Faculty and Team

Dr. Ira Sobel is the founder and Academic Director of Fintech for Longevity Academy, a trusted provider of financial longevity for corporate professionals around the world. Dr. Sobel specializes in the economic aspects of aging with a particular focus on the role of Fintech in improving the financial well-being of older adults and their families. Dr. Sobel lives in Israel where she is currently teaching a course on “Financial Inclusion in the Fintech Age” at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is an international speaker and advisor to many Fintech companies and VCs around the world. Dr. Sobel has a PhD in Sociology from Tel Aviv University.

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Prof. Yigal Newman is the head of the Fintech program at the Hebrew University Business School in Israel, where he teaches Fintech and Finance to graduate students and lecturers in executive education courses. He is a member of the  Investment committee of Israel’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, and a founding partner at Hashahar Financial Consulting, advising the firm’s clients on Fintech, financial markets, asset management and wealth management topics. Prof. Newman has a PhD in Finance from Stanford University Business School.

Course: Financial Longevity Leadership Course

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Alexander Hizikias is Co-founder & CEO of eQub, a disruptive fintech startup working to provide access to credit through saving groups & lending circles. He is an entrepreneur with a background in Economics, who is also responsible for creating multiple successful Ethiopian startups in different sectors. Strong experience in research, business management, finance & marketing. Passionate about technology & innovative value-addition. He's also a published Author & Poet that enjoys creative writing.

Course: Alternative Saving Models

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Nidhi Chawla is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Silver Talkies, a one-of-its-kind community led platform in India for the older adults, offering them solutions to the deep embedded issue of loneliness and social isolation. Silver Talkies aims to make active ageing a desirable and viable goal for the older adults as it is their belief that active ageing is the most promising and economical form of preventive healthcare. Nidhi is also the co-author of the book “Rethink Ageing – Lessons in Ageing from the Older and Bolder Generation” published by Penguin India. She leads the business and strategy of the organization and dreams of a society of empowered, independent and happy older adults. She has several years of experience in the financial services sector, having worked with SREI International Securities and McKinsey & Co. Nidhi has been the recipient of several leadership awards for her work in the eldercare space and is currently a member of the CII Seniorcare committee.

Course: The Business of Aging in India

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Ronald C. Long retired in 2022 as the Head of Aging Client Services for Wells Fargo.   In this role, he worked with all of Wells Fargo’s business units to help them stay abreast of the changing regulatory environment on issues related to the aging client.  Ron has visited regulators and agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia ensuring that they are aware of the challenges facing the older banking and brokerage client and helping promote solutions that will protect them from elder financial abuse.  With his leadership, Ron is helping all business lines focus on the day-to-day needs for aging clients and their families.  Ron started his legal career as an associate with the San Jose, California law firm of Hoge, Fenton, Jones and Appel, Inc., where he conducted insurance defense and coverage civil litigation in both state and federal courts.  He worked in sales for Armstrong World Industries and West Point Pepperell.  He is a graduate of Williams College and received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Course : Introduction to Age-Friendly Banking

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Chen is an experienced researcher with an MSc in Psychology and a proven track record in business intelligence, data analysis, and strategic decision-making. At Fintech for Longevity Academy, Chen conducts research on longevity trends, policies and regulations worldwide, as well as retirement planning and financial resilience for older adults. Her findings are used to create data-driven workshops and trainings for financial institutions, helping them better serve this demographic.

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Yuval Menis is a social worker with a master's degree specializing in trauma care. She has recently served as a therapist for those who are struggling with mental health issues. Out of her love for horses and desire to serve others, she also worked as an administrative manager at a horse hospital and occasionally filled in as a veterinary assistant. After the birth of her first daughter, she started working from home as a personal administrative assistant for numerous businesses due to her passion for accuracy and order. She is now a program coordinator at Fintech for Longevity Academy in lined with her passion for learning new things every day.

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Vanessa Joy A. Fajardo is a licensed professional teacher based in the Philippines. With her dedication to teaching, she worked as a Senior High School classroom instructor at Systems Plus College Foundation, handling a variety of subjects such as Basic Economics and Literature. She also worked as an assistant librarian at Children of Fatima School Inc. while inspiring and motivating Junior High School students in learning. She is now a program coordinator at Fintech for Longevity Academy in lined with her passion for education.

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Dr. med. Hans Groth, MBA is the Chairman of the Board of the World Demographic & Aging Forum (WDAForum) and Member of the Board of Directors of Rehabilitation Clinic Bad ZurzachAG. Since 2009. Dr. Groth has been a guest lecturer at theUniversity of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland with the topic "Megatrend: Global Demographic Change." From 2009 – 2015 he was Member of the Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum.

Course: Aging and its Effect on Economies, Real Estate and Financial Markets

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Roland Rau is Professor of Demography atthe University of Rostock, Germany, and Senior Research Scientist atthe Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, situated also inRostock. He holds a Diploma in Political Science (Germany's former equivalentof a Master's degree) and a PhD in Demography. His research is situated at theintersection of demography, epidemiology and statistics. Apart from hismethodological work and visualizations of mortality dynamics, Rau studiesmortality in aging societies, predominantly in Europe.

Course: Aging and its Effect on Economies, Real Estate and Financial Markets

Manuel Buchmann is Research Director atthe World Demographic & Ageing Forum (WDA Forum) and project manager at Demografik.He holds a PhD in Applied Economics from the University of Basel. In hisdissertation he analyzed the effect of demographic change on the Swiss labormarket. His current research focuses on labor shortages and the relationshipbetween demography and financial markets (“Financial Demography”). Hecoordinates all research activities of the WDA Forum.

Course: Aging and its Effect on Economies, Real Estate and Financial Markets

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