Meet Orla, Our Founder!
Orla is our passionate founder with a diverse history in senior living & healthcare. She is dedicated to our elders, fighting ageism, and providing a sense of purpose and hope through meaningful connections to nature.
Orla’s Passion
Orla’s passion for senior living began when her Irish grandmother spent her last years in a nursing home. Their special bond paved the way for Orla’s career, which has included senior roles for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Aegis Senior Living, and other senior living organizations. Orla saw the need to connect elders living in residential care with the healing properties of nature and she studied the evidence-based benefits of horticultural therapy in the Gerontology Department at Legacy Health Hospital in Portland, OR.
Orla’s Passion
Orla’s passion for senior living began when her Irish grandmother spent her last years in a nursing home. Their special bond paved the way for Orla’s career, which has included senior roles for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Aegis Senior Living, and other senior living organizations. Orla saw the need to connect elders living in residential care with the healing properties of nature and she studied the evidence-based benefits of horticultural therapy in the Gerontology Department at Legacy Health Hospital in Portland, OR.
Orla’s Background
Orla graduated from Seattle University in 2015 with a Healthcare Executive MBA. While in graduate school, she created Eldergrow as her business plan which won multiple awards at the 17th Annual Harriet Stephenson Business Competition. Eldergrow also successfully completed the University of Washington’s Jones & Foster Accelerator Program for Innovative Start-Ups and was awarded seed money. Orla’s passion, matched by a great team, has propelled Eldergrow into a blooming business.