Ken Dychtwald
The Age Wave Visionary
Dr. Ken Dychtwald has emerged as North America’s foremost visionary and original thinker regarding the lifestyle, marketing, healthcare and workforce implications of the longevity revolution.
Over the past 40+ years, Dr. Ken Dychtwald has emerged as North America’s foremost visionary and original thinker regarding the lifestyle, marketing, health care, and workforce implications of the age wave.
Ken is a psychologist, gerontologist, and best-selling author of 16 books on aging-related issues, including Bodymind; Age Wave: The Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging Society; Age Power: How the 21st Century Will Be Ruled by the New Old; The Power Years: A User’s Guide to the Rest of Your Life; Healthy Aging; Workforce Crisis: How to Beat the Coming Shortage of Skills and Talent; Gideon’s Dream: A Tale of New Beginnings and A New Purpose: Redefining Money, Family, Work, Retirement, and Success. He is currently writing two new books, What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life’s Third Age (to be released July 15, 2020) and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: Lessons from an Irregular Life. He was the executive producer and host of the highly rated/acclaimed PBS documentary, The Boomer Century: 1946–2046.
Since 1986, Ken has been the Founder and CEO of Age Wave, a firm created to guide companies and government groups in product/service development for boomers and mature adults. His client list has included over half the Fortune 500. He has served as a fellow of the World Economic Forum and was a featured speaker at two White House Conferences on Aging. Ken has twice received the distinguished American Society on Aging Award for outstanding national leadership, and American Demographics honored him as the single most influential marketer to baby boomers over the past quarter century. His article in the Harvard Business Review, “It’s Time to Retire Retirement,” was awarded the prestigious McKinsey Award, tying for first place with the legendary Peter Drucker. He was honored by Investment Advisor as one of the 35 most influential thought leaders in the financial services industry over the past 35 years. Ken and his wife, Maddy, recently received the Esalen Prize for their outstanding contributions to advancing the human potential of aging men and women worldwide. In 2018 he was awarded the Inspire Award from in the International Council on Active Aging for his exceptional and lasting contributions to the active-aging industry and for his efforts to make a difference in the lives of older adults globally.
During his career, Ken has addressed more than two million people worldwide in his speeches to corporate, association, social service, and government groups. His strikingly accurate predictions and innovative ideas are regularly featured in leading print and electronic media worldwide and have garnered more than twelve billion media impressions.
In addition to his role at Age Wave, he is deeply involved in numerous activities for the public good including serving as a member of the XPRIZE Board of Trustees.
Life in the Time of COVID-19: Five Generations’ Perspectives on Health, Family, Finances, Community and Purpose
This new presentation created in the wake of the COVID-10 pandemic, will present a thought-provoking analysis of how COVID-19 is impacting different generations in some very different ways. Synthesizing a wide range of current research and drawing from numerous experts’ views, this virtual presentation will explore:
· How is the pandemic transforming people’s lives, relationships, hopes, fears, finances and purpose?
· How is the coronavirus public health crisis affecting each of the five generations differently?
· What can younger adults be teaching older adults about dealing with this disruption?
· What can older adults be teaching younger adults about dealing with this disruption?
· Why is there a need for more “empathy” and “interdependence” among the generations?
The Longevity Economy: Tomorrow’s Biggest Market Opportunities Are Hiding in Plain Sight
Rising longevity and the aging of the massive Boomer generation are radically altering both the demographic landscape and every aspect of the consumer marketplace. Already 50+ consumers account for more than half of all spending and control more than 70% of total U.S. net worth. In the coming years, we’ll see explosive business growth fueled by this unprecedented age wave.
This provocative new presentation was created for business leaders seeking to understand, re-gear, and thrive in the era of unprecedented longevity. This revealing glimpse into the future explores the industries, products, and services that will dominate the longevity marketplace—many of which are hiding in plain sight:
- The medical breakthroughs and technologies on the horizon that have the potential to dramatically transform health, aging, and longevity
- How an aging population’s evolving need for healthy choices will the influence food, beverage, and supplement sectors
- How a cyclic lifeplan—with repeated personal reinventions—will stimulate demand for new ways to learn, give, volunteer, work, and enjoy life
- How aging Boomers will re-invent retirement and re-define the travel and leisure, housing, education, media, and financial services industries
- What ways aging Boomers will take advantage of their newfound time affluence
- Lessons learned from four decades on the front lines about the successes of pioneering companies worldwide that have “cracked the code” and created brands and marketing strategies that resonate with this generation of brand-loyal consumers
Tens of millions of Boomers are entering their retirement years just as Americans are living longer than ever before. As a result, the timing, power, and purpose of maturity are being dramatically re-imagined. Learn how the exciting spectrum of new lifestyle choices across adulthood will affect every area of our lives.This impactful new presentation unveils Age Wave’s highly acclaimed research and explores a wide range of potentially game-changing questions for business leaders across every industry:
- How will the distribution of learning, work, and leisure be transformed by our longer lifespans?
- How is retirement being re-defined and re-imagined?
- What are the changing roles within families?
- Will encore careers and giving back become the norm?
- How can health be optimized, and will it be affordable?
- What changes are needed to make our homes and communities “aging friendly”?
- What are the ideal roles for 21st century “modern elders”?
- What is the new measure of success?
How the Age Wave Will Transform the Marketplace, the Workplace, and Our Lives
Increasing longevity, declining fertility, and aging Baby Boomers are triggering an enormous age wave. This demographic tsunami has the potential to create tremendous marketplace and work/talent opportunities—and brings with it equally pressing social and financial challenges.
This enlightening and entertaining presentation encapsulates key learnings from Age Wave’s highly acclaimed research and explores some of the most pressing questions faced by individuals, governments, and businesses today.
- How will people use their newfound longevity?
- How will a cyclic lifeplan replace the traditional linear model?
- How will aging Boomers change established paradigms of work, leisure, learning, and retirement?
- What’s the most effective way to market and sell to “middlescent” Boomers?
- Why is managing a four-generation workforce the new diversity mandate?
- What new social and political challenges are being created by this age wave?
Re-visioning Retirement: New Timing, New Purpose, New Planning, New Funding
The convergence of rising longevity, today’s uncertain economy, and widespread insufficient savings has reset the retirement clock. Highly acclaimed Age Wave research reveals that the new retirement could be a good thing—for individuals, the consumer marketplace, and financial-planning professionals.
This presentation explores the most important questions in retirement planning today, illustrates groundbreaking research, and reveals how to safeguard a successful retirement while avoiding the “wildcards” that threaten to shatter dreams.
- Why financial peace of mind has become far more important than wealth
- The “family bank” phenomenon and how it could jeopardize retirement
- How women’s rising financial power is transforming the field of retirement planning
- How a new model of work can add fulfillment, stimulation, and financial security
- How the demands of eldercare, sibling care, grandparenthood, singlehood, and “rehirement” will impact retirement planning
The New Alchemy of Travel: In Search of Peak Experiences
Amidst our current workaholic culture, there is an awakening appreciation for the immeasurable value of great times with friends and loved ones, the satisfaction of continued personal growth, and the excitement of encountering new people, places, and cultures. Fueled by the dual Boomer liberations of emptynesting and retirement and turbo-charged by Millennial FOMO, hundreds of millions of men and women worldwide are hoping to enjoy more “time affluence” than at any other point in history.
This dynamic new presentation explores the forces causing an unquenchable appetite for stimulating and nourishing "peak experiences" of every form and flavor—and uncovers the abundant opportunities for entrepreneurs and industry leaders who understand the new travel consumer.
- Longevity: more life, more time, more personal reinventions, more travel
- How the unprecedented “age wave” demographic phenomenon will both boost and transform the travel marketplace worldwide
- Why the “freedom zone” is now the most liberated and liberating time in life
- Life’s true valuables: the growing importance of experiences over things
- 2.5 trillion hours to fill: tapping the enormous “longevity economy”
- In search of “peak experiences” and how they can both be programmed and marketed
How Longevity Will Transform Health, Medicine, and Aging
Rising longevity and global population aging are radically altering both the demographic landscape and every dimension of health and healthcare.
- How long might we live?
- How will we spend our “longevity bonus” years?
- Will our later years be a time of health and vitality or illness and disability?
- What advances are needed in medical/nursing skills, preventative and rehab fitness, functional nutrition, and crowdsourced scientific advances to ensure that our healthspan matches our lifespan?
- Will super-longevity be purchasable on the open or black market?
- What will be the new purpose of elderhood?
- Will advances in healthcare be available for all or only the rich?
A Boomer/Millennial Smackdown
Dynamic father-son duo Ken and Zak Dychtwald will deliver an engaging, mind-stretching, and actionable session to envision the new characteristics, aspirations, hopes and fears of these two powerful generations. Ken’s lifelong pursuit to understand the attitudes and characteristics of what makes Boomers tick is fused with Zak’s experience and knowledge of the emerging Millennial mindset in this unique presentation.
Together they will explore these powerful generations as consumers—and how entrepreneurs and industry leaders who understand both can take full advantage of explosive growth in the years ahead.
- How Boomers and Millennials are different and how are they the same
- How Boomers and Millennials envision money, success, family, friends, work, and purpose
- The ideal role of tech in their lives
- How each group wants to have fun and peak experiences, with whom and where
I have been learning from Ken Dychtwald for years and am convinced that he is today’s most innovative and original thinker on this important subject.
President Jimmy Carter
Our members thought your presentation was thoughtful, interesting and very effective. That’s a ‘10’ and we thank you very much.
Karen Ignagni, President and CEO, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
Ken Dychtwald has a unique ability to blend cutting-edge social science and unrivaled knowledge about the marketing and workforce implications of the global age wave with world-class presentation showmanship. The response to his talks to our “Committee of 100” leadership has been tremendous and he has managed to earn the highest speaker ratings in our history of meetings. His presentation style is riveting, his knowledge base grows even stronger with the years and his understanding and insightful solutions are truly visionary. I highly recommend Ken Dychtwald to any organization seeking a show-stopping keynoter.
Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Ken Dychtwald changed the way I view the future. In just one hour he unlocked truths so clear and powerful that they are shocking. His understanding of population demographics are utterly critical for any CEO, executive team or government leader to understand. Without it you will not be prepared for what is rapidly approaching – a set of massive changes that will fundamentally affect every aspect of our lives and every industry on Earth.
Peter H. Diamandis, Chairman & CEO, XPRIZE Foundation & Executive Chairman, Singularity University
You have a real gift for communicating with others. On a scale of 100, you received an average score of 98%. Obviously, this is just about as close to being perfect as you can get. We have enjoyed many top-ranked speakers over the years, including Dr. Victor Frankel, Mother Teresa, David Brinkley, George Will, Chris Matthews, Cokie Roberts, Congressman Claude Pepper and Senator Ted Kennedy, but no one was ever better received than you.
Val J. Halamandaris, President, National Association for Home Care and Hospice
Every business leader who is thinking creatively about the future has to listen to Ken Dychtwald's insights about demographics, aging, and their impact on the global marketplace…
Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO, General Electric
The global population is turning gray—and no one understands the economic, social, and personal impact of this better than Ken Dychtwald.
Sir Martin Sorrell, Chairman and Chief Executive, WPP Group
Ken Dychtwald is a masterful keynote presenter and storyteller whose vision and message is not only thought-provoking, it transcends generations, cultures, organization types, and geographic locations. His unique talent lies in translating data and facts that inspire and motivate his audiences to take advantage of the wealth of opportunities brought about by the age wave.
Colin Milner, Founder and CEO, International Council on Active Aging
Ken Dychtwald is a showstopper. He is one of the few speakers that can educate, entertain, and have you laughing and crying—all at the same time.
Brian Perkins, former Worldwide Chairman, Johnson & Johnson
I’ve seen Ken speak on many occasions and it’s easy to see why he is the undisputed authority on the maturation of the American baby boomer.
Larry Jones, President, TV Land
In addition to being a gifted social scientist and great and prolific writer on the topic of aging and retirement, Ken Dychtwald’s presentation and communication skills, and his ability to engage all forms of media are beyond impressive.
Jay Wintrob, President and CEO, SunAmerica Asset Management, member of AIG Life and Retirement
I was thrilled to be a part of your Court of the Table presentation. In my opinion, you were by far the best speaker at the meeting. Your presentation was energetic, informative and clearly right on target.
Jennifer Borislow, former President, Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)
Ken Dychtwald is simply extraordinary! His substantive presentation on relevant issues that affect us all is framed with an inspiring style and a persuasive delivery. Dr. Dychtwald is a brilliant thought leader who grabs your attention instantly and, on merit and with solid documentation, convinces us that our tomorrows can be filled with zest and promise. What audience wouldn’t benefit measurably from that?
Dr. Nido R. Qubein, President, High Point University; Chairman, Great Harvest Bread Co.
Ken Dychtwald is a rock-star speaker who captures an audience with exceptional insight, compelling data, and self-effacing humor. Each attendee leaves with information they can apply the very next day.
Laurence Barton, Ph.D., Chancellor, The American College of Financial Services
Ken Dychtwald’s presentation to 500 of the most influential decision makers in the global travel industry was an overwhelming success. In an era of millennial mania; Ken combined cutting-edge demographic trends and entertaining messages to demonstrate that the Boomer and Millennial markets are not mutually exclusive and represent enormous economic power.
Matthew Upchurch, CEO, Virtuoso, Ltd.