Ashton Applewhite

“Our attendees loved hearing Ashton Applewhite explore all the facets of age bias. With a writer’s tenacity and grace, Applewhite takes the listener by the hand, walks them through the data and layers of consideration in which her ideas are grounded, and guides them towards at a more empathetic view of what it’s like to be ‘othered' in our fast-paced world. We simply loved having her!”

“Ashton, I wanted to thank you for such a brilliant interview. I had fully expected the content to be rich and aligned with my work, but what really impressed me was your delivery. To say it was refreshing is an enormous understatement. It was no-nonsense, direct, transparent, and unabashedly honest. I came away thinking I would listen to you any day—no matter what your message. My only complaint is that most often I am able to check my email while only half-listening to these virtual forums. Your presentation was so unique my email was left completely unattended...Please don't ever stop voicing your opinions.”

“Thank you for an absolutely amazing presentation. You were exceptionally well prepared as a presenter, very polished in your delivery, and yet, somehow still made it feel like a conversation among friends. Praise for your presentation continues to roll in from all angles – consumers, stakeholders, funders, government officials… You clearly didn’t segment the audience; you touched them all!”

“If you've ever brought in a speaker for an event - paid or not, virtual or not - have you had 100% of the people who registered show up? And then have those attendees stay engaged and send you thank you notes afterwards? We got all that when Ashton Applewhite spoke to our members on the topic of the harm ageism does!”

“This was a fantastic event. One of meaning, and which contributed so much to our company culture. Ashton was so full of content and very engaging—she did not know it but she was providing a "To Do" list for all the Inclusive Resource Groups on how to educate and stop ageism within our company. Thank you for helping us create this event. It has been our most memorable to date company-wide! Folks are still talking about the subject matter and her delightful, informative speech. It definitely made a difference as we are working with HR and hope to develop training material for them and managers to teach how to avoid ageism.”

“Ashton's talk really provided an in-depth understanding of the pervasive nature of ageism and ablism. Judging by the immediate feedback, the presentation was very well received. We truly appreciate Ashton's help discussing this dimension of diversity topic.”

“Ashton was a big hit with our audience and they loved her message and energy! What an engaging speaker!”

“Ashton Applewhite’s thoughtful, funny, and very smart talk This Chair Rocks was perfect for launching our new center. It attracted a lively, multigenerational crowd, reflected our core message that aging can be met head-on with optimism, and got people fired up about the prospect. What could be better?”

“Ageism begins at home—in us. With humor and insight, Ashton Applewhite’s terrific keynote at the Positive Aging Conference reminded all of us what's at stake, since elders are ‘our future selves.’ Thank goodness we've got her telling this story.”

“This Chair Rocks is a talk that confirms our knowledge that emotional well being is abundant in later life, challenges us to face our own internalized ageism, and inspires us to envision a future in which our society is released from the fetters of age-related prejudice and discrimination. And it’s fun, too!”

“Every attendee was captivated by Ashton Applewhite’s charm, intelligence, and easy way of explaining the origins and complexities of ageism. I knew her keynote resonated, as they gave her a standing ovation and then bought her book! This presentation is a must for any group interested in raising awareness of age bias and dispelling harmful myths and stereotypes.”

“Applewhite ... was by turns factual, passionate, and witty as she recounted anecdotes from her own life and the lives of “olders” she has encountered. She coined that term because it emphasizes the spectrum along which chronological age becomes increasingly irrelevant. The audience gave Applewhite a rousing ovation and stayed around for a lively discussion afterwards.”

“Thank you so much for your very valuable contribution to our retirement conference. Your keynote received so many positive comments that I don’t know where to start (the most frequent comment was, ‘Inspiring!’).”

“Ashton Applewhite’s plenary address at our New York State Adult Abuse Training Institute was compelling and original, and really resonated with our 400 participants. She is an articulate and committed voice for an important cause: challenging the demoralizing shadow that ageism casts across society.”

“Thank you again for your terrific keynote. I heard from so many attendees that it affected them deeply. You are wise, funny, and provocative – a great combination!”