Last month, I wrote a piece for Time titled The Issue with Living Longer. In it, I explored a sobering reality: while global life expectancy continues to rise, the experience of those added years often falls short of what we imagine. Instead of extra time spent thriving, many people are spending those years managing chronic illness, cognitive decline, or financial instability.

That tension – between quantity of life and quality of life – sits at the heart of what I believe is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. We are witnessing the emergence of a global healthspan gap: the growing divide between how long we live and how well we live during those later years. It’s a problem not just for individuals and families, but for healthcare systems, economies, and communities worldwide.

The session explores what happens when lifespans extend but healthspans do not. We’ll look at the systemic ripple effects of this disconnect – from the rising cost of care to the reshaping of labor markets and the design of our cities. But the focus isn’t just on the problem. We’ll also explore solutions that span prevention, policy, and technology – and strategies for intergenerational planning that ensure aging is supported not just individually, but collectively.

This insight led directly to a proposed session for SXSW 2026, titled: Lifespan vs. Healthspan: The Longevity Crisis
Vote for the session here

Aging is no longer a private journey. It’s a shared design challenge. The systems we build today will determine whether longer lives become a source of strength or strain.

If you’re working at the intersection of health, innovation, caregiving, or policy, this conversation belongs on your radar. Voting is open until August 24.

Vote here for “Lifespan vs. Healthspan: The Longevity Crisis”