Luke Gilligan is a Grove City Entrepreneur alumnus with a vision to help create a better life for those struggling with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Gilligan was selected as one of the Pittsburgh Regions Rising Stars in the startup sector. Around six million Americans deal with these issues and Gilligan states that Dementia and Alzheimer’s “Touches everyone in one way or another.” This quote truly resonates with me as I have seen dementia firsthand. I lost my grandfather in 2021 mainly from natural causes. He lived a beautiful life and accomplished a multitude of things such as coaching and playing in the National Football League. Unfortunately, his many years in active play led to some issues later on in life. As his time was dwindling, I remember the pain throughout our family as things became foggy. I have always and continue to know my father as a strong man who would rarely let his emotions affect others. As his father’s memory declined, his pain grew. The thought of speaking with a close loved one as they slowly forget is something that no one should have to go through. Gilligan also states that patients were treated “like children” which is a sad truth in many nursing homes which I have witnessed firsthand. To mitigate such problems, Gilligan created the Connect and Comfort Kit. This kit is a toolbox of items and activities which target each of the “five senses to utilize a nuanced approach to therapy aimed at increasing brain health and eliciting long-term memories.” His vision to implement this approach is not only innovative but a necessity for patients and family who suffer from these issues. Gilligan’s story has succeeded in pulling my heartstrings and I would strongly advise you to check out more about his innovation.
Resense | Dementia Friendly Engagement Tools – Resense LLC (helloresense.com)
What a beautiful and impactful story. I love how you found a GCC alumni and talked about his entrepreneurship journey. So many people I know have family members that struggle with dementia and Alzheimer’s. It’s a serious problem for family’s and find it truly inspirational how Luke is making an impact with Connect and Comfort Kit. It is awesome to see someone from Grove City College make such an impact. Luke’s story is far from over and can see him implementing his Entrepreneural vision on lots of other problems across the world.
This post is fire!! I met this guy at one of my visits to GCC last year, he was determined and driven. I remember him straight up saying that he doesn’t do extra circular activities and essentially just works on both his non-profit and Dementia prevention companies. When I met him, he told me that if I ever needed anything reach out! He seemed to earnestly care about his product but also all the people around him. You did a great job with this post, you described his mission well! All in all great blog!
I am so glad that you wrote about Luke! I had the privilege of talking to him briefly at GCC’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation internship event a few weeks ago. It’s clear that he is a great guy and a hard worker for his community. I’m sorry that you have firsthand experience with Dementia through your grandfather. I am also currently having that experience with my grandmother as her health is declining due to Dementia. Both of my parents work in the elderly care industry, but that doesn’t make the difficulty of the situation much easier. Luke is definitely trying to tackle a prominent pain in the world. Great job on your post!