, , ,

Your Backstage Pass to the Aging 2.0 PEAK Fireside Chat

In March, a high-powered group of innovators will put their heads together for a Digital Aging roundtable. Moderator and industry veteran Laura Mitchell will put four panelists, Pete Celano of MedStar, Charlie Hillman of GrandCare Systems, Myron Kowal of RCare, and John Rydzewski of Direct Supply, in the spotlight and find out everything they’ve learned through the years in the recently intersecting senior housing and technology industry.

The session will include shared stories, experiences, mistakes and advice for moving ahead in the aging industry.

Hosted by Aging 2.0 and sponsored by RCare, this reservation-only Fireside Chat is an event you won’t want to miss!

Here’s your chance to meet the forum:

Screen Shot 2016-03-03 at 11.33.19 AMPete Celano is a 20-year healthcare industry veteran. He is the Director of Consumer Health Initiatives at the MedStar Institute for Innovation. Before this, Pete was the co-founder of two companies: BeClose.com and a software-as-a-service company in the x-ray space. As Director of Consumer Health Initiatives for MedStar, Pete is especially focused on making patient access more convenient and friction-free. A major area of interest is cloud platforms that can tie into the EMR, to drive new system revenue, reduce costs, improve outcomes and extend access.  Another interest area is screening patients using evidence-based questionnaires, especially on the web and mobile. He has a BA and MBA from the University of Virginia, and has presented at a variety of meetings and conferences on Health Innovations, Digital Health, Mobile, Cloud Platforms and Access.

Screen Shot 2016-03-03 at 11.33.28 AMCharlie Hillman is the founder and CEO of GrandCare Systems, which designs computers for seniors. Charlie is a serial entrepreneur who has spent most of his career building companies based on disruptive technologies, including computer-aided design, and starting one of the first Internet-providers. A professional engineer with a degree from MIT, Charlie is a commissioner of CAST (Center for Aging Technology) and a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. Charlie and his company have received numerous awards for innovation, including the 2012 CEA Innovation Entrepreneur Award for Small Business of the Year, a double recipient of the SeniorHomes.com’s Most Innovative Senior Products Award, and AARP’s Sterling Award and Silver’s Choice Award for outstanding products to empower and improve the lives of seniors.

Screen Shot 2016-03-03 at 11.33.35 AMMyron Kowal is President and CEO of RCare, Inc. In his 30+ years of healthcare communications technology experience, he has been the President and Founder of Special Care Systems, a top-tier integrator of Health and Eldercare technology, and President and Advocacy Chair of Greater Rochester Partnership for the Elderly. Myron’s current focus is on new business development, new product development, and strategic relationships. He maintains a hands-on approach to business and maintaining a personal relationship with distributors, customers and the elders they serve. He is currently a member of LeadingAge and LeadingAge CAST, ALFA, AHCA/NCAL, and Corporate affiliate with Eden Alternative. He is active in his local community, and has a passion for fishing.

Screen Shot 2016-03-03 at 11.33.48 AMLaura Mitchell is the founder of Laura Mitchell Consulting, a company specializing in growth hacking and agile  marketing. She is a pioneer and thought leader in the aging/technology industry. Widely recognized for her growth hacking and social media expertise, Laura speaks all over the country about aging, technology, marketing and other topics. She is a founder of the Aging Technology Alliance (AgeTek), a Louisville Innovation Summit board member, and the 2011 Innovation Award winner, as well as the creator and host of the first aging and technology webinar series from 2008-2011.  She has received accolades from many sources including Forbes, Dealerscope, AARP and the Consumer Electronics Association. Her awards include Top Women of M2M, Top 40 under 40 and Young Turks of CE.

Screen Shot 2016-03-03 at 11.33.54 AMJohn Rydzewski is the General Manager of Technology Solutions at Direct Supply, where he is responsible for helping Direct Supply bring new technologies into the Senior Living space, focusing on the Internet of things, technology systems, wireless, wearables, resident monitoring systems, and other cutting-edge technologies. Before this he led the creation and implementation of Operations & Supply Chain technology for Direct Supply, investigating emerging tools and their applications in managing care. His current focus is on creating profitable growth through innovation, operations and business development. He also supports the organization through short- and long-term strategic planning, and serves as a member of Direct Supply’s corporate Executive Leadership Team.

The roundtable event is being held in conjunction with the LeadingAge Peak Summit in Washington, DC, a unique conference that brings together the highest-level executives and business leaders in the aging and technology industry, and fosters education, strategic thinking, and networking. The Fireside Chat is scheduled on the Sunday evening leading up to the conference.

For Reservations:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aging20-washington-dc-digital-aging-successful-technology-implementation-in-senior-care-tickets-22199669810

Fireside Chat Schedule
Where: Stone’s Throw Restaurant, Marriott Wardmann Hotel
When: 7:00-8:30pm, Sunday March 13th
            7-7:30pm Networking/Registration
            7:30-7:35pm Welcome & Introduction to Aging 2.0
            7:35-7:45pm Opening Remarks by Myron Kowal, CEO of RCare
            7:45-8:15pm Roundtable Panel Discussion, moderated by Laura Mitchell of Laura Mitchell Consulting
Panelists: Pete Celano (MedStar), Myron (RCare), Charlie (GrandCare),  John Rydzewski  (Direct Supply)
            8:15-8:30pm Networking Cocktail Reception

General Admission from Feb 26 at 5pm –  March 9th at 5pm

Last Minutes tickets available after March 9th, until 6pm on March 13th

####

Direct Supply is the nation’s leading provider of products, services and eCommerce solutions to Senior Living. Their mission is to enhance the lives of America’s seniors by helping build, equip and run better Senior Living communities. Since their inception in 1985, Direct Supply has had a strong focus on technology, helping drive innovations to the Senior Living marketplace. Headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, Direct Supply also operates an Innovation Center on the campus of the Milwaukee School of Engineering to further foster a culture of technology and innovation. Direct Supply’s Technology Solutions division is the nation’s leading, trusted partner for Senior Living technology systems. A full-service solution provider, they focus on technology assessment, design, implementation and lifecycle management.

GrandCare Systems is a caregiving tool that is designed to reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes by enabling designated family members, caregivers and healthcare professionals to remotely care for an individual in a residence, regardless of geographic location. It starts with a large touchscreen in the residence, which provides the individual with social communications, instructions, reminders and medication prompts. No computer skills are needed for the resident to fully engage in all of the touchscreen features.

The mission of MedStar Institute for Innovation is to catalyze innovation that advances health. It provides a broad innovation infrastructure to help MedStar’s 30,000 associates and 6,000 affiliated physicians invent the future by supporting inventors, fostering strategic alliances, innovation and creative thinking, and bringing together experts to help make patient care safer, more efficient, and higher quality.

RCare is a provider of UL 1069 tested wireless nurse call and personal emergency response systems for the entire spectrum of eldercare and senior living. RCare components integrate into a variety of healthcare communication systems to create efficient and verifiable responses to medical emergencies. RCare works together with distribution partners to build individualized, flexible and seamless systems to enhance professional caregiving teams and their residents.

Laura Mitchell Consulting is a strike team of experts providing agile marketing, growth hacking services and effective awareness strategies to businesses like yours. For more info, contact us at info@lmcllc.us.

,

Laura Mitchell Selected as “Shark Tank” Mentor for Young Entrepreneurs

12342566_1011919375517046_7916570683456064147_n
Getting the chance to meet with visionary and creative entrepreneurs is one of my favorite parts of my job. In the past decade, I’ve spoken at a variety of aging technology and healthcare events on a wide range of topics, including the evolution of healthcare, aging in place using enabling technologies, medication management, growth hacking, and agile marketing to a fragmented market. I always learn something from every single one of these companies that I can use in my own organization. Sometimes it’s simply preventing a mistake by learning from theirs.

I was recently speaking at a user conference in Charleston, SC to a group of audiologists and clinicians about how to increase brand awareness and get themselves out there in social media without breaking the bank. I understand entrepreneurs. I have foregone paychecks, put business expenses on my personal credit card, and put in the thankless hours every entrepreneur and startup employee has endured. Being an entrepreneur is risky and exhausting, but it’s also wonderful and exciting. And it’s nice to have the freedom you get as your own boss.

I am excited to announce that I was recently asked to be a mentor for a group of college students at Concordia University in Wisconsin. I will be helping in the judging of their Shark Tank competition, which awards cash prizes to the winners to help them start their own companies. I will tell my story, give advice, and provide feedback to the students on their company ideas, go-to-market strategies, fundraising strategies, investor relations strategies, and marketing campaigns. I have mentored many organizations at multiple shark tank competitions, and it was very exciting that two of my companies ended up winning the competitions!

But this time, the topics won’t necessarily center around connected health, aging, and wellness. The topics can be absolutely anything. I am thrilled to be chosen for this cool opportunity.

The Concordia mentoring program is called CULaunch! According to the website, CULaunch! is offered through the School of Business Administration at Concordia University. Students learn from experienced entrepreneurs, and can compete for $1,000 in seed funds for their company. Whether I’m mentoring students or coaching seasoned business professionals, I love seeing entrepreneurs flourish, grow and see their visions come to life!

About Laura Mitchell Consulting:

laura-headshot
Laura Mitchell Consulting is a strike team of experts in the aging and technology industry. Contact us at info@lmcllc.us to learn more.

cropped-lmc-colorfinal

,

Looking Back at CES

Screen Shot 2016-01-10 at 1.27.16 PM
About a month ago, still coming down from the fast-paced chaos of a busy holiday season, I was jumping on a southwest flight to Las Vegas for my seventh consecutive Consumer Electronics Show. This time, unlike the previous six years, I would see CES from an entirely different perspective, acting as the official Digital Health Summit CES “Social Wizard”. Yes, I got to see the meat being made and do work from a production standpoint.

Every year, CES is crazy, busy, and innovative with such an eclectic mix of Consumer Electronic industry folks, brand new technology products, cutting-edge educational forums, and a remarkable digital health, fitness tech and beauty tech summit.  This year, to my surprise, was by far my busiest CES to date. The three days I spent there were a nonstop whirlwind of interviews, networking, and moderating, and providing live social media for the two day Digital Health Summit.

During the two days of the summit itself, I gave over forty interviews. I spoke with successful and brilliant CEOs who were still too young to vote, business professionals in seemingly unrelated industries who were making headlines in digital health, and industry thought leaders from multiple companies around the world. One entire day was spent wandering the digital health summit expo floor with an iPad and a microphone capturing images and videos of booths and products that are reshaping the healthcare landscape. You can see all of the expo floor interviews here.

Another day was devoted to sitting in a large, comfortable white leather sofa and conducting professional interviews on the Digital Health Summit Studio Live stage.  Interviewees included companies making a large impact at the summit and all of the enthusiastic, intelligent game changers that spoke in the Digital Health Summit educational sessions.  Watch all Digital Health Summit Studio Live Videos here.

Although I spent nearly the entire trip being the media voice of the Digital Health Summit, it didn’t take long for the microphone to be pointed at me. I was interviewed at the Digital Health Summit about my 11 years of experiences, specifically in the connected health and aging technology space. Watch my interview here:

, ,

Laura Mitchell Recruited for all things Social at CES Digital Health Summit

Industry Thought Leader selected to coordinate CES Summit Social Media

10985366_887368581305460_3446250213433461206_n

WEST BEND, WI – Laura Mitchell Consulting announced today their involvement as the official Digital Health Summit “Social Wizard” in the 7th Annual CES Digital Health Summit.  Recruited to live tweet the Digital Health Summit, provide real time exhibitor videos and interview speakers and sponsors for Digital Health Live, Laura will combine her veteran industry experience, technical expertise, and interpersonal skills to maximize attendee and participant success.

“I’m humbled and honored to have a new role this year as the Social Wizard for the Digital Health Summit,” said Laura Mitchell. “This industry has gone from barely crawling to full speed running in the past 12 months and it’s absolutely invigorating. WebMD, Ant+, UnitedHealth Group, Misfit Wearables and Good HouseKeeping are just a few of the large players participating in this year’s Digital Health Summit, confirming that the time is here and now for a revolution in digital health.”

Laura has been featured in various panels at the CES Digital Health Summit since it’s inception, making her a natural choice to evaluate the digital health space and remark on the past decade of technology and healthcare evolution. She has spoken on various topics in previous Digital Health Summit panel discussions, and is a well-known fixture and pioneer in the technology aging-in-place market.

“Laura is a digital health and digital media expert who has a clear understanding of the entire digital health ecosystem,” said Digital Health Summit Producer, Jill Gilbert. “She fits well into our innovative force of industry leaders and content experts.”

Previous attendees may know Laura Mitchell as a founding member of GrandCare Systems in 2005, a founder of the Aging Technology Alliance (AgeTek), as a Louisville Innovation Summit board member, or as the creator and host of the 2008-11 aging and technology webinar series.

Laura owns a guerrilla marketing and digital health consulting firm called Laura Mitchell Consulting (LMC) and has been active in the digital health, aging, and technology space for the last decade. She has received accolades from many sources including Forbes, Dealerscope, AARP and the Consumer Electronics Association. Her awards include Top Women of M2M, Top 40 under 40 and Young Turks of CE. Laura speaks all over the country on a variety of subjects including disruptive marketing, technology in aging, and connected healthcare.