In this episode, we (Selma and Zack) sit down with the brilliant Breana Patel to unpack one of the most pressing challenges facing our society today: the silver tsunami. With a rapidly aging population and a dwindling caregiver workforce, Breana shares how AI-powered solutions can make caregiving not only safer and more effective for patients but also far more manageable for caregivers—especially those of us juggling full-time work and family responsibilities. From her personal caregiving story to the development of a powerful, privacy-first platform built to support long-term care facilities, Breana offers us a hopeful vision for the future. We talk about AI’s role in preventing falls, streamlining discharge plans, improving communication, and even reducing stress for long-distance caregivers.

Breana Patel is a serial entrepreneur, CEO, and visionary at the forefront of AI and healthcare innovation. As the founder of Owle AI, she is redefining care coordination by tackling one of the industry’s most pressing challenges—staff burnout and turnover—through intelligent automation. A repeat founder with a career spanning public health service delivery and in global finance, Breana has held leadership roles at Morgan Stanley, Deutsche bank and others , and partnered with public health agencies in New York to advance aging and healthcare initiatives. She holds executive MBA from MIT Sloan with cross registration at Harvard, has been featured in Forbes and on CBS Live, and is a recognized thought leader within the MIT startup ecosystem. Beyond building companies, Breana is passionate about mentoring the next generation of women leaders in STEM and championing economic empowerment on a global scale.

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] - Breana explains the meaning behind “silver tsunami” and the growing need for elder care innovation
[2:07] - Welcoming Breana Patel and her connection to caregiving through personal experience
[7:29] - The nurse shortage crisis and the overwhelming demands on care providers
[9:17] - How AI can relieve stress for family caregivers and improve patient response times
[12:08] - The role of large language models in simplifying communication for caregivers
[13:38] - Using voice AI to tackle administrative burdens like appointment scheduling
[14:23] - What employers and society can do to prepare for the silver tsunami
[16:55] - Addressing privacy concerns and how Breana’s platform is built with privacy in mind
[18:25] - Is the platform just for facilities? Breana shares her vision for in-home care
[19:54] - Creating intuitive, plug-and-play tech for caregivers with no time for training
[24:52] - Managing multiple patients in one household with personalized AI
[25:39] - How employers can offer caregiving support as a benefit

Links & Resources:

· Susie Singer Carter's episode with Breana Patel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwzz9eEwcq0

· Owle AI website: https://owle.ai/

· Breana's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breanapatel/

· Zack's challenge: Reach out to Breana Patel if you have a family member in a long term care facility.

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