GetSetUp is a mission-driven technology company dedicated to empowering older adults through learning and services. Pulse 2.0 interviewed GetSetUp co-founder Lawrence Kosick to learn more about the company.
Lawrence Kosick’s Background
What is Lawrence Kosick’s background? Kosick said:
“Before co-founding GetSetUp, my professional journey spanned various sectors, notably the business development side of tech (AI, Machine Learning, Smart Home, and Online Marketplaces). Later, I started to think more about how to combine my business experience with a desire to build something that had a social impact and improve the lives of others. This expertise was pivotal in shaping GetSetUp, especially in our mission to tackle the digital divide among older adults and offer them resources and opportunities to live their best lives as they age. This foundation has allowed us to design programs that enhance digital literacy and improve the broader aspects of wellness and community engagement for our learners.”
Formation Of GetSetUp
How did the idea for the company come together? Kosick shared:
“GetSetUp was born from a combination of personal experience with a father in his 90s and the realization of the very limited virtual opportunities available for older adults to learn new things, socialize, and connect with others. My co-founder Neil Dsouza and I were motivated to create a platform that bridges this gap. Utilizing technology, we set out to empower older adults to acquire new skills, forge peer connections, and seize new life opportunities, thereby directly addressing digital and age inclusion.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Kosick reflected:
“Among many favorite moments, a highlight was attending a meet and greet with some of our learners in the Chicago area. It was really amazing to witness the diversity of our learner population and hear them share the impact our virtual classes have had on improving their lives, from teaching them basic tech skills to helping them find a vibrant, relatable community that enjoys art, photography, travel, and more together. This experience highlighted the essential role of digital skills in fostering independence and emphasized the communal joy and collective empowerment our platform strives to provide.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Kosick explained:
“At GetSetUp, our main offering is a broad array of virtual programming specifically designed to address the unique needs of older adults. These range from basic digital literacy to more advanced classes on topics such as Medicaid, Social Security, or other digital tools alongside health and wellness and enrichment topics. Our platform features an intuitive, user-friendly interface, around-the-clock class availability, and a strong emphasis on community-building through interactive and socially enriching programming.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Kosick and the team faced in building the company? Kosick acknowledged:
“A persistent challenge has been ensuring that our technology remains accessible and up to date to teach our learner community about online safety and security. Technology moves and changes so quickly. With that in mind, we created our Cyber Safety Hub and continually refine classes to keep our learners up to date with the latest scams and frauds so they do not fall victim to them but can recognize them as well. We continuously refine our platform based on user feedback, striving to lower barriers to entry and enhance user experience, ensuring that every learner can benefit fully from our digital inclusion efforts while maintaining strict control of cyber security.”
Evolution Of GetSetUp’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Kosick noted:
“Since our inception, we have made significant advancements in our platform’s technology to better serve our community’s needs, from classes in the browser to embeddable content on our partners’ sites. Enhancements in interactivity, multilingual support, and a broader content spectrum have been critical in making our educational resources more inclusive and effective in fostering digital equity among older adults and helping to promote services and programs that benefit the wide diversity of interests of older adults.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Kosick cited:
“A key milestone for GetSetUp was adding a reaching of over 21 million older adults through our extended GetSetUp Anywhere partner network. Our ability to amplify the reach of our diverse classes across over 5,000 class topics offered in multiple languages has helped us better serve our partners’ diverse communities, all while making significant strides in digital and health equity and access to age-diverse content. Our learners offer regular positive feedback on our classes’ impact on their confidence, sense of purpose, and overall health and wellness.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Kosick about customer success stories, he highlighted:
One inspiring example is a learner, Judith, who joined GetSetUp through our Michigan Department of Health and Human Services partnership to take advantage of learning opportunities in retirement and enhance her digital skills. She found new confidence in navigating the online world and was thrilled to learn about aging resources she wasn’t aware of previously through our classes. She took a class on Healthcare Advocates just to learn the terminology and inform herself.”
Shortly thereafter, her 91-year-old father was in the hospital for 7 weeks, and she was able to put this knowledge into practice. Thanks to learning in our class how to ask for a healthcare advocate, she said, the transition to getting her father into rehab was much better, and it significantly helped reduce her anxiety. Judith, like many older adults, often finds it challenging to find information and accurate resources about aging issues, support programs, and more.
Classes like the ones she’s taking on GetSetUp help her learn about these important programs and services she didn’t even know to look for to help her maintain her and her loved ones’ health and wellness. Classes like these are important because billions of benefits go unused because potential beneficiaries do not know they exist. At GetSetUp, we help educate and inform people about these resources.”
Funding
When asking Kosick about the company’s funding details, he revealed:
“While specific financial details remain confidential, I can share that our fundraising efforts have been instrumental in scaling our operations and extending our reach. The support from our investors—focused on education, healthcare, longevity, and AgeTech—re-enforces the confidence in our mission to advance digital equity and inclusion for older adults.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Kosick assessed:
“Our target market encompasses the rapidly expanding demographic of adults aged 55 and older, which will represent a substantial portion of the global population, an estimated 30% by 2030. This demographic increasingly seeks to enhance their digital skills and improve their quality of life, aligning perfectly with our mission.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Kosick affirmed:
“Unlike many other platforms, GetSetUp’s unique approach lies in our comprehensive focus on education and fostering a vibrant, supportive community. Our peer-to-peer programming is specifically tailored to enhance digital and physical well-being, creating a holistic experience that supports and fosters a fulfilling and connected lifestyle for older adults. Our willingness to create and embed content into our partner’s websites also makes us unique from a content, tech platform, and distribution point of view.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Kosick pointed out:
“Looking forward, we are committed to expanding our programming offerings and geographic footprint to empower even more older adults. Enhancing our technology for greater accessibility and broadening our impact on digital equity remain central to our strategic objectives. Most recently, we have added AI Concierge Services.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Kosick concluded:
“I would like to highlight our dedication to social responsibility, particularly our efforts to forge partnerships that support older adults beyond digital literacy. Our goal is to create a sustainable impact that transcends educational boundaries and fosters a society where every older adult can thrive in the digital age and age healthily.”
