Tag: marvell adams

QUOTES

“Inclusion is a feeling. If you ask someone, ‘Do you feel included?’ there usually isn’t a set of metrics, it comes from a feeling that can be nurtured and fostered.” (Marvell)

“Diversity really is a choice. Unless those decisions are made courageously, diversity may not show up.” (Marvell)

“You can Google a lot of things. You can ChatGPT a lot of things. But this is purposely a space for people to be posed with questions that allow them to look inwardly.” (Marvell)

“If staff can’t feel safe coming into the organization in a whole host of ways, then we really have lost the battle already for retaining the best talent.” (Marvell)

“You can’t pour anything from an empty cup. If there’s nothing to pour out, there’s nothing to give.” (Marvell)

“Each time a caregiver engages with a loved one, they’re giving of themselves. We also recognize you can’t give from an empty cup.” (Marvell)

“Longevity is inextricably tied to inclusion. The longer we live, the more influence there will be on our paths—and that is tied to the diversity of experience.” (Marvell)

“Inclusion is about planning the welcome party. You’ve got to know who’s coming and make sure they feel like they belong once they arrive.” (Marvell)

“If 90% of your age- and income-qualified prospects are staying home and you aren’t considering some sort of at-home offshoot of your community, you’re missing an opportunity.” (Marvell)

“Leadership succession is not just about finding the next CEO, it’s about preparing your organization for the day you’re not there.” (Marvell)

“If the board asks, ‘What’s the succession plan?’ and all you have is a name on a paper for FMLA, then you don’t have a real plan.” (Marvell)

“Recognizing your strengths are throughout your organization and tapping into them—that’s how you grow your team and your impact.” (Marvell)

 

NOTES

Marvell Adams, Jr. is a nationally respected leader in aging services with over 20 years of experience ranging from nursing home administrator to CEO. He’s known for advancing equity and inclusion across senior living and long-term care sectors through visionary leadership and collaborative action.

Marvell is the founder of W. Lawson, a consulting firm focused on creating inclusive, equitable environments in aging services. He also serves as CEO of Caregiver Action Network, a national nonprofit providing free resources to family caregivers across the U.S.

At W. Lawson, Marvell co-leads the Longevity and Inclusion Alliance Fellows Program, a virtual leadership initiative designed to help aging services professionals embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) into their communities. The program is intentionally immersive, centering self-reflection, safe dialogue, and peer-to-peer learning. Under Marvell’s leadership, 

Caregiver Action Network supports more than 105 million unpaid family caregivers through resources, advocacy, and partnerships—especially as caregiving needs accelerate across generations and cultures.

Inclusion is more than a metric, it’s a feeling. Creating inclusive communities starts by fostering spaces where people can bring their whole selves.

Diversity is a conscious decision. Leaders must make bold, intentional choices to hire, serve, and represent diverse voices.

Many older adults are rejecting traditional senior living; providers must adapt by integrating at-home and intergenerational models of engagement.

Leadership succession should begin before retirement is near. “Preparing the organization for when you’re not there” is key to long-term resilience.

Most caregivers don’t plan to become caregivers—they’re thrust into it. Support must be immediate, empathetic, and culturally competent.

“You can’t pour anything from an empty cup.” Caregivers must prioritize their own well-being to sustainably care for others.

Caregiver Action Network is innovating through partnerships like its new Innovation Council, connecting startups and tech solutions to real caregiver needs.

Inclusion in action means planning a true welcome—tailored support, cultural sensitivity, and community integration—not just marketing promises.

Recently on Varsity’s podcast, Roundtable Talk, we sat down with Marvell Adams, Jr., a longtime leader in aging services and the founder of W. Lawson, a consulting firm focused on equity and inclusion. He also serves as CEO of Caregiver Action Network, supporting millions of unpaid family caregivers across the country.

Marvell shared how the Longevity and Inclusion Alliance Fellows Program helps leaders embed belonging into aging services. He also discussed the emotional realities of caregiving, the importance of succession planning, and why the future of senior living must be more inclusive, intergenerational, and community-connected.

The following are some fresh perspectives from the conversation. Check out the full episode here. 

WHAT DOES THE LONGEVITY AND INCLUSION ALLIANCE FELLOWS PROGRAM DO AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE IT?

The mission is to provide leaders throughout our space the support, the courage, and the guidance to lead more inclusively. The Fellows Program is an immersive, all-virtual series of five sessions. Our objective is to provide a safe space for people to really not only be vulnerable, but to learn and grow about being more inclusive and how to really create communities of inclusion and belonging.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AND WHAT IMPACT ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE?

Inclusion is a feeling. You can’t just measure it. It comes from a safe space where people feel they can be their whole selves. Equity is about outcomes and being treated fairly and having the same access to benefits, to information, and to upward mobility. Diversity is a choice. Unless those in leadership make the courageous step to create it, diversity won’t show up.

WHAT ROLE DO FAMILY CAREGIVERS PLAY, AND WHAT ARE THEIR BIGGEST NEEDS?

There are over 105 million family caregivers in the U.S., and many don’t even identify themselves as such. What we try to do at Caregiver Action Network is meet them where they are, whether it’s someone supporting a loved one through cancer or just having a bad mental health day. But we always remind caregivers: you can’t pour from an empty cup.

HOW CAN SENIOR LIVING PROVIDERS BETTER SUPPORT CAREGIVERS—EVEN THOSE OUTSIDE THEIR COMMUNITIES?

Most communities have space, so invite caregivers in. Whether it’s a Zoom group for long-distance family or an in-person support group, we need to let caregivers know they are seen. That infrastructure of supporting caregivers is not just retention, it’s recruitment. People will say, “This community gets me.”