Helpful Village, platform based on the successful US aging-in-place model, wins Silver Economy Award
- In the late 1990s, in Boston, a group of older adults came up with an alternative to traditional nursing homes: mutual support communities called Villages, which allowed them to live independently and actively in their own homes. This was the birth of the “Village Movement”.
- Helpful Village was created to manage this ageing model that is proving successful in the US. The platform makes it easy to request help 24/7, automates procedures and offers features such as video calls, interactive maps and geopositioning for volunteers.
- The inspiration behind Helpful Village was Elda, the founder’s mother, who after a life spent among the vineyards in Arico (Tenerife) had to retire at the age of 63. Like 21.4% of people over 65 in Spain, according to the State Observatory on Unwanted Loneliness, she faced loneliness and a loss of purpose.
Madrid, May 13, 2025- In the late 1990s, a group of American seniors living in Beacon Hill, a neighborhood in Boston, came together with a common goal: to continue living independently in their homes without giving up their active and socially fulfilling lives. Although everyone agreed on the need for support to face the challenges of ageing, they did not want to resort to traditional solutions that would take them away from their environment, such as nursing homes.
This led to the creation of the Village Movement, a community initiative that promotes mutual support, independence, and social connections. Today there are more than 300 active communities in the United States, although the model has not yet reached Spain. The Village concept is based on non-profit associations made up of older people who want to age at home with dignity and quality of life. These communities offer help with everyday tasks such as shopping, going to the doctor, recreational activities, solving technological problems, and pet care. It is all made possible thanks to the commitment of neighborhood volunteer networks, which are managed by Helpful Village, a tool that makes village administration more efficient and was recognized as the US winner in the Silver Economy category of the Fundación MAPFRE Social Innovation Awards.
A platform designed to manage a new model of ageing
Helpful Village is the first platform designed specifically to optimize all village management processes. The tool allows users to request help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, automatically sending notifications to hundreds of volunteers who are eager to help. It also automates key processes such as membership management, event organization, and reporting. This optimizes workflow and allows administrators to devote more time to valuable tasks such as fundraising or personalized support.
Helpful Village integrates advanced features such as Zoom video calls, address geocoding to locate members and volunteers, and interactive maps that display the services available.
The platform has 25 modules that integrate all the features into a single system, eliminating the need for multiple tools. In addition, it offers two plans tailored to the needs of each community: In-Development, for villages that are growing, and Established, for communities that are already up and running.
An idea born out of a family experience
Elda, the mother of founder Manuel Acevedo, dedicated her life to cultivating grapes in Arico, Tenerife. However, after knee surgery at the age of 63, she was forced to stop. When her family suggested she enjoy her retirement, her response revealed a reality faced by many older people: a feeling of aimlessness after retiring. “There’s no such thing as just retiring. I don’t want to stay at home doing nothing… but what other choice do I have?”
Her situation is not unique. Loneliness and a lack of purpose are closely linked to mental health issues in older people. In fact, according to the Spanish Observatory on Unwanted Loneliness, an estimated 21.4% of people over the age of 65 feel lonely. The WHO estimates that 14% of adults aged 60+ suffer from mental disorders.
This reflection led Manuel to look for alternatives that would allow his mother to remain active. That was when he discovered the Village Movement and realized that many of these communities faced operational difficulties due to the use of obsolete systems.
An international team and project milestones
Helpful Village has been recognized by prestigious institutions such as the University of California at Berkeley, where it was selected for its LAUNCH acceleration program in 2016. The platform currently operates more than 125 Villages in 29 states in the US and also in Canada. A total of 40,000 American seniors are already benefitting from this home-based aging model.
The project is spearheaded by Manuel Acevedo, the company’s founder and CEO, a technology and entrepreneurship expert originally from Tenerife who currently resides in the US. His mother, Elda, still lives on the island and has become a symbol of the American Village Movement.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Southern California (USC) highlighted the fact that ageing at home means not only adapting the physical space but also having a strong social support network. As a result, Manuel was invited to join the teaching staff on the USC’s Gerontology program.
The team includes Anastasia Belén, a graduate in Business Administration and Management who is responsible for customer management and technical support; and Cristina Acevedo Rodríguez, from Tenerife, as one of the founders and a graduate in Business Studies from the La Laguna University. Cristina is responsible for ensuring that the company meets its objectives and offers high-quality products.
Social and inclusive projects
Antonio Huertas, chairman of MAPFRE and Fundación MAPFRE, congratulated the 12 finalists and the 350 innovative projects from around the world that were submitted to this edition of the awards, all of which share the common goal of improving people’s lives. He also highlighted the thousands of disruptive and inspiring proposals that have been submitted for these awards over the years, many of which are now a reality, helping hundreds of thousands of people.
The three winners: Chile, Sweden, and the United States
Luis Santiago, co-founder and CEO of PEGASI SAIL: “PEGASI SAIL was born out of a painful personal experience, but it has become a tool that is having a real impact on thousands of patients. Thanks to artificial intelligence, we are transforming the way cancer is diagnosed and treated, optimizing the time that can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. This award reinforces our commitment to keep developing solutions that break down barriers, integrate healthcare systems, and bring hope to those who need it most.”
Emma Garatea, founder and CEO of Cocoon: “This award reinforces the idea that sustainable mobility must also be safe, especially for children. At Cocoon, we don’t just design an airbag, we design peace of mind for parents who want to ride their bikes without fear. This gives us the strength to keep growing, learning, and contributing to greener, but also more humane, cities.”
Manuel Acevedo, founder and CEO of Helpful Village: “Older people deserve to age at home, surrounded by their community, with independence, dignity, and real support. Seeing how my mother, after retiring, struggled with loneliness and a lack of purpose led us to discover the Village Movement in the United States and understand that many communities needed tools to better organize their mutual aid. That was all we needed to launch Helpful Village.”
350 entrepreneurs from different countries
This year’s call for proposals attracted 350 projects developed by scientists, researchers, university students, and business school students. The 12 finalists presented their projects to a panel of professionals from the business and social entrepreneurship world, who selected the three winners based on criteria including their potential social impact, technical and economic viability, and the team’s skills and experience.
See you at the ninth edition!
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