Generation Exchange is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Current Chapters
Past Chapters
MEET OUR BOARD MEMBERS
MATT ISOLA — CO-FOUNDER & BOARD PRESIDENT
Matt first created the idea for Generation Exchange as part of a class project in 2016 during his studies at the University of Colorado—Boulder. He was inspired by the impact of helping his older family friend, Ted, learn to use iPad and felt the lasting positive affect it had on him. Matt went on to develop the idea through his graduate studies, launching workshops in Boulder, Colorado that brought younger and older generations together to exchange technological skills, life experience, and meaningful connection. Matt was the organization’s Executive Director from 2018-2026. Today, he serves as President of the Generation Exchange Board and continues to guide the organization’s mission and growth in its new location in the San Francisco Bay Area.
MERYL ISOLA — CO-FOUNDER & BOARD SECRETARY
Meryl joined Generation Exchange in 2018 as a founding team member and went on to serve as Director of Operations for many years, helping expand and shape the organization’s programs in Boulder, Denver, and Fort Collins. Today, she serves as Board Secretary while remaining actively involved in workshops, operations, marketing, and the continued growth of Generation Exchange. Meryl also does all of the photography for Generation Exchange. You can see more of her work on her personal website.
FOUNDERS
Leslie Getty, Meryl Isola, and Matt Isola at Generation Exchange CSU in Fort Collins, Colorado in 2020.
FOUNDING STORY
Generation Exchange began as an idea for a class project in 2016 at the University of Colorado Boulder, when Matt Isola saw the power of bringing younger and older generations together through technology help. He was inspired by his own experience helping his older family friend, Ted, learn to use his iPad. Showing him the magic of FaceTime changed Ted’s life by giving him the ability to connect visually with family and friends daily. Matt felt the fulfillment of helping Ted navigate his technology and knew the one-on-one pairing of older and younger adults was something that needed to exist at scale. Matt went on to develop the workshop model as part of his master’s program at the University of Colorado—Boulder in 2018. Leslie Getty, a filmmaker of 25 years who had experienced firsthand the importance of helping his own mother navigate her technology, quickly recognized the impact of the idea and joined Matt soon after he started running programs. Meryl Isola (previously Balusek) joined the team immediately after, and together they established Generation Exchange workshop chapters at University of Colorado—Boulder, University of Denver, and Colorado State University. When the COVID-19 pandemic made gathering in person impossible, they continued the mission through virtual workshops, keeping the same one-on-one pairing process.
Generation Exchange officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on December 13, 2019.
Generation Exchange discontinued workshop operations in Colorado in 2023. As of 2026, the nonprofit serves the San Francisco Bay Area community at the new workshop location in Pleasanton, California.