The Unsung Heroes

Being Neighbourly x Grace Cheng, Agewhale

Author/ Being Neighbourly
21 January 2026

According to Grace Cheng, CEO and founder of social enterprise Agewhale, there are critical gaps in Hong Kong’s eldercare ecosystem.

She learned this the hard way after experiencing firsthand the overwhelming challenges of caring for her grandparents, with whom she had a very close bond, during their final years.

She says that when they required care, she felt completely unprepared. “I was frantically searching online for resources, feeling helpless watching their decline, and experiencing tremendous guilt when I couldn’t care for them properly. The lack of accessible guidance and fragmented support systems made an already difficult situation even more challenging.”

Cheng says that her grandmother died alone in hospital during COVID-19. However, when caring for her grandfather, they celebrated their last Chinese New Year together at home, which allowed him to pass peacefully in his favorite chair with family by his side.

“What haunts me most is knowing I could have provided better care if I had had the knowledge and support I have now. I could have started conversations about their preferences earlier, arranged better support systems, and prepared emotionally for the challenges ahead.” It was out of these sentiments that Cheng established Agewhale in July 2023.

“Agewhale’s mission is to ensure no family navigates [the caretaking] journey alone. We are an impact-driven social enterprise committed to enhancing the quality of life for older adults and their family caregivers. Through personalized care navigation services for individuals, comprehensive workplace support for companies, and educational resources for the public, we strive to transform caregiving into a positive experience for all. My vision is to establish Agewhale as the leading social innovator in family caregiver support, ensuring that everyone can have a fulfilling caregiving journey.”

According to Cheng, Agewhale services operate on three interconnected pillars, each addressing critical gaps in Hong Kong’s eldercare ecosystem. “For families, we provide personalized care navigation services that function as a comprehensive support system. This includes initial needs assessments where we evaluate the specific challenges each family faces, help develop tailored care plans that consider the older person’s preferences and family dynamics, and coordinate with various service providers to ensure seamless care delivery.”

Their corporate services address a significant blind spot in workplace support. With Hong Kong’s rapidly aging population, an increasing number of employees are juggling work responsibilities with elder care duties, leading to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and forcing talented workers, predominantly women, to leave the workforce entirely.

“We offer comprehensive workplace solutions including caregiving needs assessments to help companies understand their employees’ challenges, educational workshops led by our team to prepare employees for future caregiving responsibilities, and personalized consultations for employees currently managing elder care.”

Meanwhile, their educational services extend beyond corporate settings to community outreach. “We’ve conducted sessions for various organizations, reaching over 3,000 people through live events, while our online educational content has been accessed by more than 50,000 people across different platforms,” Cheng says, adding that they also create employment opportunities for former caregivers by training them as professional care coordinators, recognizing their valuable experience as a professional qualification and helping them reintegrate into the workforce, while supporting current caregivers who understand their journey intimately.

Building awareness has also seen Cheng taking to the TEDx stage in a presentation that was selected as a global TEDx Editor’s Pick, reaching close to 30,000 views; and being recognized as a ‘Top Innovator’ by the World Economic Forum’s UpLink platform.

“One of our most meaningful success stories comes from our workplace pilot program, where we witnessed the transformative impact of our educational sessions and individual caregiver support. One participant of the educational session told us: “I’m amazed by the depth of discussion about elderly care. I came looking for practical documents and left with so much more. There were a lot of thoughtful tips on aspects I had never thought to consider. Would definitely recommend it to everyone!”

She shares that during our consultation sessions, participants consistently share how the service provides them with options they had never considered before and practical next steps that feel manageable.

“The future I envision for Agewhale is one where caregiving is recognized not as an individual burden but as a shared societal responsibility that we can navigate with preparation, support, and dignity,” she says adding that in the immediate term, they’re scaling their proven workplace caregiver support model across Hong Kong.

“Our successful pilot with 20 leading employers has demonstrated clear demand and measurable impact, and we’re now working to make these services accessible to companies of all sizes.”

“This is about fundamentally changing how society values care work and creating pathways for women to thrive professionally regardless of their caregiving responsibilities.”

“Ultimately, my aspiration is that Agewhale contributes to a future where aging is viewed not as something to fear, but as a natural continuation of life we can navigate with preparation, support and dignity,” she explains.

“I want to normalize conversations about aging planning before crisis strikes, creating robust support networks and workplace cultures that recognize caregiving as a natural part of life rather than a career liability.”

What’s the best work advice you have received?

“The best work advice I’ve ever received is to see setbacks as growth opportunities and to lean on your support network, because you can’t do everything yourself,” says Grace Cheng, CEO of Agewhale.

“Early in Agewhale’s journey, I faced multiple funding rejections and pilot challenges that felt disheartening. Instead of viewing these as failures, I learned to pause, reflect on what didn’t work, and pivot our approach to better serve families and companies.”

“At the same time, I discovered the importance of asking for help—whether from mentors who offered strategic guidance, volunteers who lent their time and empathy, or team members who brought fresh perspectives. Embracing that support made all the difference.”

“I remain profoundly grateful to our advisors for their wisdom, to our funders and corporate partners for believing in our vision, to our volunteers for their compassion, and to every team member who is committed to empowering caregivers. Their encouragement fuels my resilience and reminds me that success is a collective effort.”

Agewhale
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