Navigating Disruptive Demographic Change – Demography may not be destiny, but disruptive demographic change is rapidly reshaping our world.

“The Future of Us” will examine how the population is aging due to lower birth rates and longer lifespans. Depending on our choices, this seismic shift in our demographic profile can lead to significant progress or reversal in longevity gains, economic growth, and social cohesion in the coming years.

Schurman offers a frank assessment of the best paths forward for specific industries and organizations in the U.S. and around the world. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are central to any successful organization.

In fact, according to Gensler, diverse organizations outperform those that are not by upwards of 30 percent. However, according to the World Economic Forum, only a third of organizations consider age inclusion as part of their strategy.

Schurman offers pathways for organizations looking to develop an age-inclusive enterprise responsive to demographic change in workforce recruitment and retention, product and service development, and marketing and communication strategies.

Over 61 million Americans and 1 billion people worldwide have some form of disability. This hinders their ability to participate as workers and consumers in the economy.

Schurman shares his organization’s approach to creating inclusive spaces that consider the wide range of disabilities, from neurodiversity to acquired disabilities, that comes with a long life. His approach can extend working lives and improve the customer experience in the built environment.

In addition to these keynotes, I am available to speak at Pride Month events in June on inequities faced by LGBTQ+ populations and longevity strategies for members of the community.

The latter is especially important to me because the younger Gen X and early millennials are the first gay men to live with HIV or preventative measures like PrEP. Their life expectancy jumped from about 40 a decade ago to nearly 80 today. 

Demographic change and generational diversity are two issues organizations understand least, yet they are profoundly important to successful operations and profitability.

The “working-age population” in the U.S. — those aged 16 to 64 — is contracting at a pace not experienced since World War II, and older workers — those over 65 — already make up a third of the workforce and are anticipated to grow in the coming years. 

Today, five generations work side by side, sometimes creating friction in the workplace due to a myriad of factors, including ageism and communication styles.

However, organizations that tackle these issues head-on can build inclusive environments that harness the power of each individual, building purpose and camaraderie among staff. Because, in the end, when individuals focus on what their colleagues can do over what they believe they can not, organizations thrive.