To celebrate ASA members by featuring those who represent the depth and breadth of what we do, we are asking members to answer 5 questions. This series was started during the 2025 Membership Celebration.
5 Questions for Alec Glassman
Alec Glassman is 30 years old and the CEO and Founder of SilverShield, which he’s been building for about a year. He first joined ASA at the start of his journey fighting fraud against older adults because he wanted to better understand the real-world experiences and perspectives of the people most affected by scams and fraud.
1. What inspired you to work in the aging field?
I’ve always loved the idea of doing well while doing good, which led me to start digging into the fraud epidemic targeting older adults. When I started SilverShield I had been living with my parents in their retirement community and spoke daily with older adults about their experiences.
I quickly learned how naive I was about the scope of the problem, and how deeply it impacts people, not just financially, but emotionally. Hearing people’s stories and witnessing the strain fraud places on families has been eye-opening and incredibly motivating.
2. What are you most proud of in your work in aging?
I’m most proud of spending real time with the people we’re building for. Living in retirement and senior living communities, running focus groups, and listening to people’s stories firsthand has broadened my perspective on life more than I could have imagined.
Knowing that the product we’re building at SilverShield can directly help people like those I’ve met makes every challenge worth it. I’m also proud to help raise awareness among my peers about ageism, how ubiquitous it is, and how we can help combat it (in product design and in everyday life).
3. What have you learned from the people you’ve met through ASA?
Short answer—a ton. The range of impact that ASA members create is staggering. Between meal delivery, care coordination, protective services, education, combating isolation, and more—these groups are incredibly active and positively impact so many facets of people’s lives. It’s impressive, and something that I didn’t fully appreciate before joining ASA.
4. What do you think is most needed in the aging field right now?
Two things stand out to me:
First, we need young professionals to spend meaningful time with the older adults they are trying to serve. There is so much to learn, and so much that you get wrong if you build in a vacuum based on your own assumptions.
Second, collaboration is key. ASA has opened my eyes to the incredible work being done at the community, city and state levels. These groups have deep, trusted relationships with older adults and insights into what’s really needed. Anyone who’s trying to make an impact for older adults needs to start by being active listeners to these groups and finding ways to support and amplify their impact.
5. What’s one question you love to ask your peers?
“What do you think are the two things older adults care about the most?”