Our story and inspiration
Greg founded Eldies in 2018 as a tribute to the heartfelt bond he shared with his beloved grandmothers. Having personally experienced the enriching benefits of intergenerational connections, Greg was motivated to spread the same joy to others.
When Greg approached Heidi to join him as a founding member, they were both thrilled at the opportunity to create an initiative that would help forge new intergenerational relationships. Together, they decided to build the organization on the core values of compassion, companionship, and community.
Since its inception, Eldies has been devoted to organizing events that foster love, purpose, and positive connections between individuals of all ages. We firmly believe that every person, regardless of age, should have the chance to give back to their community and contribute meaningfully to society. At Eldies, we are committed to creating opportunities for such interactions and to continue to serve and strengthen our community through the power of intergenerational connections.
Meet Greg’s grandmothers, the inspiration that started Eldies! It is through their unconditional love and wisdom that Greg learned the importance of living a life with love, gratitude, and purpose — at every age.
Our Eldies family
Gregory Hwee
Co-founder, Program Director
Greg, an explorer at heart and self-proclaimed music and nature-lover, has an innate passion for creatively helping those around him. With 19 years of management and business development experience spanning hospitality, real estate, and healthcare, Greg has also cultivated expertise in aging services through his personal and professional experiences.
As a certified Seniors Real Estate Specialist® and consultant, Greg’s primary focus lies in creating spaces that nurture emotional well-being and fall prevention through aging-in-place solutions. At Eldies, Greg is especially passionate about fostering social engagement and building intergenerational connections to empower his community to live with greater compassion and purpose, no matter the person’s age.
Beyond his work with Eldies, Greg has also supported the aging community through advising and collaborating with senior living organizations building programs that promote social engagement and fostering a culture of innovation. He has worked with Amazon in voice-first initiatives holding intergenerational educational workshops and deploying Amazon Alexas and IoT devices in Independent Living communities. And through an AARP Foundation grant-funded project, Greg was part of a 3-person team that planned, created, and executed telemental health programs for 8 low-income senior housing communities throughout California during the pandemic.
Greg’s academic credentials include a Master of Aging Services Management degree from USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from UC San Diego.
Heidi Banh
Co-founder
Heidi is an LA-based resident physician, a creator and musician at heart, and a lover of people. Growing up with multiple generations in her home, Heidi witnessed the patience and devotion her parents demonstrated as her grandparents' caregivers. Playing a role in the family effort to manage her grandparents' chronic illnesses while helping them age with joy, independence, and dignity influenced Heidi to dedicate her life to service and healing. She pursued a B.S. in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the University of Southern California, and completed minors in Applied Theatre Arts and Natural Sciences. Inspired by her family's background as post-Vietnam War refugees, Heidi is dedicated to learning how health disparities impact communities locally and worldwide; she soon earned her M.S. in Global Medicine at USC.
Heidi graduated from UC San Diego School of Medicine (class of 2024), and is excited and humbled to be pursuing her dream of becoming a psychiatrist and being a part of patients' long-term wellness journeys. She is passionate in medical education, narrative medicine, humanities, mentorship, and promoting intergenerational relationships and wellbeing. She completed a research year in 2022-2023 creating an Intergenerational Narratives program/course between UCSD medical students and Belmont Village Senior Living, with the amazing support of the T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion.
In her spare time, Heidi enjoys musical theater, journaling, reading and writing poetry, playing the piano and singing, taking walks, and creating memories with family and friends of all generations. At the heart of everything she does, Heidi loves getting to know people, their passions, and their stories.