#393 AARP Innovation Winner Sunu - Fernando Albertorio

AARP Innovation Winner Sunu - Fernando Albertorio

The Not Old Better Show - AARP Business Buildout

Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, I’m Paul Vogelzang and this is episode 393.

Hi everybody…I'm just back from the AARP’s annual 2019 Business Pitch Competition. I attended the “It’s Never Too Late Startup Business Pitch Competition,” at AARP’s Innovation Labs, in Washington, DC. Of course, AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. The pitch event is sponsored by AARP Innovation Labs which engages with startups to transform markets and change lives.

This event features leading-edge startups from across the country. The startups pitch their ideas that will shape the future of how we all age regarding health, wealth and self solutions. The AARP Innovation Labs are committed to engaging the best and the brightest startups to identify challenges and solve big issues that impact us all as we age.

Of course, the Innovation part of the name ‘Innovation Labs” has a long history at AARP. AARP was built on innovation and has always worked toward developing solutions that create opportunities and solve problems for people 55+ in age. It’s part of the DNA at AARP.

Additionally, AARP has long recognized the “longevity economy” — the economic opportunity that America’s older population represents — and AARP has actively encouraged product developers and marketers to respond to this “longevity economy" with solutions focused on the interests and needs of people age 55-plus.

While at the event, I spoke to all the participants, including the AARP SVP of the Innovation Labs, Andy Miller, who says: "This 2019 AARP Innovation Labs Grand Pitch finale is the culmination of several events across the country, where some of the best and brightest startups have been identified,” said Andy Miller, senior vice president of innovation and product development at AARP. The finalists were chosen from events held earlier this year in Berkeley, California; Boston; Las Vegas; Nashville; and New Orleans.

You’ll hear great interviews from all the participants, including AARP’s Andy Miller, over the next few shows, and today’s show features my interview with the winner of the Grand Pitch Competition Winner, Fernando Albertorio, who is the co-founder of Sunu, creator of the Sunu wristband that users wear, and uses sonar to help people who are blind or with low vision navigate their surroundings.

Sunu cofounder Fernando Albertorio explained to me that the Sunu wristband could be used along with a cane or guide dog to help people with impaired vision feel more comfortable in new surroundings.

Please join me in welcoming to The Not Old Better Show, Fernando Albertorio.

Thanks for joining me for our recap of the recent AARP Innovation Labs, “It’s Never Too Late Startup Business Pitch Competition,” pitch event. Stay tuned for the rest of our series, during which we interview each of the participants, including event organizer, and SVP of AARP’s Innovation Labs, Andy Miller. Check each one out, these are some cool new startups, focused on aging.

Thanks, everybody, and remember, let’s Talk About Better. The Not Old Better Show.