Ole Kassow

Making better lives with Cycling Without Age

After having heard several stories about the older generation missing the freedom, the joy and the mobility of cycling, Ole asked himself: “How can we get these people back on their bicycles?” Ole decided to show up at his local nursing home with a rented trishaw. This changed his life – and the lives of the passengers and the volunteers who came across Ole and his initiative, “Cycling Without Age”.

This meeting of generations provides a unique opportunity for the elderly to share their stories and experiences, which are often triggered by these trips out into the local environment. Ole’s initiative not only strengthens communities across generations, but it contributes to both physical and mental well-being of the elderly and volunteers, thus giving nursing homes and municipalities a golden opportunity to stimulate and promote health and mobility.

Since the first ride in 2012, Cycling Without Age has spread to 2,700 chapters, 35,000 volunteer pilots in 52 countries (December 2021).

Biography

Ole Kassow, Founder of Cycling Without Age, is a changemaker and a social entrepreneur who believes in challenging conventional thinking and in inspiring people and organizations to create a better world through focus on purpose, happiness and kindness. Ole lives in Copenhagen, Denmark and he received the Danish Community Award 2014 from the Danish Ministry of Employment for his initiative Cycling Without Age, the subject of his September 2014 TED Talk, and in 2017 he was the second Dane to become Ashoka Fellow, the world’s leading NGO for change-making and social entrepreneurship.

In addition to being the founder of Cycling Without Age, Ole Kassow is co-founder of Purpose Makers, an organization that helps strengthen organizations by implementing in them the values of kindness, generosity, and purpose that create loyal customers, happy employees and long-lasting success.

Ole Kassow is an extraordinarily engaging speaker who provides refreshing perspectives in a fun and enthusiastic way. Attendees are sure to walk away with innovative ideas that build on good values and purpose, and challenge conventional thinking.

BOOK A KEYNOTE SPEECH WITH OLE KASSOW