Marc Freedman

Marc Freedman is Founder and Co-CEO of CoGenerate, a nonprofit advancing a future where older and younger people solve problems and create opportunities together. A leading voice on aging, purpose, and intergenerational connection, he was the founding Faculty Director of the Yale Experienced Leaders Initiative (Yale ELI Fellows), has twice been a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, and is the author of five books.

His most recent book, How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations, was featured in The New York Times and named by The Wall Street Journal as one of the year's best books on aging. He is a frequent speaker at the Aspen Ideas Festival, SXSW, the World Economic Forum, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and colleges and universities across the country.

Marc originated the concept of the "encore career," linking second acts to the greater good and inspiring millions to view the second half of life as a time for renewed purpose and contribution. He co-founded Experience Corps, which mobilized adults over 50 to improve the school performance and prospects of low-income elementary school students, and helped launch the Encore Fellows program and the Purpose Prize, pioneering initiatives that have expanded opportunities for social impact later in life.

Marc has been named Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the World Economic Forum/Schwab Foundation, recognized by Fast Company as one of the nation's leading social entrepreneurs for three consecutive years, named an Ashoka Senior Fellow, and honored with both the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship and the Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence.

A high honors graduate of Swarthmore College, Marc earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management and received an honorary doctorate from Drew University in 2026.