Kathleen Korpela
Kathleen Korpela is a recognized eldercare expert and founder of Living Goldenwell Inc., a first-of-its-kind global community for professional women supporting aging parents.
Drawing on her personal experience as a sandwich generation family caregiver for her father with Alzheimer's dementia, Kathleen built Living Goldenwell to provide connection, guidance, and practical resources to women navigating the complex eldercare journey while maintaining their careers and personal well-being. Her work focuses on transforming eldercare from a source of overwhelm into an opportunity for empowerment, purpose, and personal growth.
Prior to founding Living Goldenwell, Kathleen held leadership roles at Microsoft, Starbucks, and Getty Images, where she specialized in business development, strategic partnerships, and program management. Her extensive experience in corporate strategy and project leadership enables her to create impactful workshops, keynote presentations, and corporate programs that educate and empower organizations to support employees who have elder caregiving responsibilities.
Kathleen is also the creator of Caregiving From The Middle, a private membership community offering live sessions, educational curriculum, and resources tailored specifically to professional women navigating eldercare. Through her work, speaking engagements, and thought leadership, Kathleen continues to reshape the narrative around aging and elder caregiving, helping women lead with confidence, compassion, and clarity as they support their aging parents.
• University of Washington, Foster School of Business – MBA, Finance and International Business
• University of Washington – BA, Business (Finance)
• Sigma Iota Chapter, Kappa Delta Sorority
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to living through the elder caregiving journey myself. Navigating the challenges of supporting my father with Alzheimer’s dementia while raising young children and managing a demanding corporate career taught me resilience, empathy, and the critical importance of having support systems. Adult Children coming alongside aging parents in a family caregiver support role are largely invisible and fall through the cracks in our society and workplaces. Educational and support resources along with expert guidance and connection with others going through it are severly lacking for family caregivers in the market today. These experiences and market gaps inspired me to found and build Living Goldenwell, a global community platform dedicated to transforming the eldercare experience for women.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
A career is like a tapestry you build over time. It's not linear, and it's not straight up. Pivots, resets, following your intuition and living consistently in alignment with your values will bring you success, over time, however you define success for yourself.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering the eldercare or corporate support field to embrace the complexities of elder caregiving as opportunities for growth and leadership. Advocate for, and come alongside your aging parents while consistently continuing to prioritize your own career, your own needs and your own well-being. Seek out communities and support systems where you can share knowledge, resources, and guidance—it’s essential not to go through an eldercare journey alone.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
A significant challenge is that many professional women feel isolated and underprepared for the demands of elder caregiving and supporting aging parents, especially when juggling careers and raising kids. The opportunity lies in building comprehensive, supportive communities and programs that equip women with education, tools, and confidence to manage these responsibilities effectively, transforming these dense and complex seasons in life from a source of overwhelm into a source of empowerment and purpose.
Locations
Living Goldenwell Inc. | www.livinggoldenwell.com
3219 California Ave SW, Unit B, Seattle, WA 98116