370 Ilana Landsberg Lewis: Across cultures, older women bring social change and justice to human family

370 Ilana Landsberg Lewis: Across cultures, older women bring social change and justice to human family

Author: Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau March 4, 2026 Duration: 32:17

Ilana Landsberg-Lewis went to law school to understand how power works—so she could help transform it in the service of justice, especially for women. Alongside her father, she co-founded and led a nonprofit funding community-based organization in sub-Saharan Africa working to turn the tide of AIDS and support African grandmothers raising a generation of grandchildren orphaned by the pandemic.

When others dismissed older women as “not a sustainable investment,” Ilana helped launch an international movement of grandmothers across Canada, the UK, and the United States—raising more than $50 million and supporting millions of grandchildren. At the center of this work is her unwavering belief that older women are not only caregivers, but leaders, change-makers, and moral anchors for their communities.

Through her podcast and fund, Ilana lifts up older women’s stories and their power-- a practice of love and a commitment to liberation—from the chains of inequality and from the limits placed on whose lives are valued. Her work invites us to see the human family more fully, and to recognize older women as essential architects of justice across the globe.

Connect with Ilana

Email:grandmothersonthemove@gmail.com

Website: wisdomatworkpodcast.com

Thank you to our SPONSOR—AARP Illinois, dedicated to empowering adults 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. AARP Illinois advocates for the health, financial security, and overall well-being of Illinois residents through community programs, expert resources, and member benefits. aarpil@aarp.org

Recognizing the Age-Wise Collective. Women Over 70-Aging Reimagined has joined other women podcasters to amplify the voices of women over 50. We shine the light on gerontologist Sally Duplantier, founder and host of My Zing Life, dedicated to helping older adults live their best lives longer. Her current Healthspan work focuses on improving health behaviors and mental well-being for vulnerable populations through community-based health coaching. https://sally@myzinglife.com


Hosted by Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau, Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined turns the page on a well-worn cultural script. This is not a series about decline, but a collection of dialogues focused squarely on expansion. You’ll hear from women who are starting businesses, deepening their creative practices, forging new relationships, and confronting societal expectations with a refreshing blend of honesty and humor. These conversations, rooted in personal journals and lived expertise, delve into the practical and the profound-from the science of longevity to the personal journeys of resilience that define this chapter. The podcast moves beyond inspiration to offer tangible insight, framing the later decades as a time of active reinvention. Tune in for stories that replace stereotypes with specificity, and discover a community redefining what it means to grow older with purpose and curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined
Podcast Episodes
367 Patricia Koko: Turning Ideas into Services with Lasting Impact [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:58
When Patricia (Pat) Koko, age 82, reflects on her life’s work as a young homemaker turned consummate volunteer and community change-maker, she often says things like, “that was kind of fun,” or “there just was a need”—-s…
366 Suzi K Edwards: A Chaotic Life Reignited by Yoga [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:03
Living high throughout the 1960s and early ‘70s filled Suzi’s life with glitter, dazzle, and celebrities who sadly, broke her heart. As a luxury designer of women’s clothing in New York, Suzi was sought after by big name…
365 Reedy Gibbs: Broken Pieces Can Be Mended [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:55
n writing her memoir, BROKEN PIECES (and the fun things you can do with them), Reedy is hopeful that her life's missteps might help others. When she began studying Method Writing with a brilliant teacher, “her life's sto…
360 Deb Krier: Trying Not to Die [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:08
Like most people, when Deb Krier was told she had metastatic breast cancer in 2015, she went into a tailspin. She previously worked for an oncologist and later, the American Cancer society and still was not prepared. Wha…