What We Learned — Vision Into Action: Intergenerational Work of Our Rising Leaders

Vision Into Action: Intergenerational Work of Our Rising Leaders

Transformation Tuesday | January 27, 2026

Hosted by Gray Panthers NYC

Gray Panthers NYC kicked off 2026 with a reminder that the future of aging justice isn’t an abstract idea—it’s already being built, in real communities, by people who refuse to accept the tired story that aging means decline, isolation, or invisibility. This special program featured alumni of the Rising Leaders Award (generously sponsored by Dr. Jill Gerson) sharing what they’re working on now—and what gives them hope.

Here are a few of the biggest takeaways we’re still carrying with us:

1) Intergenerational work is not “nice to have”—it’s how this movement survives

Carrie Leljedal spoke candidly about why Gray Panthers invests in rising leaders: because younger generations bring the energy, imagination, and staying power we need for the long haul. Not as saviors. As partners. The message was clear: intergenerational justice is not a slogan—it’s a strategy.

2) Community doesn’t have to be institutional to be safe, meaningful, and joyful

Jonas Weizman, a nonprofit nursing home administrator in the Hudson Valley, shared the heart behind Granpods—a simple but radical question: Why do so many “aging programs” only happen in institutional spaces?

Instead of creating another structured service, Jonas is building something more human: shared adventures—apple picking, cooking days, bar nights, dancing—real life, out in the world, with the kind of belonging most people take for granted. And he’s doing it thoughtfully, making sure there’s support on hand so everyone can relax and actually enjoy themselves.

The deeper point: loneliness is not a personal failure—it’s a design problem. And community can be redesigned.

3) Art can dismantle ageism in ways lectures can’t

Kate Poppenhagen described her work in a PhD program in social gerontology—and the intergenerational art programs she’s helping lead and build. Her story landed because it wasn’t theoretical: she’s watching students’ ageist assumptions soften and change—not because someone tells them to, but because they form genuine relationships through creative work.

One moment stood out: inviting older adults into the classroom and asking what they wanted to be called. The group chose “partner”—a small language shift with huge impact. It changed the tone of everything: less hierarchy, more reciprocity, more respect.

4) The needs of older adults must be built into the future of healthcare and technology

Isaac Longobardi, now a first-year medical student at Stanford, shared what it looks like to keep aging justice on the radar even while submerged in anatomy labs and biochemistry. He’s exploring research on improving relationships between nursing homes and hospitals—and pushing a crucial question in tech-forward spaces: Are older adults and disabled people included in the design of what comes next?

He also offered a powerful through-line: institutionalism and disability are not “niche issues.” They span the lifespan—and they intersect everywhere, including prisons. His work supporting compassionate release cases for incarcerated people with profound illness and disability was a stark reminder: how we treat people in institutions reveals what we believe their lives are worth.

5) A patch can be a movement—and young people are already carrying it

Isabel Postelnak, creator of the Age & Youth in Action Girl Scout patch, shared how quickly the patch has spread beyond New York—becoming a concrete way for young people to learn about ageism and take action. She also spoke about hands-on volunteer work with older adults and her next steps in the senior living and gerontology space.

It was a reminder that change doesn’t always start with a policy paper. Sometimes it starts with a troop, a patch, and a conversation that doesn’t end.

6) Big change is built from small, relentless improvements

Alex Eshelman, Associate Director of Open Doors at the Kohler Nursing Home (Roosevelt Island), talked about what it looks like to shift from “big conversations” to change you can touch. Open Doors is focusing on something both deeply practical and deeply dignifying: food quality.

Through a program called Food Stories, they’re hosting coffee hours, gathering residents’ stories about meals, culture, memory, and comfort—and translating those stories into art. The goal isn’t just a feel-good project. It’s a pathway toward better meals, stronger community, and a model that could be replicated elsewhere.

Alex’s activist advice was deceptively simple and quietly profound: start with your character. Be a good person. Build real relationships. Don’t reduce people to labels or “charity cases.” Friendship is a form of justice.

7) Volunteerism is a bridge between outrage and action

A theme echoed throughout the hour: in a world that can leave people feeling overwhelmed, volunteerism and community work offer a place to put your values into motion. It’s where skills are built, networks are formed, and hope becomes tangible.

What’s next

Gray Panthers NYC will soon open nominations for the 2026 Rising Leaders Awards—and we’re excited to keep growing this circle of intergenerational leaders. We also invite you to join upcoming partner and Transformation Tuesday programs, including Art Tackling Ageism in Long-Term Care (Feb. 12) from Art Against Ageism and our February Transformation Tuesday focused on essential caregiver legislation.

Because the work continues—and so does the community.