Founder Spotlight: Lawrence Kosick (GetSetUp)

This week, I had the privilege of interviewing Lawrence Kosick at GetSetUp. GetSetUp is a platform that hosts live and on-demand classes for older adults, taught by older adults. I’m excited to share more about what GetSetUp is doing to increase digital literacy amongst older adults!

— Sarah Richard

P.S. - If you’re an AgeTech founder, investor, or operator based in the NYC area, please consider joining us at August’s AgeTech NYC event, hosted by Brian Geyser at Maplewood Senior Living.

Lawrence, would you walk me through your background?

LK: I'm 56 years old and started GetSetUp with my cofounder just over four years ago, right before the pandemic. We saw a significant opportunity and problem…there was no safe, secure place for older adults to learn new things, socialize, and connect…we wanted to solve that problem and service the fastest growing demographic…adults over 60. My background is on the business and partnership side of tech, and I’ve always had a passion for the aging space, influenced by my dad, who co-founded a senior living community when I was a young boy. Many years later, the pandemic highlighted the need for older adults to access services virtually, leading us to launch GetSetUp and scale quickly to address this need.

Tell us about GetSetUp.

LK: GetSetUp started with basic tech onboarding, helping older adults use their devices to join online classes. The pandemic accelerated the need for our services, expanding our curriculum to include grocery apps, telehealth, exercise, and more. We took a unique approach by having older adults teach other older adults, fostering a peer-to-peer learning environment. This model works because of the shared patience, empathy, and vocabulary among peers. Many of our teachers started as learners, raising their hands to teach after gaining confidence, which helps them feel relevant and valued.

Can you share lessons learned and advice for aspiring AgeTech entrepreneurs?

LK: Building GetSetUp involved a lot of testing and learning from mistakes. Older adults provide fast, unfiltered feedback, which is crucial for refining our product. Marketing and user interface design must account for the unique needs and often the skepticism of older adults. We also realized that direct-to-consumer subscriptions were not effective, so we partnered with government agencies and healthcare providers to offer our services. This approach removed friction for older adults while aligning with organizations that have a financial interest in their health and well-being.

What trends in AgeTech are you focused on at GetSetUp?

LK: There's growing interest and investment in the aging space, finally recognizing it as a large, addressable market. AI will have a dramatic impact on this categoriy, simplifying access to services and information for older adults. AI can serve as an intermediary or better service layer, reducing the complexity of using technology. We're also interested in how AI can deliver better experiences for learners and partners, making it easier for older adults to find and access resources they need.

What can you share about GetSetUp's upcoming roadmap?

LK: We focus on what learners and partners need, addressing gaps in our curriculum and programming. This includes workforce development, caregiving, digital literacy, and health equity. Measuring the impact of our courses is crucial, ensuring they provide real benefits like job skills or fall prevention. AI will play a role in enhancing our services, helping older adults find and access resources more easily. We continuously work on removing friction to make our platform more user-friendly for older adults.

Anything else you'd like to share with the readers?

LK: Aging is a significant global issue and a huge opportunity. There's a need for innovative solutions that can address all the social determinants of health including; digital and health literacy, job skills, caregiving resources, financial literacy, socialization and more. Entrepreneurs should recognize the large addressable market and the increasing venture capital interest in this space. Older adults have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to offer, and platforms like ours enable them to contribute meaningfully. Help is on the way, and older adults will play a key role in solving these challenges.

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