Mr. Makowka joined the Center for Health Technology & Innovation at the American Heart Association in June of 2022 as a Program Director. In this role, he manages the Center’s relationships with member companies within the Center’s Innovators’ Network and works on strategic opportunities both internally and externally to the AHA.

Jeff has over to twenty years’ experience in strategic consulting and market research. For more than half of that time, he has been focused on the wants and needs of the 50+, both domestically and internationally. He has worked directly with organizations ranging from startups to multi-national corporations to formulate business strategies and products in the digital health, caregiving and 50+ marketplaces. Formally, as Director of Market Innovation in AARP’s Enterprise Strategy and Innovation group, Jeffrey helped to launch, and then manage, the “Innovation@50+” initiative. This initiative aimed to spark entrepreneurial activity across public and private sectors through ground-breaking research, market sizing, and the original “AARP LivePitch” event. Jeff also created and managed the Project Catalyst program: a first of its kind research consortium of major brands working together to create research and design guidelines to move the market to build better products and services for people as they age.

A frequent public speaker and recognized thought leader on the needs and wants of the 50+, Jeff speaks regularly at industry events and conferences including the Digital Health Summit, Health Datapalooza,  Health 2.0, HXR Refactored, Medcity Converge/Engage/Invest, What’s Next Boomer Business Summit. He has been quoted in publications such as Fast Company, Venturebeat.com, NPR.org, USA Today, Forbes.com and AARP the Magazine. Jeff has served as a judge on numerous business pitch competition, and is a mentor in the TechStars Future Longevity Accelerator.  He has volunteered and mentored with Springboard Enterprises, an accelerator focused on Women Led companies for over 10 years.

Prior to his work at AARP, Jeffrey worked as a project manager and strategist with Edgewater Strategy Services in their Monetizing Knowledge Practice. In this role, he helped clients create new lines of business leveraging their knowledge, data and other assets to achieve their organizational goals. He has also held roles in research, business analysis and website operations.

Mr. Makowka earned a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and English Literature (double major) and received his Masters of Arts (Licentiate) in Philosophy (Magna Cum Laude).