Helen Hirsh Spence
Founder/CEO at Top Sixty Over Sixty
Professional Training and Coaching
Education: Dickinson College, BA, UOttawa, Bed - UOttawa, M.Ed
Ottawa, ON, Canada
Biography
Helen Hirsh Spence is a powerful voice at the intersection of longevity, leadership, and age inclusion. Her TEDx talk—"Embrace Age with a Longevity Mindset"—captivated audiences worldwide, garnering over 100,000 views in its first month and sparking international dialogue around how we perceive and value older adults.
A sought-after keynote speaker, Helen has delivered high impact talks on stages across Canada and around the world, including for the United Nations, the Conference Board of Canada, the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners, the Bank of Montreal, and other leading institutions. Her presentations are known for being thought-provoking, engaging, and deeply relevant to today’s shifting social and economic landscape.
Helen draws on decades of executive leadership, public sector innovation, and social entrepreneurship. As the founder of Top Sixty Over Sixty, she leads a movement to challenge ageism and champion intergenerational equity, offering practical insights on age-inclusive strategies, the future of work, and how to harness the power of experience in a multigenerational world.
Whether addressing corporate leaders, policymakers, or grassroots changemakers, Helen brings clarity, energy, and inspiration. Her style is equal parts visionary and grounded, backed by research, lived experience, and a lifelong commitment to equity and innovation
Passion
I am passionate about:
sharing the benefits/advantages of ageing;
inspiring all generations to look forward to longevity;
and, to dispel the multitude of damaging misinformation about ageing that has fueled an ageist epidemic in the world today (WHO 2021 Global Report on Ageism).
Best Story
Climbing Kilimanjaro—and Breaking Barriers
As Head of School at Elmwood, Ottawa’s only all-girls school, I believed deeply in leading by example. Over the years, I had championed student-led initiatives from Terry Fox Runs to breast cancer fundraisers, showing up not just in support, but in solidarity. But one project changed everything.
After supporting the construction of a new school in rural Tanzania, I joined twenty of my 15–17-year-old female students to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro via the remote Rongai route. It wasn’t just a hike—it was a statement. I was nearly 60, in good health, and determined to show that age should never be a barrier to ambition, challenge, or leadership.
We climbed together, step by step, through altitude and adversity. Many didn’t reach the summit—but I did. And there, at nearly 20,000 feet above sea level, where the curvature of the earth reveals itself from Africa’s highest point, I had an epiphany. I knew it was time to shift my path.
I finished my term as Head of School, formally retired, and committed the next decades of my life to global not-for-profit work and starting a social enterprise to promote age equity and eradicate ageism.
That climb marked more than the summit of a mountain—it was the beginning of a new purpose-driven chapter!
Origin Story
After devoting 35 years to increasingly senior leadership positions in both the public and private education sectors, Helen embarked on a journey of social entrepreneurship. She saw how ageism was impacting her generation and how the upcoming demographic shift to "older" would affect Canada’s social and economic fabric. She founded Top Sixty Over Sixty which provides thought leadership, consulting and training on longevity strategies for business, the power of the multigenerational workforce, and the positive narrative of ageing. Helen is an author, publishes articles, speaks at conferences, and organizes events to inspire and encourage a reframed understanding of what it means to age in the 21st century.
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
Everything is negotiable
Topics
Best Story
Climbing Kilimanjaro—and Breaking Barriers
As Head of School at Elmwood, Ottawa’s only all-girls school, I believed deeply in leading by example. Over the years, I had championed student-led initiatives from Terry Fox Runs to breast cancer fundraisers, showing up not just in support, but in solidarity. But one project changed everything.
After supporting the construction of a new school in rural Tanzania, I joined twenty of my 15–17-year-old female students to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro via the remote Rongai route. It wasn’t just a hike—it was a statement. I was nearly 60, in good health, and determined to show that age should never be a barrier to ambition, challenge, or leadership.
We climbed together, step by step, through altitude and adversity. Many didn’t reach the summit—but I did. And there, at nearly 20,000 feet above sea level, where the curvature of the earth reveals itself from Africa’s highest point, I had an epiphany. I knew it was time to shift my path.
I finished my term as Head of School, formally retired, and committed the next decades of my life to global not-for-profit work and starting a social enterprise to promote age equity and eradicate ageism.
That climb marked more than the summit of a mountain—it was the beginning of a new purpose-driven chapter!
Origin Story
After devoting 35 years to increasingly senior leadership positions in both the public and private education sectors, Helen embarked on a journey of social entrepreneurship. She saw how ageism was impacting her generation and how the upcoming demographic shift to "older" would affect Canada’s social and economic fabric. She founded Top Sixty Over Sixty which provides thought leadership, consulting and training on longevity strategies for business, the power of the multigenerational workforce, and the positive narrative of ageing. Helen is an author, publishes articles, speaks at conferences, and organizes events to inspire and encourage a reframed understanding of what it means to age in the 21st century.