Here at grandPad, we believe that technology should be intuitive, engaging, and transparent. Unfortunately, we have found that most technology isn't as simple as it should be. This is why we created grandPad: a simple senior tablet that anyone can use.
Paul "Gawkie" Peters
grandAdvisor
Bio:
Gawkie is a grandAdvisor and one of grandPad's very first customers. He was introduced to grandPad by his grandson, Michael, who works there as a software engineer. Gawkie served in the US Army during World War II and followed a career as a chef for much of his life. He loves seeing photos of his new great-grandchildren and playing solitaire on his grandPad.
Interests:
Telling jokes, spending time with family, and playing solitaire
Quote:
"My children--they were my life. But my grandchildren--they were the delight of my life."
Betty Parker
grandAdvisor
Bio:
Prior to her role as a grandAdvisor, Betty worked as a school teacher and freelance interior designer. Her daughter, Kerry Burnight, is Chief Gerontologist at grandPad. When she's not helping the grandPad team test out their latest features, Betty spends her time enjoying the sunny California beaches and visiting family.
Interests:
Family, interior design, art, and golf
Quote:
"Be truly interested in others--you'll always have friends."
Gloria Sall
grandAdvisor
Bio:
Gloria was a school teacher before she became a grandAdvisor for grandPad. Throughout her life, Gloria has always had a strong interest in history, politics, and current events. She once met President Harry Truman in person and shook his hand. Gloria loves sharing stories with her friends, family, and fellow grandAdvisors.
Interests:
Family, keeping up with the news, socializing
Quote:
"My father was an immigrant, and he came to this country penniless. I was always impressed with what he was able to do with his life."
Gay Turner
grandAdvisor
Bio:
Gay is a 2nd-generation Southern Californian and an extremely active grandAdvisor. Gay had zero experience with computers, but she is now a "pro" at using her grandPad. Her favorite thing to do is to take photos with the grandPad camera and share them with her loved ones. Gay says she loves working with the young college grads at grandPad.
Interests:
Photography, spending time with her family, charitable causes
Quote:
"Let's take one more photo of you. These photos don't do you justice."
Scott Lien
CEO & Co-founder
Bio:
Having previously developed user-friendly software for companies such as Target, Best Buy, and Bank of America, as well as having led the mobile technology innovation group at Intuit, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership experience to the team. Scott is a practitioner of the LEAN Startup Method, which emphasizes putting users first, and designing specifically to their needs. With grandPad, Scott is building a company people are proud to work at, connecting family members of all ages and technological skills, and finally has a stress-free way to keep in touch with his family.
Education:
B.A. Computer Science & B.A. Business Management, Luther College
Interests:
Music, Traveling with Family
My Senior Once Said:
"I love it when I get pictures of sunsets from my son Scott."
Isaac Lien
Product Design & Co-founder
Bio:
Isaac has devoted his life to creating software. Meanwhile, Isaac's grandmother has never owned a computer, and lines of communication he uses every day, such as email and Facebook, are completely foreign to her. Attempting to find a way to bring his grandmother up to date using current technology proved to be an imperfect solution, and resulted in more tech support than quality time. Through grandPad, Isaac is bridging this gap and creating an easy way to keep older generations up to date with their younger family members. During his free time, Isaac is a serial-hobbyist, and can often be found happily spending his evenings bent over his desk, working on anything from new app concepts to designing video games.
Education:
B.S. Computer Information Systems (In Progress), Chapman University
Interests:
Travel, Disneyland, Coffee
My Senior Once Said:
"My husband always says that I'm a 'food pusher.' I don't think so, I'm a 'love pusher.'"
Kerry Burnight
Chief Gerontologist
Bio:
Kerry is a Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. She's the founder and director of the nation's first Elder Abuse Forensic Center and the national non-profit, Ageless Alliance: United Against Elder Abuse. She was a speaker at The White House, and an expert on shows such as: The Dr. Phil Show, CBS news, and Money Matters. She joined grandPad because of the firm's ability to prevent one of the most significant risk factors for elders: social isolation.
Education:
PhD in Gerontology, University of Southern California
Interests:
Family, Music, Ocean swimming, Yoga, Marathons, Reading
My Senior Once Said:
"The secret to aging well: Be deeply and sincerely interested in others."
Dallas Steiner
CFO
Bio:
After starting his career as a CPA with Deloitte, Dallas has spent the past 15 years of his helping entrepreneurs by providing finance and operational structure for early stage companies through to exits. He enjoys the challenges associated with bringing new business offerings to market. His desire to help seniors had its beginnings from spending time with his grandmother who lived to be nearly 100 years old and from his work with one startup that worked closely with those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The spirit and selflessness of those he encountered continues to inspire him to work with companies and people whose mission is to make things better for the senior age group.
Education:
B.S. Business, University of Mary; Master of Professional Accountancy, University of South Dakota
Interests:
Sports (Especially Basketball), Spending Time Outdoors with My Wife and Our Twins
My Senior Once Said:
"Shouldn't you be working?" (my grandmother, then age 98.5 upon showing up for a visit during the week)
Ann Lockhart
Director of Partner Relations Management
Bio:
Ann is an experienced leader with 10+ years portfolio of success with client implementations, both in the healthcare and consulting industry. Ann first came to know grandPad as an user but then her love of the product, as well as, how it has changed her grandma and family's life drove her to pursue a career at grandPad. She has a passion for data analytics and looks forward to using data patterns to help improve Senior's lives. When Ann isn't at her desk working, she loves spending time with her husband, her new daughter, and her two dogs.
Education:
B.A. Business Management, University of Northern Iowa
Interests:
Spending time with family, being an Aunt, and mentoring others
My Senior Once Said:
"What's worth having is what's worth working for."
Phil Sims
Member Experience
Bio:
Phil worked for RadioShack for 30-years, both in a family owned dealer store and on the corporate side as a store and district manager. Phil loves working at grandPad as it combines his passion for the technology industry with his desire to work directly with customers.
Education:
B.A. Marketing: Management & Sales
Interests:
Fishing, Snow Skiing, Camping, Biking and Family Time
My Senior Once Said:
Age is an attitude. I'm not going to grow up.
Dave Jaqua
VP of Member Experience & Partner Relations
Bio:
Dave is a veteran of the Minneapolis consulting scene with over 25 years of experience helping clients leverage technology for competitive advantage. At grandPad, he's harnessing that experience to put the customer back into customer support. "We're not about 'minimizing average talk time' or 'press 5 if you have technical issue'. We're about real people helping seniors and their families stay connected, and we'll do all we can to make that experience a positive one." Dave and his wife, Pattie, are recent empty-nesters, although with 4 kids spread across the Big Ten (University of Minnesota, University of Iowa, University of Michigan) they spend a lot of free time cheering Big Ten athletics.
Education:
B.A. Business, University of Michigan
Interests:
Hanging with Family on Lake Minnetonka, Snowboarding with Family "Out West" in Colorado!
My Senior Once Said:
"My 80 year old Dad is maybe the most quotable person in the world so there are many pearls of wisdom to choose from. I misunderstood this rant as a kid, but now I get it: 'I don't care if you get C's and D's. just have common sense!' :) Try selling that to parents today..."
Karen Seaton
Director of Member Services & Partner Relations
Bio:
Karen is passionate about coaching, training and mentoring people. She believes that at the core of anything successful in life, is the People. During her 23 year career at Lifetouch she held various roles focused on operations, support, implementation and training. Outside of her career at Lifetouch she has served as Director of Girl's Ministries, Children's Pastor and owned two businesses. Karen believes her personal mission of enhancing the lives of people aligns perfectly with grandPad's mission. She is honored to be sharing her personal and professional experiences with the grandPad team and its members.
Education:
Communications, School of Communication Arts Minneapolis; Ministry, Global University Springfield MO
Interests:
Traveling, Gardening, Cooking and Spending Time with Family/Friends
My Senior Once Said:
"I don't like to eat in the dining room at the assisted living center, it's full of OLD people."
Tim Oesau
Partner Relations Manager
Bio:
Tim has spent the last 7 years working as a board-certified music therapist in hospice. He has a passion for working with seniors and improving their quality of life. Prior to becoming a music therapist, Tim worked for 10+ years in the IT world as a Quality Assurance Lead. He is excited to use his love of music and technology to serve seniors.
Education:
B.M. Composition, New England Conservatory of Music, B.M. Music Therapy, University of Minnesota
Interests:
NYT Crossword, Music, Spending time with his children
My Senior Once Said:
"Everything in moderation, including moderation."
Ryan Burns
Engineering Team Lead & Chief Mobile Engineer
Bio:
Ryan has been with grandPad since day one when he built the very first software prototype. Although he is a mobile software engineer at heart, he is very passionate about working with all variations of thriving and emerging technologies, especially those that have potential to positively affect the lives of others. Ryan also teaches introductory computer science and mobile software development courses at Chapman University.
Education:
B.S. Computer Science & M.S. Computational Science, Chapman University
Interests:
Bike Rides, Golf, Android, Programming
My Senior Once Said:
"I love this amtrack (she means the grandPad)! I see photos from my whole family!"
David Tyler
Chief Architect
Bio:
David's past projects include building websites for radio stations and working as a software engineer at DevIO. He is a lead developer for the Chapman's research group MLAT where he has been working on AMP - a behavioural tracking app for children with Autism. In addition to being seasoned software engineer, David is also well-traveled, having visited Australia, New Zealand, and the Galapagos Islands, been inside Egyptian pyramids, and swum in the Amazon River. David enjoys developing products from the ground-up with the end user in mind, and makes technology delightful for seniors by creating devices entirely built for them.
Education:
B.S. Computer Science & M.S. Computational Science, Chapman University
Interests:
Coding, Coding and More Coding
My Senior Once Said:
"Live long and prosper."
William Kilday
Principal Software Engineer
Bio:
Bill has been developing software professionally for over 10 years. Growing up in the green mountains of Vermont, his passion for programming brought him out to southern California where he's enjoyed working for a number of startups and small companies. Now he's bringing that same passion to grandPad.
Education:
B.S. Computer Science, Daniel Webster College & M.S. Software Engineering, California State University Fullerton
Interests:
Programming, Video Games, Energy Drinks
My Senior Once Said:
"Technology!" (with equal parts sarcasm and astonishment)
Justine Stewart
Product Development
Bio:
Justine moved from Seattle to SoCal to pursue her passion for animation. Having worked at a film studio, a game studio, and an international avionics company, Justine quickly developed a love for User Experience design in all forms. She hopes to use her passion for design and technology to achieve grandPad's mission: to help seniors "Live Grand"!
Education:
B.F.A. Digital Arts, Chapman University
Interests:
Playing & making videogames, rock climbing, reading comics, and hanging out with friends
My Senior Once Said:
"What are these 'Pokemon'? They sure have silly names."
James Lyons
Lead Designer
Bio:
James brings his passion for clean and user-friendly design to the grandPad team. Afer studying Graphic Design at Cal State Fullerton, he went on to teach himself more about UI and UX design, as well as Front-End Web Development. Outside of grandPad, James teaches a local highschool drumline and strives to learn something new everyday.
Education:
B.F.A. Graphic Design, California State University Fullerton
Interests:
Drumming, Music, Health and Nutrition, Puppy-Watching
My Senior Once Said:
"If you swallow the watermelon seeds and drink water, you're gonna grow a whole watermelon in your belly"
Lori Balik-Maldonado
HR Leader
Bio:
Lori has spent the past 19+ years working in various customer service related rolls. Prior to grandPad, she worked for Target in the Human Resources department. Her love and passion for teaching and helping others translates seemlessly to her current roll as a Member Experience Agent at grandPad. She wants to ensure that all seniors have a way to stay in contact with their families and loved ones!
Education:
Studied at Kirkwook Community College and the Minneapolis School of Massage and Bodywork
Interests:
Gardening, refurbishing, and spending time with family
My Senior Once Said:
"Treat others the way you want to be treated."
Chelsea Jones
Partner Relations Specialist
Bio:
Chelsea grew up in a small rural community in East Central Iowa. She discovered her passion for helping others while she was working as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. In this role she worked with Medicare patients which further developed her interest in helping seniors with health and wellbeing. This led to her role at grandPad as a Member Experience Agent. While working extensively with seniors and seeing them stay connected with their loved ones, she witnessed the quality of life improve for seniors. Chelsea's experience has enriched her passion for building a strong connection with customers and motivate grandPad partners to help revive quality to the senior-care market.
Education:
B.A. Healh and Human Physiology, University of Iowa
Interests:
Spending time with her two pugs, Boating with her Family, Coffee, Coldplay, Traveling, and Watching Movies
My Senior Once Said:
"It don't make no never diff!"
Michael Fourre
Software Engineer
Bio:
Michael is a software engineer with a passion for entrepeneurialism. When he isn't on StackOverflow and Github contributing to the software community, he is sipping on a cup of coffee next to his laptop in one of the many coffee shops of southern California. A programming enthusiast, Michael sees no greater joy than using the power of technology to bring seniors closer to their families through grandPad.
Interests:
Programming, Startups, Music, Cooking
My Senior Once Said:
"Getting old ain't for sissies."
Joe Schneider
Product Development
Bio:
Joe is an Idaho native from a tight knit matriarchal Norwegian family. At grandPad, he is pursuing his passion for both business and technology. He is studying computer science and economics at Chapman University, while simultaneously pursuing a career in film. He is constantly involved in extracurricular projects including app development and TV production.
Education:
B.S. Computer Science & B.S. Economics (In Progress), Chapman University
Interests:
Film, Tech, Tennis, Swimming
My Senior Once Said:
"The best days are when my grandson calls me on his portable telephone."
Amanda Benavidez
Software Engineer
Bio:
Amanda is a California local who has been interested in working with computers from a young age. She is now excited to be pursuing that interest with grandPad as a Quality Assurance and Development intern.
Education:
B.S. Software Engineering (In Progress), Chapman University
Interests:
Programming, Developing Video Games, Going To Concerts, Time with Friends
My Senior Once Said:
"All I do is drive down the street and whoops! I'm at Macy's!!"
Alec Richter
Software Engineer
Bio:
Alec is a recent computer science graduate from Chapman University. In addition to the projects he's involved in at grandPad, Alec enjoys coding Android apps and drumming (which he teaches at a local high school). Alec was born in Europe and spent much of his childhood traveling back and forth between the U.S. and Germany to visit family.
Education:
B.S. Computer Science, Chapman University
Interests:
Running, Skiing, Music, and Traveling
My Senior Once Said:
"Don't sweat the small stuff."
Ani Khalili
Software Engineer
Bio:
Ani grew up in Yorba Linda, only 20 minutes away from Orange. After graduating from UCLA in 2013, Ani decided that she wanted to pursue a career in technology so she applied to Chapman University to study Computer Science. She graduated in the spring of 2016 and remains involved with the Machine Learning and Assistive Technology Lab at Chapman (MLAT).
Education:
B.S Computer Science, Chapman University; B.A Economics, University of California Los Angeles
Interests:
Reading, Spending time with family, Going to the beach, Watching old movies
My Senior Once Said:
"Where you end up in life is up to you."
Corey Lowe
Software Engineer
Bio:
While attending Chapman University, Corey worked at Apple as a technician at the Genius Bar. During his time at Apple, he saw many of the frustrations seniors experience with technology. He is excited to bring his experience at Apple to grandPad, and help seniors connect through technology.
Education:
B.S. Computer Informations Systems, Chapman University
Interests:
Road trips, spending time at the lake, spending time with his girlfriend, and wrenching on cars
My Senior Once Said:
"Love to get little messages from my grandchildren... makes my day!"
Mo Kantari
Production Operations
Bio:
Mo has worked primarily as an IT consultant, providing both hardware and software support to homes and businesses. Prior to grandPad, Mo worked at Apple as a technician at the Genius Bar for 4 years. He is looking forward to utilizing his tech background to help bridge the gap between seniors and their loved ones.
Interests:
Traveling, basketball, fishing, and spending time with his family and girlfriend
My Senior Once Said:
"The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why."