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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Gray.
Hi Jeff, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I landed in Atlanta by selling my first tech company, Priority Valu-Check, to Atlanta-based RealEstate.com in the summer of 1999. Being a transplant from Los Angeles involved some culture shock, but it didn’t take long for me to learn that southern hospitality was real, and how to appreciate a cold glass of sweat tea.
The Atlanta chapters of my life included a nearly ten-year detour helping to build the non-profit City of Refuge, where I created the 180 Degree Kitchen culinary academy. It was my mom’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and losing her to the disease, that ultimately pulled me back into tech. Since then, I have founded The Memory Kit, Forever Home, and the Age Tech Atlanta community.
Age Tech Atlanta is a group of entrepreneurs, educators, investors, and influencers who are working to make Atlanta the global center of age tech innovation and excellence. And, while we’re at it, we’re trying to make Atlanta the best city to live in for aging residents and their families.
I love taking on huge challenges, a trait I find common to Atlantans in general. Creating an experience of aging in our our society that is healthy, equitable and inclusive is one of the greatest challenges our society. I believe we can succeed, and Atlanta is where we’ll start.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like everyone, I’ve had my challenges and bums along the way. Some of my own making. Speaking to the challenges I faced in the age tech space, I learned the hard way that “your story isn’t your business model”. Simply put, you can’t let your passion for solving the problem distract you from the most important part of your innovation – a successful business model. Most age tech entrepreneurs you meet started their journeys because of a profound, sometimes painful, lived experience. While that experience can be a motivator and driving force, it can also be a kind of achilles heel as well.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I founded Forever Home to help people make necessary improvements to their homes so that they can live safely and happily as they grow older. Often referred to “aging-in-place”, it’s what most seniors want to do. This process is usually initiated by a spouse or aging child in response to a decline in abilities, a fall or other incident, or both.
At Forever Home, we specialize in two things, one practical and the other personal.
On the practical side, we act as a one-stop for all aging-in-place needs, from the home assessment to the contractor quotes to completion. No matter the job, from installing a smart doorbell or a garage ramp to a full bathroom renovation, we guide our clients every step of the way.
On the personal side, we keep the person who needs the home improvements (“mom” or “dad”) front, center, and in charge. I often tell homeowners in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, “You’re the boss. It’s my job to keep it that way”.
We have four values that act as the foundation for everything we do. For every client, we strive to: preserve their independence, focus on their progress, remember that it’s never too late for them to try something new, and honor them as our elders.
How do you define success?
I feel I have succeeded when I have exceeded my own expectations. When working in a team, replace “I” for “we” and “my” for “our”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.foreverhome.life/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreymgray/
- Other: https://www.agetechatlanta.com/
