The Glenwood Community Launches Entrepreneur in Residence Program

October 3, 2024

MARIETTA, OH — The Glenwood Community, a United Church Homes independent and assisted living community in this city on the Ohio/West Virginia state line, has announced in a press release the launch of its Entrepreneur in Residence program. This initiative brings entrepreneurs and cutting-edge technology directly to the heart of the community, providing both innovators and residents with a unique opportunity to collaborate, learn, and shape the future of senior living.

Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, The Glenwood Community has been a home for older adults in the Mid-Ohio Valley for 25 years. Now, entrepreneurs are invited to live on campus for two to three weeks, immersing themselves in the daily lives of residents and gaining invaluable, real-world experience by testing their products and ideas.

“The Entrepreneur in Residence program allows us to continuously innovate and bring fresh ideas to improve the lives of our aging population,” said Senior Executive Director Linda Dailey. “By inviting entrepreneurs to live alongside us, we create a collaborative environment where both residents and innovators can learn from one another.”

The program has already hosted its first Entrepreneur in Residence, Advosense founder Martina Viduka, with her solution for incontinence care. Meanwhile, former Apple engineer Dhaval Patel is currently developing a wearable ring that allows users to control their environment with infrared technology, which would offer a greater level of independence to Glenwood’s residents.

“Our goal is to bring residents into the innovation process right from the start,” explained UCH Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer Michael Hughes. “By working together with entrepreneurs, we are creating a future where senior living communities aren’t just recipients of new technology — they are active participants in shaping it.”

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As the program expands, The Glenwood Community plans to host at least six entrepreneurs each year, continually introducing new ideas and innovations into the senior living experience. This initiative underscores the community’s mission to blend tradition with progress, enhancing the quality of life for older adults while fostering forward-thinking solutions.

For more than 100 years, United Church Homes has provided housing and services to older adults. UCH is the 19th largest multisite, nonprofit senior living organization in the U.S. according to the 2023 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking, serving nearly 7,000 residents in its more than 90 owned-and-managed market-rate and affordable-housing communities in 15 states and two Native American nations.