Introducing the Age AWARE™ Audit

Earn trust to thrive in the Longevity Economy

Expose hidden bias that erodes value and trust
Activate AWARE™ strategies for advantage

Age Awareness Leads to Growth

The Longevity Economy—the economic contributions of people over 50—is booming. This population holds 80% of U.S. household wealth, generates more than 50% of consumer spending, and is the fastest-growing segment of the labor market. Yet most organizations still overlook this potential source of growth and trust.

Only 10-15% of marketing investment targets this group of 120 million—35% of the population. Meanwhile, 4 in 5 Americans over 50 experience age bias daily, and two in three see age discrimination in the workplace.

The problem is structural. As gerontologist Tracey Gendron notes, ageism is "everywhere and all but invisible."

The Age AWARE™ Audit reveals where and how age bias operates across the enterprise. It's a structured diagnostic that examines practices, strategy, and culture of an organization in five key areas: Accessibility/Design, Workplace, Adaptability, Representation, and Engagement.

Addressing these factors helps organizations:

Expand market reach
Build and protect trust with all stakeholders
Drive innovation through multigenerational perspectives
Attract and retain talent
Strengthen brand loyalty across ages
Future-proof against demographic shifts
Demonstrate leadership in inclusive growth

From Our Article Featured in the MIT Sloan Management Review

UNCOVER THE AGEISM HIDING IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

by Matthew Lifschultz

"Being age-aware means probing these five interconnected areas to challenge old biases, uncover new opportunities, and affirm the value of older adults as customers, employees, and stakeholders..."

Full article below

Trust is the Foundation of Business

Build Trust with Age Awareness

Companies thrive—or fail—on trust. It drives brand loyalty, employee engagement, and investor confidence. Age bias quietly corrodes trust in ways most leaders never see.

According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, institutions are facing a global "crisis of grievance," losing stakeholder trust by failing to address deeply rooted biases. Age bias is the most overlooked of all.

Age awareness isn’t social advocacy. It’s an essential dimension of trust-building for modern enterprises.

Age Bias and Business Impact

80% of Americans over 50 experience age bias daily (University of Michigan)
Trusted organizations generate 2.5x more shareholder value (BCG Trust Index)
Customers who trust a brand are 88% more likely to buy again (Deloitte HX TrustID)
Employees in high-trust workplaces are 76% more engaged and 50% more productive (Harvard Business Review)

Becoming Age AWARE™: The Five Factors

Accessibility & Design

An age-aware company ensures that its products, services, and spaces — physical and digital — are usable for all ages.

Workplace

An age-aware company fosters an environment that leverages the strengths of all generations, values experience, spurs innovation across age groups, and supports the evolving needs and aspirations of older workers.

Adaptability

An age-aware company evolves its strategies and practices to align with demographic shifts, anticipating and responding to changes in market dynamics and workforce composition.

Representation

An age-aware company portrays the diversity of older adults authentically in all communications, rejecting stereotypes to reflect varied lifestyles, abilities, and contributions.

Engagement

An age-aware company develops meaningful connections with older populations across business operations, recognizing their multifaceted value as consumers, employees, and stakeholders.

ABOUT

LongVantage™ Strategies can help organizations uncover hidden age bias and tap into the vast potential of the Longevity Economy. Our flagship diagnostic, the Age AWARE™ Audit is designed to spur growth, trust, and innovation.

Matthew Lifschultz, Founder & Principal

Thanks for your interest.

I'm one of the few consulting gerontologists in the U.S. specializing in age bias and business strategy. I offer a distinctive POV on leveraging age inclusion for organizational success.

After a thirty-year career in law, government, politics, and strategic communications, I studied gerontology at the University of Southern California, earning a Master's. (I believe deeply in lifelong learning, and recommend it to everyone.) I then produced and co-edited the book Paths to Leadership in the Senior Living Industry (Springer, 2021), which was ranked "#1 Hot New Release in Geriatrics" on Amazon.

While advising organizations seeking to deepen engagement with the aging population, I saw the need for a systematic framework to uncover 55+ bias. Synthesizing research, practice, and theory, I developed the Age AWARE™ Audit. Today, I'm focused on bringing the audit to organizations committed to leading in age inclusivity and capitalizing on the growing Longevity Economy.

I have a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Fordham University Law School. I also did extensive graduate work in public finance and policy at NYU's Wagner School of Public Service. I'm an avid reader across a wide range of topics, including systems thinking, leadership, design, social psychology, economic history, and cultural anthropology, as well as fiction. Currently, Vaclav Smil is my favorite writer.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-lifschultz-521a93207/

Engage With Us

Now in beta, we're inviting partners to pilot the Age AWARE™ Audit and explore how this innovative approach can strengthen trust, performance, and inclusivity. Join us in shaping the next generation of age-aware business practices. Be part of the movement to create a more age-inclusive society while improving your bottom line. Contact us to explore the possibilities.

Introducing the Age AWARE™ Audit

Earn trust to thrive in the Longevity Economy

Age Awareness Leads to Growth

From Our Article Featured in the MIT Sloan Management Review