A social entrepreneur with a deep knowledge of business innovation and marketing, Ian Spero believes in the power of collaborative R&D to drive change, transform lives and achieve socioeconomic impact.

The original inspiration behind the Agile Ageing Alliance can be traced back to 2006 when Ian’s mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. With a view to raising funds and awareness to support the construction of the first of Maggie’s pioneering Cancer Care Centres in England, Ian invited many of the biggest names in music, fashion, art and design, to transform electric guitars into remarkable works of ‘RockCouture®’art. Following critically acclaimed exhibitions, curated by Ian, at the National Museum of Ireland, Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Harrods of London, the collection was auctioned in 2010 to benefit Maggie’s and other important charitable causes.

In 2010 Ian set up RockCouture Productions (RCP) to present ‘Play For Life’. Backed by a $4.5 million Clear Channel media campaign, featuring the likes of Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Taylor Swift, the initiative enabled City of Hope, a pioneering biomedical cancer centre, on America’s West Coast, to further research the value of music therapy for young patients undergoing treatment.

Consolidating a growing interest in health and wellbeing, RCP launched Creative Skills For Life, a collaborative R&D initiative enabling young people living with life-threatening conditions to come together and explore their creative potential as a catalyst for healing and personal development. In 2013 Ian was recruited by Innovate UK to co-create the "Long Term Care Revolution", a national challenge which aimed to establish a dynamic market of innovative products and services that offer people greater choice and flexibility of care when they reach later life. 

Like most complex problems the demographic shift cannot be addressed through the lens of a single sector or discipline. Established in 2015, AAA is an international network and evolving ecosystem of more than 2,000 cross-sector transdisciplinary experts and thought leaders. This 2 minute video shot at the European Commission in Brussels sets the scene.

In a world where social networks are leading to a pandemic of loneliness, AAA is addressing the challenge at the neighbourhood level. Neighbourhoods are the settings where older adults can socialise, realise a degree of social control, and help to define a sense of purpose.