Broadband Breakfast on April 29, 2026 – Older Adults Connectivity

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Broadband Breakfast Live Online examines one of the most persistent challenges in closing the digital divide: Connecting older Americans. Even as federal broadband programs focus on the deployment of infrastructure, the resources and tools aimed at underserved populations remains uncertain. Older adults remain among the least likely to have home broadband access or the digital skills to fully benefit from it. Panelists will explore the barriers that keep seniors offline, from affordability and device access to digital literacy and relevance. The webcast will also discuss what policymakers, service providers and community organizations can do to ensure older Americans are not left behind in an increasingly connected world.

Older Adults Technology Gap Persists Despite Gains: Broadband Breakfast Panelists

One panelists called the broadband gap among older Americans a national crisis

Broadband BreakfastBroadband Breakfast

Panelists

• Thomas Kamber, Executive Director, Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) 
• Debra Berlyn, Executive Director, Project to Get Older Adults onLine
• Anna Verbuk, Director, Resident Technology Program, 2Life Communities
• Kami Griffiths, Founding Executive Director, Digital LIFT
• Christine Caruso, Executive Director, Cyber Seniors
• Chanda Wingo, Director, Franklin County Ohio Office on Aging
• Drew Clark (moderator), CEO and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Tom Kamber is the executive director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and Senior Planet from AARP.  He is a leading expert on aging and technology and is regularly featured in national media. Under his leadership, OATS and Senior Planet have developed award-winning programs for older adults across America and are now charitable affiliates of AARP. Tom has taught courses on technology, urban studies, and philanthropy at Columbia University, is widely published in professional and academic journals, and has presented his work on five continents. He is also a co-founder of the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance (which has won multiple Grammy awards), and serves on several nonprofit boards of directors and public commissions.

Debra Berlyn is the Executive Director of the Project to Get Older Adults onLine (Project GOAL), which works to promote the adoption of broadband for older adults, and to advance technology applications for the community. She is also president of Consumer Policy Solutions, a firm focused on developing progressive policies for consumers in a competitive and innovative marketplace. Ms. Berlyn currently serves on the Federal Communication Commission’s Consumer Protection and Accessibility Advisory Committee and serves on the board of the National Consumers League and is a board member and senior fellow with the Future of Privacy Forum.  She also co-host’s, with Gen Z tech group ZETA, the podcast Generationally Speaking. The podcast offers an open dialogue on tech issues of interest to both the Aging and Gen Z communities.

Anna Verbuk has more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of education, program/project management, and leadership. Currently, she is the Director of the Resident Technology Program at 2Life Communities, a nonprofit that provides housing with services for over 2000 older adults in Greater Boston. Under her leadership, the Resident Technology Program was redesigned to holistically address older adults’ technical needs, and the Technology Program membership has doubled as a result. Anna creates scalable and replicable technology programs and disseminates the results of this work as well as participates in national efforts led by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance to create digital literacy resources that serve a variety of populations.

Kami Griffiths is the founding executive director of digitalLIFT, leading efforts to strengthen communities through digital skills training and access. With two decades of experience in public service and nonprofit technology, she has dedicated her career to closing the digital divide and empowering underserved communities. Kami previously managed public computing centers for the City of New York and led national training programs at TechSoup. A founding board member of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), she is a recognized national voice in digital inclusion.

Christine Caruso is the Executive Director of Cyber-Seniors, a nonprofit dedicated to bridging the digital divide by providing free technology training and support to older adults through an intergenerational model. She leads national efforts to expand digital literacy through in-person and virtual programs, reaching more than 400,000 older adults annually across the U.S. and Canada. With over 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Christine works closely with community partners and funders to ensure older Americans have the access, skills, and confidence to fully participate in today’s digital world.

Franklin County Office on Aging Director Chanda Wingo oversees their mission to support older adults and caregivers throughout Franklin County. Her leadership ensures they continue to provide the advocacy, resources, and services that empower older adults to live independently with dignity.

Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission. As CEO and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.

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