In this episode of Glowing Older, host Nancy Griffin interviews Janine Vanderburg, CEO of Encore Roadmap and co-founder of Changing the Narrative. They discuss Janine's journey as an activist against ageism and the importance of addressing workplace age discrimination. Janine shares insights on current trends in ageism, the power of intergenerational connections, and the need for awareness and action against ageism.

About Janine

As CEO of Encore Roadmap, Janine brings over three decades of experience leading social and organizational change initiatives to her current work speaking, writing and consulting with businesses, media and brands on how they can become more age-inclusive, leverage the skills of older workers, and help intergenerational teams succeed.

In 2018, Janine founded Changing the Narrative, a leadingU.S. campaign to end ageism, through which she's trained over 30,000 people across the world in ageism, reframing aging and creating more age-inclusive workplaces, marketing and communications. The former chair of The Encore Network, she now co-chairs its Public Policy Advocacy Committee, and serves on the board of the Center for Workforce Inclusion Labs.

Janine's work has earned numerous awards including Top 25Powerful Women in Business by Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce, Denver Regional Council of Government’s Metro Vision Award and the American Society on Aging’s 2024 Award for Success in Diminishing Ageism.

A lawyer, community organizer and social entrepreneur, whatdrives Janine is the belief that human potential should not be wasted, and that people of all ages, identities and zip codes should have an opportunity to contribute their strengths and talents.

She frequently quotes civil rights leader Grace Lee Boggs:“We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for.”

Key Takeaways

• Encore roadmap educates employers, public and private companies and nonprofits about the strong business case for older workers and intergenerational teams.
• Ageism in the workplace negatively affects the economic security of women. Many women are forced to take Social Security prematurely and lost income that they left the workplace to take care of children and aging parents.
• Intergenerational conversations reduce ageism because they build mutual understanding.
• There is a growing trend of women in their 40s to 70spursuing entrepreneurship.
• Companies are recognizing the value of older workers and intergenerational teams.