25: Aging with Strength, with Amanda Rees, Co-founder and CEO, Bold
Meet Amanda Rees:
Amanda Rees is the co-founder and CEO of Bold, a digital platform that creates personalized science-based programs to help people age better. Previously, she was a Program Manager of Renewable Energy and Climate at the 11th Hour Project. Amanda received a BSE in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Princeton University.
Key Insights:
Amanda Rees wants to keep people healthy, active, and out of hospitals. Bold as a digitally scalable way to prevent falls and associated hospitalization for older adults.
- Healthy Digital Aging. Amanda and her co-founder faced ageist attitudes from potential partners and investors; they didn’t share the vision that the future of healthy aging would be digital. This perspective drastically shifted during the pandemic as people of all ages became more digitally connected. (5:58)
- Choosing the Business Model. Bold started with direct-to-consumer marketing so they could grow faster and support more members sooner. They eventually moved into business-to-business partnerships to make their platform more accessible. While it can feel like these business models are at odds, Amanda sees them as part of a holistic business system. (8:34)
- Do User Testing. Regardless of the product, Amanda recommends founders get feedback from potential customers. For Bold, Amanda knew that users don’t like being defined by their age. Bold acknowledges the aging process, but doesn’t focus on the specific age of its users. (18:11)
This episode is hosted by Julie Yoo. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Day Zero and is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz.
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