Rachel Lankester

I’m a communications strategist, writer, author and applied gerontologist with a career spanning business, publishing, entrepreneurship, public engagement and research.

I specialise in taking complex ideas and making them clear, compelling and useful, whether that means shaping a communications strategy, translating evidence for a wider audience, developing content and thought leadership or helping an organisation work out what it really wants to say.

I hold an MSc in Gerontology and an MBA in Management of Innovation, and I aim to work in an applied way at the intersection of ageing, health, technology, policy and communication. My work focuses on helping organisations translate complex evidence into clear, credible narratives and engagement strategies, particularly where issues are sensitive, contested or have real-world consequences.

Alongside senior in-house, agency and independent communications roles, I have founded and led initiatives focused on ageing, menopause and evidence quality, and have contributed to national and international policy and media discussions around public trust, misinformation and research integrity.

In addition to consultancy, I also work directly with women in midlife as a Midlife Mentor and with families as an Elder Care Doula, helping them navigate the practical and emotional realities of an older relative's changing needs. My lived experience continually informs my consultancy, speaking and policy work.

Where My Work Is Most Useful

My background in senior communications, gerontology and public engagement means my work can be most useful in contexts where evidence, people and systems intersect, particularly when clarity, credibility and trust matter.

In practice, this includes work with or alongside:

• Research institutes and universities, especially where insight needs to be translated for policy, practice or public audiences
• Charities, NGOs and foundations working on ageing, women's health, equality or social impact
• Policy and public bodies, including those engaging with ageing populations, midlife women, work, health and digital inclusion
• Health, wellbeing and ageing programmes, where communication has ethical and practical consequences
• Technology and innovation teams, particularly those developing or deploying products and services for older people and diverse user groups

Across these settings, I’m able to help organisations think clearly, communicate responsibly, and engage more effectively with the people and communities their work affects.

Increasingly, my focus is on work at the interface of academic research, technology development and public policy in the context of ageing societies.

I’m always interested in thoughtful projects involving communications, evidence, ageing, public understanding or social change. Please get in touch:

Email: rachel @ larchmaker.com
LinkedIn: Rachel Lankester