Old People Rock

Kerri Acheson

At nearly 75, Kerri Acheson is having the time of her life. A former marketing and public relations professor at Northwestern and USC, she has spent decades writing and publishing academic work. She has co-authored one book, ghostwritten another, and is now helping launch a new public speaking and presentation training firm in New York City. What makes her accomplishments even more remarkable is that they come 25 years after she suffered a severe brain injury. As Kerri puts it, "The brain cannot regenerate new cells, but it can find new pathways." In her case, it certainly has. And she's not slowing down. Finding retirement a little too quiet, Kerri recently discovered a new passion—and success—in voice acting and narration. At 74, she continues to reinvent herself, proving that curiosity, resilience, and creativity have no age limit.

Bob Katzman

Bob Katzman has been an entrepreneur for virtually his entire life. He started his first business at age 12, opened a wooden newsstand at 15, and owned a delicatessen by 19. In his late 30s, he launched both a foreign-language travel bookstore and a back-issue magazine store that carried more than 150,000 periodicals dating back to 1576. He has also authored 25 books about his life, selling more than 7,000 copies. Along the way, Bob endured 44 surgeries spanning more than seven decades—from his first operation at age one in 1951 to his most recent in December 2025. Through it all, he has never lost faith in himself or in what he is capable of accomplishing.

Mike Motta

In 1986, Mike founded Plus One Health Management, an organization dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health through a customized wellness foundation that includes exercise science, orthopedic medicine, physical therapy, massage therapy, and nutrition. He is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has served on the Dean's Advisory Board at the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health. In 2021, he co-authored The Practitioner's Guide to Lifestyle Medicine and is currently working on another book, The Patient's Guide to Lifestyle Medicine. A 22-year veteran volunteer firefighter, Mike has long made volunteer service an important part of his personal mission. After losing both his business and home on 9/11, he volunteered with the American Red Cross at Ground Zero and later served as a tour guide for visitors to the 9/11 Museum at the World Trade Center site. As a certified motor-pump operator, he drives fire engines and rescue trucks and helps supply water to firefighters working inside burning buildings.

Dirk Stubenrauch

Dirk Stubenrauch first came to this country in 1965 as a twenty-two year old exchange student from Frankfurt, Germany. He's had a number of distinguished careers since, including Advertising Executive and Graphic Design. At 65, when most people are retiring, he founded an Interior Furniture Design and Architecture firm in Costa Rica focused solely on international resort design and production. Today at 83, he works full-time as its Chief Creative Officer while commuting between the headquarters in Costa Rica and his home in Napa.

Judy Mandell

Judy Mandell is a freelance writer based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She regularly contributes to publications such as The New York Times, AARP, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Prevention magazine, and many other major newspapers and magazines. Judy has several books published including, What to Expect in Your Fifties: A Woman's Guide to Health, Vitality, and Longevity(Dell Publishing), Book Editors Talk to Writers (John Wiley), Magazine Editors Talk to Writers (John Wiley), and more. A jokester who loves to make people laugh, Judy claims that she is very immature for her age – "I act like an 80-year-old, but everyone knows the truth – I'm 86.5 and proud of it. One of my AARP articles was titled "One Thing I Never Lie About – My Age." Judy teaches courses at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute, what she calls, "old people, teaching old people," and as a way of keeping sharp, social, and inquisitive, hosts weekly parties at her home every Friday called Judy's After 5.