpose, and the future of ageing in Asia.Useful Links* Distinguished Senior Fellows Program (NUS)* SmiLing Gecko Cambodia — social enterprise & education project Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Season 10 of 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with the leaders of a growing number of university faculties developing programmes for individuals looking to change direction in their 3rd Quarter of life. We explore the origins and motivations behind these programmes—and how they fit the evolving role of higher education in ageing societies.This week we are republishing Avivah’s conversation with Céline Abecassis-Moedas, Pro-Rector for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon, Portugal, and Co-Director of the Longevity Leadership Program at Catolica. As becomes clear during their conversation, her fellow director on this program is Avivah Wittenberg-Cox!Not surprisingly their conversation focuses on the need for and value of a Longevity Leadership programme of this kind. Launched in June 2024, the week-long program addresses the growing impact of lengthening lives for individuals, businesses and society. Céline explains how it offers a unique, holistic approach that combines three elements – personal development, business strategy and societal perspectives on longevity. Lisbon is itself emerging as a longevity hub in various ways, making it a valuable location for the program. Céline describes how her personal experience sparked her interest in longevity and her recognition of a gap in executive education in part (though not specifically) for the 55+ demographic, and examining the growing significance of longer careers. Working with Avivah, they developed this into the larger concept of a course also exploring the organisational and societal implications of changing demographics, and structured a program that covers macro-economic trends, business opportunities, career transitions, personal health and finance, and even urban planning, bringing in a range of experts on each of these topics. Participants, ranging in age from late 20s to early 60s, gender balanced and from a range of corporate and non-corporate backgrounds, reported exceptionally high satisfaction ratings.Céline Abecassis-Moedas is a Professor and Pro-Rector for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Universidade Católica Portuguesa and an Ambassador at the Stanford Center on Longevity. She holds a PhD in Management from École Polytechnique, Paris and an MA in Management from the Université Paris Dauphine. She is a graduate from École Normale Supérieure de Cachan and La Sorbonne in Economics and Management. Celine was Dean for Executive Education at Catolica Lisbon from 2019 to 2024 and previously Assistant Professor at the Centre for Business Management at Queen Mary, University of London. She worked in Business Development at Lectra in New York and as a Consultant at AT Kearney in London. Céline’s research interests are on the role of design in innovation, design management, innovation management and entrepreneurship mostly in creative industries, and her work as been widely published. In addition to her academic experience, Celine is non-executive director at CUF, Vista Alegre Atlantis and Lectra.Some Useful Links:* Catolica Lisbon Longevity Leadership Program Overview* Catolica Lisbon Longevity Leadership Program Structure* Catolica Lisbon Longevity Leadership Program Application Form* Stanford Center on Longevity Ambassador Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox is joined by Dr Amelia Peterson — founding faculty member of the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) — to explore how higher education can reinvent itself for an age of complexity, longevity, and accelerating change.Amelia shares the story behind LIS’s bold rethink of the traditional MBA — an interdisciplinary programme designed not around internal business functions, but around six defining global “shifts”: complexity, intelligence, energy, ecosystems, trust, and longevity. These six forces, she explains, are reshaping work, leadership, and the skills needed to navigate an era of systemic uncertainty.Unlike conventional MBAs focused on finance and management silos, LIS’s approach begins with the world outside organisations — the social, environmental, and technological transformations that leaders must now understand to act responsibly and effectively. Each “shift” is both a slide (a slow-moving global trend) and a shock (an accelerating disruption), demanding that leaders develop adaptive, long-term perspectives.Amelia discusses how longevity became a cornerstone of the curriculum — linking demographic change and longer working lives to corporate time horizons and intergenerational collaboration. Drawing on her background in education policy and systems innovation, she outlines how LIS is creating programmes that combine academic depth with real-world application.The new MBA-alternative is designed for mid-career professionals — typically in their late 30s to 50s — who want to keep working while studying. The 18-month, part-time format blends immersive residential weeks with hybrid learning, offering time for what LIS calls the “inner shift”: personal and interpersonal development alongside intellectual exploration. Amelia also highlights how LIS is tackling accessibility in higher education — offering a world-class programme at roughly half the price of elite US equivalents..As higher education faces its own “midlife crisis” — demographic shifts, AI disruption, and declining enrolments — LIS is testing how universities can stay relevant. Amelia sees its role as “innovating on behalf of the system,” developing new models of learning, assessment, and leadership that larger institutions may one day adopt.Dr Amelia Peterson is a social scientist and founding faculty member at the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS), where she leads curriculum innovation and programme design. Her research bridges education policy, systems change, and the future of work, focusing on how learning environments can prepare people to tackle complex, real-world problems. Before joining LIS, she worked with the Innovation Unit, advising governments and public-sector leaders on education reform, and held academic positions at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the London School of Economics. She holds degrees from Harvard and LSE and is a leading voice on rethinking higher education for a changing world.Useful Links:* London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) – MBA Programme* Amelia Peterson on LinkedIn* LIS Website Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox explores how higher education is reinventing itself for ageing societies—helping experienced leaders and professionals navigate longer lives, extended careers, and purposeful transitions beyond their peak corporate years.In this episode, Avivah speaks with Hellmut Schütte, Emeritus Professor of International Management at INSEAD, about INSEAD’s groundbreaking new programme, AI Ventures - Empowering Your Life Transition. Launched in early 2024, the course quickly became the school’s most popular lifelong-learning offer, designed for senior professionals seeking renewal after formal careers. Hellmut explains how the initiative blends longevity, AI and entrepreneurship to help alumni rediscover meaning, develop “dream projects”, and master emerging technologies. He shares what the programme reveals about purpose, pride, and the untapped potential of later-life learners—and why business schools must rethink their role in this new demographic era.Hellmut Schütte is Emeritus Professor of International Management at INSEAD and former Dean of INSEAD Singapore and CEIBS in China. With a career spanning Europe and Asia, he is widely recognised for his expertise in global strategy, emerging markets and cross-cultural leadership. Since joining INSEAD in France, he held various other academic roles in the US, Japan, Switzerland and Central Europe. In recent years, Hellmut has turned his focus to longevity and lifelong learning, spearheading INSEAD’s innovative AI Ventures - Empowering Your Life Transition programme. Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In Series 10 of the 4-Quarter Lives Podcast, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox continues her exploration of how universities around the world are redesigning themselves for longer lives and careers. In this episode, she talks with Stewart McTavish and Alison Wood from the University of Cambridge about the launch of Better Futures, a new programme supporting leaders in midlife transition.Together they reflect on why now is the moment for Cambridge to join this global movement and how the university’s distinctive collegiate structure and interdisciplinary depth are shaping its approach. Stewart and Alison describe how Cambridge is reimagining its role in an ageing society — from offering “structured spaciousness” for reflection to building a community of leaders committed to creating “better futures.” They share the programme’s three pillars — Foundations, Frontiers and Wayfinding — and how these help participants navigate transition while remaining deeply connected to impact and meaning. It’s a thoughtful look at how an 800-year-old institution is quietly reinventing itself for the longevity era.About Stewart McTavishStewart McTavish is the Academic Director and co-founder of the Better Futures Programme. A long-time innovator at the intersection of technology entrepreneurship and social impact, he has spent over two decades helping build Cambridge’s innovation ecosystem, as a founder and entrepreneur himself and also as a supporter including as the founding Director of University of Cambridge’s ideaSpace and as a founder of Deeptech Labs, an accelerator and venture fund. His background is computer science and engineering informs his systems-based approach to change, and his current focus is on connecting leaders across business, society, politics and academia to co-create opportunities to cultivate better futures.About Alison WoodDr Alison Wood is Deputy Director of the Better Futures programme and a Fellow at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. A scholar of the humanities and education, she has spent her career exploring how universities can respond to societal change through innovation and interdisciplinary learning. Her work spans literature, music, and leadership education, and she has been a driving force behind Cambridge’s experiments in lifelong learning and midlife transformation. Passionate about rethinking what universities are for, she brings a deep interest in systems, culture, and the evolution of knowledge communities.Useful links* University of Cambridge – Better Futures Programme Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

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In Series 10 of 4 Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox continues her exploration of the world’s leading midlife transition programmes. This week she speaks with Sebastian Kernbach, founder of the University of St. Gallen’s Next – Design Your Future initiative — the first university-based midlife programme in continental Europe.They discuss how St. Gallen’s approach blends design thinking, positive psychology and behavioural economics to help accomplished professionals rethink their purpose, portfolio, and personal transitions, in what Kernbach calls the multi-stage life. He describes how the three-day “sabbatical” has evolved into a five-day immersive experience, designed to give participants a structured yet creative space to pause, prototype, and rediscover what drives them.Together, Avivah and Sebastian compare models emerging from Harvard, Stanford and Chicago with Europe’s more academically grounded, culturally diverse programmes. They explore Kernbach’s key ideas — from infinite procrastination and the magic circle to the stairway to heaven — practical methods for turning reflection into action. The conversation widens to include the role of universities and employers in supporting lifelong learning, intergenerational connection and longer, healthier, more flexible careers.Kernbach shares his vision of “transition competence” — the lifelong skill of navigating change with agency, creativity and patience — and why Europe’s blend of rigour, reflection and community may offer a new model for longevity education worldwide.Sebastian Kernbach is Professor at the University of St. Gallen, where he teaches creativity, life design and visual thinking. Her is Visiting Scholar at Columbia University and Stanford University, and Guest Professor at the African Doctoral Academy and the Central University of Beijing.Previously he worked for Xerox and Interbrand. He advises and consults organizations like Nike, The United Nations, IBM and others. He founded the Visual Collaboration Lab and the Life Design Lab at the University of St. Gallen and co-authored the award-winning book “Meet up!” as well as the best-selling books “Life Design” and “Life Design Action Book”, and is author of the forthcoming book Design Your Future.Useful links:University of St. Gallen – Next Programme web page Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe