2018 SOA Workable Innovations for Living Longer Contest
SOA Announces Workable Innovations for Living Longer Contest Winners
The Longevity Advisory Group (LAG) of the SOA sponsored a first of a kind "Shark Tank" Style Event called WILL (Workable Innovations for Living Longer) Contest. The contest was opened to generate ideas that will help people extend their healthy life expectancy by social, physical and/or psychological methods. Wide ranging submissions for the contest were received in mid-2018 and after an initial round of judging, five finalists presented their ideas during a session at the Nashville SOA Annual Meeting. The presentations were given by:
- Sidewalks – Jake Akstins, Gabrielle Kane
- Charitable consumption app – Trevor Gary
- Life expectancy food labels – Ken Beckman
- Vegetable education program – Suri Schachter
- Longevity assistant – Nate Worrell
Members of the LAG judging the contest were: Jean-Marc Fix, FSA, MAAA; Jenny Haid, FSA; and Al Klein, FSA, MAAA. Dall Hall, FSA, MAAA, CERA and SOA Managing Director of Research was an "ex officio" judge; and Larry Stern, FSA, MAAA acted as master of ceremonies. After the presentations the audience (numbering close to 100 attendees) along with the panel of judges voted for the best presentations. The winners were:
- $10,000 Nate Worrell – Longevity assistant
- $5,000 Trevor Gary – Longevity consumption app
- $1,000 Suri Schachter – Vegetable education program
The presentations were well received as evidenced by audience attendees conversing with all the finalists long after the session came to a close. The WILL Contest was a very successful way in which to encourage creative, innovative thought from all the submitted contestants proving ideas on improving longevity and mortality can come from all types of professions.
Podcasts
2018 Workable Innovations For Living Longer (WILL) Contest Winner
Research Insights - 2018 SOA Workable Innovations for Living Longer Contest
About the WILL Contest
The Society of Actuaries (SOA) has long recognized that the actuarial profession could play a key role in helping public stakeholders (general public, policy makers, and regulators) understand the drivers of changing longevity. However, ideas on improving longevity and mortality can come from all types of professions. This led the SOA Longevity Advisory Group and SOA Research Department to hold a Workable Innovations for Living Longer (WILL) Contest, which allows for individuals or teams (actuarial and non-actuarial) to submit an idea that will help people extend their healthy life expectancy by social, physical, and/or psychological methods.