I created I-Ally from a place of great, deep need — not only my own need, but an enormous need I felt and heard from those like me. There are millions of us, Millennials who are now 40% more likely to be taking care of an aging parent; Millennials who now comprise over 1/3 of multi-generational family caregivers. We don’t relate to the traditional messaging that is geared towards caregivers.

We are different. We are younger, more diverse, and most likely providing the bulk of care all by ourselves. We need a new system.

I made I-Ally to connect us, and to empower us. If we join together, there’s no end to the power that our voices have. If we join together, we prove the power we do have: we are the gatekeeper to positive patient outcomes for healthcare organizations. We are the key to the data that scientists and doctors need for research and clinical trials. We choose which vendor we use for medication management or Telehealth or life insurance.

So, this is how I see I-Ally: not just a place for us to support each other and be with people who know what we’re going through; not just a place to get the best resources and information available; not just a place for us to focus on our own health and wellbeing; but also a vehicle for our own empowerment.