Aging with Passion & Purpose Conference

2026 CONFERENCE

MARCH 27, 2026
8:30 A.M.-4:30 P.M.

Thompson Alumni Center
University of Nebraska at Omaha Campus
6705 Dodge Street
Omaha NE 68182

The target audience for this conference is older adults and their families, friends, and care partners as well as multidisciplinary providers of care, researchers, and educators. The conference is free.

Keynote Speaker: Jack York

Purposeful Living in Aging

Jack York is an entrepreneur in the senior living space, founder of two transformative companies, It's Never 2 Late (iN2L) and TaleGate. These companies have redefined how technology and storytelling can benefit older adults regardless of where they are physically or cognitively.

Founding of iN2L

In 1999, after working in the Silicon Valley for 15 years, Jack York co-founded It's Never 2 Late (iN2L) with the mission to enrich the lives of older adults through the use of engagement technology. Since its inception in 1999, iN2L grew from a groundbreaking idea into the leading provider of person-centered engagement technology now used in thousands of senior living communities across the United States. iN2L is now proudly residing under the LifeLoop umbrella.

Establishment of TaleGate

Building on the success of iN2L, Jack York founded TaleGate in 2022, a company dedicated to changing the narrative on aging through capturing and distributing the stories of individuals living and working in senior living communities. Jack has travelled over 200,000 miles and visited several hundred senior living communities over the last 6 years in a quest to capture as many stories as possible. Through documentaries, personal interviews and soon to be published books, TaleGate enables older adults to share their life stories and experiences, preserving valuable personal histories and creating meaningful interactions. The platform combines York’s expertise in technology with his commitment to enhancing the human experience. Through various social media outlets, these stories have garnered over 20 million views and tens of thousands of followers.

Speaking and Publications

Since founding iN2L in 1999, Jack has spoken at literally hundreds of conferences and events throughout the world, highlighting both how technology can benefit older adults, particularly individuals living with dementia, and more recently the power of storytelling. His work has been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal, NPR and dozens of senior living publications.

PURPOSEFUL LIVING IN RETIREMENT-RETIREMENT TRANSITION-AMY HANSON

Amy Hanson, Ph.D, is a Lecturer in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and she is the author of the book, Baby Boomers and Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passions of Adults over 50. She is a sought after speaker and consultant that helps organizations and faith-based communities respond to the unique needs and opportunities of the new old.

PURPOSEFUL PLANNING-LEGAL AID OF NEBRASKA-ANNE MARCOTTE

Anne Marcotte is Legal Aid of Nebraska’s Elder Accessline Attorney. She is an Omaha native and is a graduate of Boston College and Creighton University Law School. Anne has been with Legal Aid for a total of eight years. She recently returned to the practice of law after operating her own small business.

PURPOSEFUL COMMUNITY-KAILEY EDELMAN

Hi, my name is Kailey Edelman, and I am the Director of Community Engagement/ADRC at the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. I have been with ENOA for almost 4.5 years, but I have 8 years of experience working with older adults. Before my current role, I worked with one of ENOA’s volunteer programs, the Foster Grandparent Program. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Gerontology with a concentration in Healthy Aging. I am currently pursuing my Master’s in Gerontology and Social Work at UNO. At ENOA, we provide services for older adults aged 60 and above, helping them to stay in their homes for as long as possible. We achieve this by providing intermittent support services, including Information and Assistance/ADRC, Care Management, Caregiver Support, and Nutrition programs, as well as Medicaid Waiver and Volunteer Services, in addition to community resources.

About the Aging with Passion & Purpose Conference

The first biennial Aging with Passion & Purpose Conference was held in 2007. Each year's conference has a unique theme reflecting a trend in aging. The theme of the inaugural conference was “Spirituality and Creativity Programming for Older Adults;” the focus highlighted cutting edge efforts to address the needs of older adults utilizing alternative and complimentary strategies within the arts and spirituality arenas that have been shown through research to improve older adults quality of life. In 2009, the conference theme was “Social and Spiritual Dimensions of Aging and Caregiving” and emphasized support efforts for caregivers that aimed to better the quality of care provided to older adults and self-care of the caregiver. The 2011 theme of "It Happens" reflected the reality that the first of the baby boomers were turning 65 and entering retirement. The 2013 theme of "Aging Well in the Age of Technology" brought participants together to learn about the growing field of gerontechnology and its impact on the quality and way of life of aging individuals. The 2015 theme of "Generations Working Together" helped participants better understand the unique characteristics of each generation and how they manifest in the workplace. The 2017 theme was "Next Generation Services" and introduced attendees to new ways of doing business in a new age. 2019 brought the theme of “No One Left Behind,” which focused on the unique needs of diverse populations of older adults. 2021 covered the timely theme of "Unmasking Covid 19," which addressed the important needs of caring for older adults during the pandemic.

The conference is organized and conducted by a team of planning partners representing a wide range of organizations concerned about aging issues and is hosted by UNO.

2026 CONFERENCE PLANNING PARTNERS

2026 CONFERENCE SPONSORS