In this powerful episode of Working Caregivers: The Invisible Employees, we sit down with the remarkable Dr. Feylyn Lewis, whose caregiving journey began at just 11 years old after her mother experienced life-altering complications from a botched spinal surgery. Dr. Lewis brings a deeply personal, heartfelt perspective to the realities faced by youth caregivers—experiences most adults never even imagine children navigating.

Throughout our conversation, Dr. Lewis opens our eyes to the emotional, physical, and invisible labor that young caregivers shoulder and how those early responsibilities shaped the advocate, scholar, and leader she is today. Her story is moving, courageous, and a call to action for all of us—employers, caregivers, and community members—to create a world where no caregiver feels alone. This is an episode you do not want to miss.

Dr. Feylyn Lewis is a Nashville native, Vanderbilt alumna, and former youth caregiver whose lived experience shaped her global career in research and advocacy. With a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a PhD in Social Work, she studies mental health and resiliency among youth and young adult caregivers across the U.S., Europe, the UK, and Australia. Dr. Lewis currently serves as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where she leads student wellness, support services, and community engagement. Beyond academia, she is deeply involved in state, national, and international caregiving and equity initiatives, including board service with the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition and advisory roles across multiple organizations. A New America Story Fellow, she continues to write about and advocate for youth caregivers—all while caring for her mother in Nashville.

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] – Dr. Lewis begins sharing her caregiving story starting at age 11
[3:27] – Dr. Lewis describes becoming a youth caregiver after her mother’s surgery
[3:51] – Reading her powerful letter to her younger self
[9:39] – Exploring what it meant to “shrink yourself” as a young caregiver
[11:31] – The emotional and traumatic weight carried by youth caregivers
[16:55] – How caregiving support has (and hasn’t) changed for her in adulthood
[23:33] – Discussing the realities of youth caregiving and age-inappropriate tasks
[25:56] – The strengths, empathy, and resilience learned through caregiving
[26:19] – Why children often stay silent—and why naming caregiving matters
[28:14] – Encouraging communities to proactively support caregivers
[29:14] – The fear youth caregivers have of social service involvement
[29:47] – How schools can play a role in recognizing and supporting caregivers
[30:39] – Dr. Lewis’ “PS to her younger self”—a message of faith and endurance
[31:35] – Closing reflections and gratitude for Dr. Lewis’ powerful voice

Links & Resources:

· Tennessee Caregiver Coalition: https://tncaregiver.org/

· Dr. Feylyn Lewis’ TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EPCFyeUElk

· Black Scholars Speak Interview YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pid2wBO8dlc

· National Alliance For Caregiving's Caregiver Summit Dr. Lewis talk (time stamp 1:02:21): youtube.com/watch?v=reWOmR31GJ8&am

Lindsay Jurist-Rosner is the Co-Founder and CEO of Wellthy, the market-leading care concierge company transforming how families navigate care for themselves and their loved ones. Two million people currently have access to Wellthy through major employers and health plans—including Best Buy, Cisco, Hilton, and Meta—and the company now employs more than 300 specialists supporting family caregivers every day.

Driven by her own 28-year caregiving journey for her mother, Lindsay set out to build the very resource she wished existed. Today, Wellthy is widely recognized for its innovation: in 2023, it earned a spot on Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies” and “Top 10 Most Innovative Workplace Companies” lists, and Lindsay was named to Inc. Magazine’s “Female Founders 200.”

Before launching Wellthy, Lindsay worked in advertising technology and media, leading marketing, product, and sales teams. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics–Operations Research from Columbia University. Her writing has appeared in Fortune, Good Housekeeping, and Employee Benefit News, and she has spoken at major events including CES. She also serves on the Board of Hilarity for Charity (HFC), founded by Seth and Lauren Rogen. Lindsay lives in New York City with her husband and four children.

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] – Lindsay shares the ROI insight that’s reshaping how employers view caregiving support.
[1:39] – We open the episode and welcome listeners from around the world.
[2:32] – Introducing Lindsay and why we’ve talked about her for years.
[2:53] – Lindsay’s personal story about becoming a dog parent through caregiving.
[5:35] – Lindsay walks us through her 28-year caregiving journey with her mom and how it inspired Wellthy.
[8:30] – Zack asks what pushed Lindsay to build Wellthy at scale.
[10:13] – Breaking down what Wellthy actually does—and how it’s evolved globally.
[14:48] – How Wellthy balances technology with the irreplaceable human side of caregiving.
[17:44] – Why human empathy still sits at the center of care concierge support.
[18:51] – The growing role of employers in caregiving benefits and organizational challenges.
[19:59] – The Harvard ROI study: what the data revealed and why it’s “profound.”
[26:33] – Shout-outs to innovative employers leading the way in caregiver support.
[31:08] – Lindsay’s vision of a “care utopia” and what the next decade may hold.
[34:31] – Why customized caregiver benefits matter—and why so many programs remain underused.

Links & Resources:

· Lindsay’s Caregiver Story: https://wellthy.com/about

· Wellthy: https://wellthy.com

· Lindsay at National Alliance for Caregiving’s Caregiver Nation Summit: https://www.caregivernationsummit.org/agenda/

· Harvard Business School ROI Report using Wellthy data:
https://www.hbs.edu/managing-the-future-of-work/research/Pages/healthy-outcomes.aspx

· Cisco – Best Places to Work: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/1000064

· Hilton – Best Places to Work: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/1000367

· UPS

In this episode, we sit down with Robert Espinoza, a national leader in caregiving, equity, and aging, for a powerful conversation that every HR professional, business leader, and working caregiver needs to hear. With personal stories and deep policy insight, Robert walks us through the systemic gaps in the long-term care system, the challenges facing our care workforce, and the real-life impact of underfunding the care economy. His message is clear: caregiving touches all of us, and we have the power to create change right where we are.

We also dive into what a thriving, sustainable care economy could look like in the future—one that respects care workers, empowers working caregivers, and ensures continuity of care for our aging population. Whether you’re in HR looking to better support your team, or a caregiver trying to navigate your dual responsibilities, this episode will leave you feeling seen, informed, and inspired to act.

Robert Espinoza is a prominent advocate and thought leader in the fields of workforce, aging, and caregiving. He is a Distinguished Fellow and Senior Advisor at the National Academy of Social Insurance, where he leads efforts to build broad, nonpartisan support for a sustainable long-term care system that meets the needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and the care workforce. He is also a Leadership & Society Fellow at the University of Chicago. He previously served as CEO of National Skills Coalition, a bipartisan, DC-based policy organization focused on workforce issues, and as Executive Vice President of Policy at PHI, the nation’s leading authority on the direct care workforce, where he directed for nearly a decade the organization’s award-winning national advocacy, research, and public education division. In addition, Robert served as a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] - Robert opens with two sides of the care story: what happens when care is undervalued vs. fully supported
[1:37] - Selma and Zack introduce Robert Espinoza and kick off the conversation
[4:07] - Robert shares his personal caregiver story and how it shaped his advocacy
[6:13] - What is the care economy and how does it impact all of us?
[8:13] - Zack discusses the aging population and asks where societal opportunities lie
[12:31] - Robert on how employers should rethink benefits and training to support working caregivers
[19:08] - What HR should start measuring to plan for the rise in working caregivers
[22:04] - Creating a lived culture of care, not just policies
[23:07] - Tips for employees to fully utilize benefits and open lines of communication with HR
[33:26] - The undervaluation of direct care workers and the need for compensation reform
[35:17] - Robert’s call to action: understand your care story and start where you have influence

Links & Resources:

• A question of care podcast: https://www.aquestionofcare.us/
• Caregiving in the US 2025: https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/ltss/family-caregiving/caregiving-in-the-us-2025/
• Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employee podcast episode 23 Grief, Caregiving, and the Power of Connection – with Leslie Weirich: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401927/episodes/17656188

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