From AI to Gen Z: Working Across Generations in the Real World

Charlotte Japp Crater is a German-American community builder who sees creativity and innovation as essential for tackling modern challenges.

She has been a startup founder, venture capitalist, and creative director at companies including VICE Media, Live Nation, and TikTok. A Georgetown University honors graduate, Charlotte is now a Business Development Leader at Cooley LLP, the top law firm for tech financings and IPOs. She supports startup founders and VC managers from incorporation to exit, fueled by her passion for connecting people.

In 2018, she founded Cirkel (cirkel.co) to combat ageism in the workplace and help older workers thrive. The company created thousands of personalized cross-generational connections, sparking new avenues for career growth and learning. Charlotte has spoken globally on aging and work and was named a 2020 Influencer in Aging by Next Avenue. She lives in New York City.

Derek Gehl is a serial e-commerce entrepreneur, speaker, and author. After spending the first decade of his professional career growing one of world’s first Internet marketing companies to over $30 million in sales, he decided that leading a company of 100 employees in offices in two countries wasn’t for him – so he sold the company to a private equity group and refocused his life on the things he loved most: spending time with his family, pursuing his passions, and building and growing online businesses. In 2024, after doing some consulting for MEA, Derek had his own transformational experience at a Navigating Transitions workshop, which inspired him to join the company as Chief Marketing and Technology Officer and then take on the role as CEO, spearheading our mission to reimagine midlife and build a global pro-aging community that inspires people to thrive in the second half of life.