The Year Ahead for Teeniors

The founder of the startup, which connects the elderly to their communities, shares her goals for 2017 and the future of the organization.
Presented byPresented by Lenovo
Dec 27, 2016· 1 MIN READ
Trish Lopez is the founder and CEO of Teeniors - tech savvy teens who are helping seniors through one-on–one, customized coaching.

OK, this will be my last blog post for 2016. It’s been an amazing and completely draining year. We’ve seen great successes and incredible challenges on this journey so far. Let us never underestimate the “hard” when we see the accomplishments of community endeavors/new companies/start-ups/“overnight successes.” As spectators, a lot of times we only see the win. We don’t always see the fight.

Looking ahead for Teeniors, my ultimate goal is to make it sustainable. Not sure yet if that’s going to be in Albuquerque alone or if it can expand. Not sure if it will be as a nonprofit or a business. Right now, a little over a year in, I’ve been able to pay everyone and every bill except myself. The person in my position will need to make an income if this is going to work. The only reason I’ve been able to do it thus far is because of a very supportive coparent.

I look forward to seeing how 2017 unfolds and learning if there are enough clients to help it grow as well as any social investors who find it worthwhile. My highest priority in life is my three-year-old daughter. I’m glad to say that on most days, she gets a mom who is completely present to her and our home. My highest priority in work is the happiness of our clients and our coaches. So far, Teeniors is winning in both areas. But oh my goodness, this has been a very hard year.

Here’s hoping for continued successes! Not just for Teeniors’ sake but because it will mean a huge win for social and community enterprises overall. I’m so amazed at the young people I’ve met and the older people we’ve been blessed to work with. Really grateful to have created new friendships with both. I honestly didn’t know what the hell I was doing 16 months ago. Didn’t know anyone in the business community, who to trust, who to hire, what to pay people, what we could charge (still refining that one), or whether anyone would want this service. But here we are. We’ve proved this little train to be a serious contender in the start-up world of N.M. People in the business community have stopped referring to it as cute, and the value of our work is evidenced. Teeniors has also proved its value more than a number of other start-ups that have received millions in funding. So no matter what happens, we will always stand proud. For me, exhausted and overwhelmed, but proud.

Thanks for following us, guys! To continue connecting with us in 2017 and beyond, please check out teeniors.com or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.