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Healthy to 100 | Ken Stern

What if one of the most powerful drivers of longevity isn’t a drug, diet, or medical breakthrough? Instead, it’s healthy social connection with friends, family, people in our workplace, and others in our communities.

In this episode of 12 Geniuses, Ken Stern, author of Healthy to 100, explores one of the most overlooked factors in living a long, healthy life. Ken acknowledges diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep are important, but too many people neglect how vital vibrant social connection can be to healthy aging.

Ken explains why strong relationships, community, and meaningful social engagement are critical not just to longevity, but to healthspan - the number of years we live in good health. He also looks beyond individual behavior to examine how communities and countries can intentionally create environments that help people stay connected throughout their lives.

Drawing on examples from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Spain, Ken explores how different countries and communities are strengthening social connections and what these efforts can teach the rest of the world. As populations live longer and demographics shift, how we work, where we live, how communities are designed, and how organizations create purpose and belonging will all be transformed.

For anyone interested in longevity, healthy aging, or the future of society, this conversation offers a compelling insight. Living longer may depend on how well we stay connected to one another.

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Meet Your Host, Don MacPherson

Don MacPherson is the founder, CEO, and Host of 12 Geniuses

Don MacPherson is host of 12 Geniuses - a podcast for curious and voracious learners. A six-time entrepreneur, Don spent 25 years researching the employee and customer experiences, the attributes of great leadership, and how healthy organizational cultures are created and sustained. Now, Don interviews geniuses from around the world about the trends shaping the way we live and work. From AI to biotechnology, aging to addiction, cybersecurity to privacy, and climate change to space travel, Don uses these insights to help business leaders better understand what these trends are, how they are positioned to disrupt companies and industries, and how new value can be created for those willing to make the necessary changes.

An avid traveler and volunteer, Don has visited every corner of the world and been a Big Brother mentor for more than 20 years. He is the former executive director Think2Perform Research Institute where he helped to create the organization’s Future Leaders Academy. Don is a board member of Leadership Garden, an organization that helps young people develop the life skills needed to make a positive difference in their community. In October 2024, Don co-founded Home at Home - an organization that enables seniors to age gracefully, safely, and vibrantly in the comfort of their own homes.