We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer Dawson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I founded Pallas Care to provide in-home supportive services for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2015, I began working at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, which is the world’s largest LGBTQ organization. The Center provides social services to our age 50+ community through its Senior Services Department, operates over 200 affordable housing units for age 62+, and provides comprehensive medical and mental health care. At the time, I was surprised to learn about the many challenges that our community members face when aging. It was right after the Supreme Court had made marriage equality the law of the land, and our mood was jubilant–we thought this was one of our last battles, and we had won! But there was still so far to go. As I began to work more with an older population, I saw that their needs were not being served by the options that were out there. And many LGBTQ+ seniors were terrified to go into assisted living or nursing homes. They wanted to stay at home. So that’s the inspiration behind starting Pallas Care.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My background is working in nonprofits. I’ve developed a deep expertise in relationship management and customer service; basically, getting to know people, what they want, and what will make them happy. We follow a user-centered design approach at Pallas Care. My co-founder and I actually met in a Master’s program for entrepreneurs that was based around user-centered design, which focuses on putting the user, and the user’s problem at the center of the story. You would think that most businesses operate that way, but actually, it’s the opposite–most people come up with a solution first, then find an audience to market it to.

We provide services that allow people to stay in their homes as they age, or when recovering from an injury or illness. It’s an alternative to assisted living or nursing care. Health and outcomes and happiness are better if you can stay in a familiar environment. I say we help you with the things that you have to do to stay alive, like grooming and eating, so you can do the things that make life worth living for you.

We promise to treat our employees well. Caregiving is one of the fastest-growing careers in the country. We want to professionalize the industry. This means paying them more than the average, investing in professional development and training, spending more time coaching them through tough situations. We believe that the people doing this essential work deserve fair pay and respect.

One of the other things that make us different is that we have a Council of Advisors guiding us; people who are experts in the field. Our advisors include a doctor, a lawyer, and two gerontologists (aging professionals).

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had been wanting to make a change for a while, and the pandemic was what finally got me into gear. I applied to the University of Southern California’s Social Entrepreneurship Program, which is part of the Marshall School of Business. I fondly call the program “Business School for Do-Gooders.” That’s where I met my co-founder Rich, who was a year ahead of me. We had the same passion for helping older adults and transforming aging. We’ve been working on this business for nearly 2 years now, and finally got our state license in Summer 2022.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One of the books that I read early in my career that really impacted me was Danny Meyer’s Setting the Table. I’ve strived to uphold his philosophy about hospitality in every job I’ve ever had, and now it’s one of Pallas Care’s core values. I want our clients to feel like they have a hotel concierge, personal assistant, ad close friend right at home.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pallas.care
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/pallas.care
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pallas.care/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/96278481
• Other: www.pallascare.blog