DealerScope Magazine: 40 Under 40

GrandCare’s Laura Mitchell voted one of Dealerscope’s Top 40 under 40!

 

Laura Mitchell, 34, Vice President, Business Development, GrandCare Systems
Twitter: @ laurahmitchell

Background:
Grew up in California, Wisconsin, Germany and Minneapolis; now lives in Wisconsin

Higher education:
University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Freiburg, Germany

Career:
Eight years in the CE industry. Helped to Build GrandCare’s distribution network, strategic partnerships, and oversees the sales, marketing and social media campaigns. Speaks around the world about aging and technology, digital health and GrandCare technology

Industry accomplishments:
“I started the industry’s first aging and technology conference call (later turned into a webinar) in 2008, which went on for four years and attracted hundreds of industry enthusiasts, dealers and tech providers. This webinar spurred the formation of the Aging Technology Alliance.

“I am also proud to have started and coordinated the Digital Health Pavilion, the Future Home Pavilion and all digital health educational sessions for CEDIA and EHX for the past three years. This has led to several educational webinars for many other AV organizations as well as many articles that I have authored on why the digital health industry is an important and critical industry to get involved with. My proudest moment in this industry was when I was featured in Forbes for my social media and guerrilla marketing efforts for GrandCare.”

Awards:
2013 Young Turks of CE; 2011 Recipient of Flame Award for Innovation and leadership; 2012 AARP Sterling Award for Health & Wellness; Finalist for the 2012 Wego Health Trailblazer Award

What you like best about your job:
“I love being part of a disruptive and innovative industry. I love that every day is exciting, fast-paced and there is a lot of room for creativity and thinking outside of the box.”

What you like least about your job:
It can be stressful to be building a technology in an industry that didn’t exist before. We are making up the rules of the game as we go along. It has been frustrating to be a part of an industry that grew at a glacial pace (we started eight and a half years ago). The exciting piece is that it has made the success and the acceptance so much sweeter.

Favorite pastime:
Writing songs; performing and spending time with my band; playing sports; and running

Last book read:
“Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”

Favorite movie:
“Amelie”

Best concert:
Jimmy Buffett

Favorite CE product of the year:
Jawbone UP

If you could be anyplace else right now, it would be: I am actually in Australia, training new GrandCare partners who are enthusiastic and eager to adopt and sell GrandCare down under … there really wouldn’t be anything else I’d rather do at the moment (besides having my family here with me).