Hannah Thomson

About this Speaker

Hannah Thomson is the Founder CEO of The Joy Club. She was initially inspired to start the company by her Granny Jean. For Jean, retirement was the most joyful time of her life. Her retirement adventures included backpacking around New Zealand solo, volunteering in Bulgaria and becoming an amazing painter! When Hannah lost Granny Jean to dementia, she wanted to pay tribute to her by bringing her sense of joy, adventure and passion for meeting new people to as many others as possible. That’s why in 2019, Hannah left her job at a women’s health technology company to begin working on what was to become The Joy Club. She knew from the very beginning that it was crucial to involve retired people in the creation of the company. Within that first year, over 100 retired people were involved in making decisions on everything from the website design and the types of activities The Joy Club would offer, to the brand colours and even the name itself. The Joy Club launched in December 2020 and is now the go-to place for community, activities and inspirational articles and videos for thousands of retirees across the UK. Before founding The Joy Club, Hannah held key roles in several award-winning startups, including femtech company Elvie, where she was Head of Health and Strategic Partnerships. She has degrees in human rights and business practices in life sciences, and is a graduate of the Oxford University Fintech Programme. Her multidisciplinary background reflects her curiosity about the world and her passion to use technology to change it for the better. Outside of work, Hannah is a keen adventurer! She has hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc, sailed across the Atlantic and run an ultra-marathon from the Lizard to Land’s End. In 2020 she ran the virtual 40th London Marathon in memory of her granny and to raise money for Age UK, a challenge she completed again in 2021 alongside thousands of other runners - this time in the capital itself! Hannah has also volunteered for Age UK for over three years, including by being a telephone befriender for a shielding older person during the three national lockdowns.