GrandPad’s vision and mission is to live in a world where no seniors are lonely or isolated, and every senior has an opportunity to Live Grand. We want to improve the lives of millions of seniors by reconnecting them with their families, friends, and caregivers.
Seniors are the heart and soul of GrandPad. Our Grand Advisors continually inspire, test, and guide the development of the device.
Andy Negra
Andy Negra Jr., born on May 28, 1924, in Avella, Pennsylvania, joined the U.S. Army in 1943, serving with the 6th Armored Division in Europe during World War II. He fought in Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, and helped liberate Buchenwald concentration camp, later serving in Germany's Army of Occupation. Discharged in 1945, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor and several campaign medals. In 1946, he married Viola, and they were together for 72 years until her passing in 2017. After a career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he retired in Georgia near family, with three children, two grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren.
Barbara Cowherd
Barbara lives with her husband in Louisville, Kentucky. She is an avid maker and crafter who especially enjoys cross-stitching and crossword puzzles. She is a music lover with an eclectic collection and a hardcore Louisville Cardinals fan. Barbara enjoys using her GrandPad to exchange photos and videos with family, participate in virtual family gatherings and movie nights via Zoom, and of course, jam to some good music. As a GrandAdvisor, she has contributed to several tech updates to the GrandPad including emoji’s and the Motown music station.
Betty Roche
Betty Roche is a remarkable woman who has been a supportive friend and neighbor to those around her for over 39 years since she was widowed. With three children and six grandchildren, Betty is a caring family-oriented person. Despite her lack of technology skills, she has been finding the GrandPad easy to use and loves the device's clear and user-friendly interface. As she grows more comfortable with the device, Betty is using it more often each day. She particularly enjoys listening to her local radio station on her GrandPad, and she is learning how to play games on it. You can spot Betty in a crowd thanks to her distinctive glasses, and she can also be seen around her local nursing homes where she is well-known due to her frequent visits.
Carol Isaacs
Carol lives in Wallingford Connecticut at the Continuing Care Retirement Community and has been there for the past 13 years. She is very involved in her community and is currently the chairperson of the Welcome Committee. She enjoys using technology for educational purposes and was an early adopter when the PC came out 40 years ago. Carol enjoys using her GrandPad to stay in touch with her friends.
Carol Pagel
Carol moved from East Battle Lake Minnesota to Wabasha Minnesota back in 2020. She loves reading, participating in book clubs, singing, walks, traveling, socializing with friends and playing Goren Bridge. Carol uses her GrandPad to stay connected with her two daughters and son. She enjoys using her GrandPad to view pictures and videos sent from her family such as her granddaughter’s college soccer activities.
Craig Pross
Craig lives with his wife Eileen in Rochester Minnesota. He enjoys strolls to Downtown Rochester and participates in the outdoor activities and concerts. Craig loves to ride his bicycle, read books and socialize with friends. He uses the GrandPad to connect with his children and grandchildren. Craig and his wife love connecting with their great granddaughter who lives in Denver and continue to watch her grow.
Dean Meurer
Dean is a lifetime resident of Wabasha, Minnesota and is an active member of the community, including being a long time member of the Wabasha City Council. Dean is a tech enthusiast who loves learning about how technology can be used to improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities. Dean loves the ease of use of GrandPad and is a key contributor to GrandPad Radio.
Ed Miklavcic
Ed is a Pearl Harbor survivor and served our country in the US Army Air Corp for nearly 5 years and was awarded 3 Bronze Stars for valor, yet he is most proud of his family. He never eats breakfast
alone, as he video chats with his oldest son each morning on his GrandPad.
At 104, Ed starts every single morning listening to music on his
GrandPad. He also loves to keep in touch with his family and golf buddies through regular video calls. "Face to face is the best part," he says, and "I love looking at the photos, too, especially the great-grandkids."
Elaine Pross
Eileen currently lives with her husband Craig in Rochester Minnesota. She enjoys walking over to Downtown Rochester with Craig through the skyway and subway for all the outdoor activities and concerts. She loves to read, play games, and socialize with friends. She uses the GrandPad to connect with her 4 children, 8 grandchildren and friends. Eileen thoroughly enjoys when her 82 year old brother easily calls her with his GrandPad regularly.
John Ochsner
John recently moved to Wabasha Minnesota in January of 2022 with his newlywed wife Carol. A former avid cyclist, he still remains active but now prefers walks around town with his wife. John enjoys using his GrandPad on a regular basis to connect through video calls with his daughter Angela, who lives in Chicago.
Louise Eddy
Louise has been living in Manti, UT for the past 36 years. She enjoys cooking and baking for friends and family. Louise has a beautiful family of 36 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren. She loves to use her Grand Pad to connect with all 9 of her children and close friends. Louise enjoys using all the features of the Grand Pad, in particular she loves to share photos and browse the internet.
Mary
Mary and Jim have been happily married for over 50 years, raising three children and embracing the love of their six adored grandchildren. Mary's remarkable talent in crafting shines through her knitting, where she donates much-needed cardigans and hats for premature babies in Dublin's neonatal units. She also crafts and sells personalized cards for every occasion, showcasing her creativity at craft fairs across the country. Ever the explorer, Mary has embraced using her GrandPad and proudly shares its capabilities with everyone she meets. Her life is a beautiful blend of love, compassion, and artistic expression, leaving a lasting impact on those touched by her creations and infectious zest for life.
Nano
Nano is a loving mother of six children, proud grandmother to eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Despite recently losing her husband, Nano has remained strong and relies on her family for support. Nano has been a homemaker all her life, and has enjoyed her years living on a dairy farm with her husband Tom. She has had limited exposure to technology but now manages to use a smartphone out of necessity. One of her sons lives in Australia and another in Portugal, and since beginning to use GrandPad, she has found it easy to maintain a close relationship with them. Video calls have become a frequent routine which allows her to see their faces and create a sense of closeness. Nano has been amazed by the ease and simplicity of using the GrandPad, she is now able to share holiday photos and moments with her loved ones with minimal confusion and issues.
Richard Thill
Richard resides in Anaheim Ca and lives in a home that he built with his father and two carpenters when he was just a teenager. He enjoys music, playing in bands, swimming, cycling, gardening, beekeeping, boating, hiking and outdoor group activities. He uses his GrandPad to stay connected with family and friends. Richard loves that his GrandPad is secure and that he no longer receives calls from solicitors or “junk” emails. He also enjoys the help button feature that connects him to helpful and friendly GrandPad staff.
“Our culture is about hiring great people who care about our mission and are passionate about helping seniors.”
Our leaders share a passion for technology and an admiration for the senior community. Through innovation, they strive to change the lives of millions of older adults and their families, friends, and caregivers.
Scott Lien
Scott is GrandPad's Chief Executive Officer, leading the company as it builds an accessible platform that empowers seniors to connect with family, friends, and caregivers. He brings a wealth of experience to the team, having led Intuit's mobile technology innovation group and developing user-friendly software for Target, Best Buy, and Bank of America. Scott is also a practitioner of the LEAN Startup Method, which emphasizes putting users first and designing specifically to their needs. With GrandPad, he strives to create a world where no seniors are lonely or isolated.
Julie Ament Gran
Julie, GrandPad’s Chief Operating Officer, draws from over 25 years in retail leadership, including prominent roles at Dayton-Hudson-Marshall Field’s, Macy’s, and Lifetouch. She propels membership, revenue, and team execution through innovative problem-solving, customer-centricity, and strategic leadership across operations, marketing, and finance.
Isaac Lien
Isaac is GrandPad’s Chief AI & Product Officer. His grandmother’s inability to use email and Facebook drove him and his father, Scott, to create GrandPad’s senior-friendly, solutions-focused tablet. He continuously seeks innovative ways to keep older generations connected to their younger family members.
Grace Dolan
Grace is a seasoned marketing executive with nearly two decades of experience driving growth for top consumer tech and CPG companies. As SVP of Marketing & Digital Experience at Frontier Communications, she helped drive the turnaround of a $6B telecom business, with a successful brand reinvention and double-digit subscription growth. Prior, as CMO of Samsung’s Home Entertainment Division, she achieved record breaking growth through brand repositioning, digital marketing and partnerships with brands like Xbox and Netflix. She has also held key leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, managing global brands like AVEENO® and LISTERINE®. Grace holds a JD/MBA from the University of Michigan and a BA from Johns Hopkins University. She is a mission-driven thought leader, known for her strategic mindset, passion for innovation, and commitment to fostering diverse, high-performing teams.
David Tyler
David currently serves as GrandPad’s Chief Technology Officer and is proud to have been a part of the GrandPad team in various roles for over ten years. David is a seasoned software engineer and is passionate about technology-focused work that improves the lives and experiences of others, especially the senior community. He enjoys developing products from the ground-up and making technology more accessible and enjoyable to use for seniors. David is an alumnus of Chapman University in Orange, California, where he earned both his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Computational Science. Outside of GrandPad, David is very well-traveled, having visited Italy, Australia, New Zealand, the Galapagos Islands, the Egyptian pyramids, the Amazon River, and more. David resides in the Boston area with his wife and three year old Labradoodle, Comet, who he loves going on long walks with every day.
Chelsea Bakewell
Chelsea has risen through the ranks at GrandPad, where she has held pivotal roles such as Director of Strategic Partnerships, Director of Member Experience, and Senior Director of Customer Success. Throughout her decade tenure, she has consistently demonstrated a passion for improving the lives of older adults, their families, and caregivers by eliminating barriers to technology and promoting meaningful interactions. As Chief Customer Officer, Bakewell leads the efforts to scale personalized, high-quality service across GrandPad’s B2B and B2C channels. Her leadership is instrumental in reinforcing a customer-centric culture at every level of the organization.
Elmer loved his family, including his wife of 78 years, Geneveive, whom he married in 1938 and continued to laugh with throughout their life together. In recent years, Elmer used his GrandPad to stay connected with his five children, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. His input as a Grand Advisor was crucial to improving the product for all users and families. We will dearly miss his insights, sense of humor, and contributions to GrandPad.
Viola was born on April 29, 1933, at the Lien farm in Springfield Township, Winneshiek Co., Iowa. She graduated from Calmar High School in 1951. She met Conley Linderbaum at Art’s Roller Rink near Ossian, Iowa. Viola and Conley were married on February 22, 1953, and had two children they loved dearly.
Viola was a hard-working farm wife doing any chore that needed doing and could prepare a meal for ten with 15 minutes' notice. She was known for her cinnamon rolls, raised glazed donuts, and her grandson’s favorite mashed potatoes. She also taught Sunday School and served on the Ladies Aid.
Viola was adept at using the Grandpad and loved receiving family pictures, playing games, and listening to Alan Jackson on the tablet. In her role as a Grand Advisor, she served as a brand ambassador and even appeared in a newscast about Grandpad.
