Derenda M. Schubert, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and nationally recognized advocate for intergenerational community building. As the CEO of Bridge Meadows, she has advanced a visionary model that brings together youth, families, and elders to create vibrant, supportive neighborhoods rooted in belonging, healing, and joy.
Dr. Schubert’s background in clinical psychology, combined with her leadership in nonprofit innovation, community development, and systems change, gives her a rare ability to translate human needs into community-based solutions. Her work is grounded in empathy, driven by data, and guided by the belief that healing happens best in relationships. With decades of experience across child welfare, aging, mental health, and housing, she builds bridges between sectors and people, turning bold ideas into places where all generations can thrive.
These efforts have been recognized by the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Stanford Social Innovation Review, which cite Bridge Meadows as a model for addressing the social determinants of health through connection and community. She has been a reviewer for the World Health Organization’s “Connecting Generations – Planning and Implementing Interventions for Intergenerational Contact (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240070264) ” report and a contributor to the Healthier Lives Across Generations: A Blueprint for Intergenerational Living (https://www.gu.org/resources/blueprint-for-intergenerational-living/) sponsored by Generations United in collaboration with the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Dr. Schubert is the author of The Power of a Joyful Village: How Intergenerational Solutions and Age-Friendly Communities Can Heal Us All (https://www.amazon.com/Power-Joyful-Village-Intergenerational-Age-Friendly/dp/B0FYVJNTC4) .
An international keynote speaker and TEDx presenter (https://www.ted.com/talks/derenda_schubert_the_superpower_of_intergenerational_living) , Dr. Schubert is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, an Encore Public Voices Fellow, and an Eisner Prize recipient. Her leadership has been recognized by the Portland Business Journal as a Woman of Influence, and by Portland Monthly Magazine’s Light A Fire Award. Additionally, she serves as the Chair of the American Heart Association, Oregon and Southwest Washington, and the Vice Chair of Goodwill Industries of the Columbia-Willamette. Every day she is inspired by the love of her grandmothers and her children.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/derenda-schubert-phd-a4001413/
https://www.instagram.com/derendaschubert/
https://bridgemeadows.org/
https://www.instagram.com/bridgemeadows/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/bridgemeadows/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bridge-meadows/home/
Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.