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Starting a business in a field as personal and essential as elder care is no small feat. Daniel Clarke, founder of Elderado, was inspired by his own experience navigating the complex and often overwhelming world of elder care. His frustration with the lack of transparency and support in the industry led him to start Elderado—a platform designed to help families in Ontario, Canada find, compare, and make informed decisions about long-term care and retirement homes. What began as a deeply personal mission has evolved into a business that now helps over 50,000 people.
But like many entrepreneurs, Daniel faced challenges when scaling his company. That's where his partnership with Riipen's Advance Ontario program came into play, helping him access talented students who could assist with various aspects of his business, all while keeping costs manageable.
A personal mission to solve a critical issue.
Daniel’s journey into entrepreneurship was motivated by a personal experience with his grandparents. He spent considerable time helping his grandfather manage the burden of elder care when his grandmother was diagnosed with Lupus. This first-hand experience led him to realize the gaps in the elder care sector.
As Daniel says, "Why wasn’t there something like Booking.com for elder care?" This insight sparked the idea for Elderado, a platform designed to bridge the information gap between families and long-term care homes.
Starting Elderado was not without its challenges. Daniel had to overcome the difficulty of gathering information about 1400 licensed retirement homes and long-term care facilities across Ontario—a task that took over 4 months. But once the information was gathered, it was time to create a website that allowed users to easily compare and access care options.
Choosing the name: The story behind Elderado.
When Daniel first set out to build his company, the name Senior Care Map was his starting point. However, his advisor—David, his boss at his previous company—suggested the name didn’t quite align with his vision. Instead, David proposed the name Elderado, a play on the lost city of gold from Mayan culture. “Elderado is the city of gold and prosperity from Mayan culture, so the name was our way of talking about the positive aspects of senior living,” Daniel explains.
The inspiration for this name came from Daniel’s desire to shift the narrative around senior living, which is often dominated by negative stories. “When you hear about senior living, you hear so many horror stories. We wanted to shine a spotlight on the positive aspects of senior living, because it can almost be like a resort for seniors. Yes, there’s room for improvement, but there’s a lot to celebrate as well.” Daniel emphasizes that the perfect name doesn’t always come at the start: “Branding is important, but the hunt for the perfect name can't halt the progress of what you're building.”
Measuring impact: Helping 50,000 people and counting.
Elderado’s impact on the community has been remarkable. "We can see the number of users that come through the platform, so we rely heavily on Google Analytics to see who’s using the platform and what resources are bringing people in," Daniel explains. The platform has now helped over 50,000 people make informed decisions about elder care.
Daniel and his team pay close attention to what resources users are seeking, whether it’s home care, long-term care homes, or retirement homes. They also track what’s driving users’ decision-making processes. One major pain point they identified was the time-consuming task of calling multiple homes to check availability. In response, Elderado launched the Retirement Living Availability Registry (RLAR) to display which retirement homes have available space, drastically reducing the time families spend making phone calls.
"We also connect with caregiving groups, hospitals, and Ontario Health Teams to gather feedback," Daniel says. "The live chat feature on the website goes directly to my phone, so I can get immediate input and make improvements quickly." This direct communication with users ensures that Elderado is always addressing real needs in the community.
Additionally, Elderado developed a system that enables retirement homes to register their availability in under two minutes and update their information on a monthly basis. This has made it easier for homes to stay connected with the platform, and the increased visibility has helped them reach more families in need of care. "The RLAR acts as a bridge between families in crisis and retirement homes, with current availability," Daniel adds.
Leveraging Riipen’s support to grow.
In 2023, Daniel discovered a valuable resource in Riipen’s Advance Ontario program, where Daniel collaborated with talented students who helped him scale key aspects of the business with two teams. Team one helped transform recorded Zoom calls into informative articles and social media clips, while team two assisted in adding descriptions for over 250 retirement homes.
This success led Daniel to William, a co-op from the University of Waterloo, who built the website that was essential for Elderado’s functionality. “We found William in September 2023. He started as a co-op and then stayed on. Seeing what he was capable of doing was amazing, and financially in line with getting the company off the ground. I was so impressed with what he was able to build, and stayed with us until March of 2025, and has now moved to the tech space and is working in Silicon Valley, making amazing money.”
Thanks to Riipen, Daniel was able to access skilled talent without the financial burden of hiring full-time staff. The students made significant contributions to content creation, including writing descriptions for homes and creating valuable social media content. “Without that help, would we still be here today? I don’t know,” he reflects.
Looking ahead: The power of work-integrated learning in scaling startups.
Today, Elderado continues to thrive, with plans to expand its services to other regions while maintaining the company’s integrity and commitment to providing valuable resources for families. The company has a growing customer base, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Daniel attributes some of this success to the insights and support his team has received from students. "It’s been a game-changer," Daniel says. "We’ve been able to tap into talent that’s affordable and reliable, helping us reach new milestones much faster."
With the support of the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) and their mentorship through the Ignite program, Daniel and his team are preparing for expansion into new provinces and categories. The monthly training sessions and guidance they receive help them navigate challenges and accelerate their growth. “It helps us accelerate the process as we learn from people’s mistakes,” Daniel shares.
Daniel’s story is a testament to the power of work-integrated learning (WIL) in helping startups thrive. Through his partnership with Riipen, Daniel has been able to access the right talent at the right time, driving growth and helping Elderado provide a much-needed service for Ontario’s elder care community.
For entrepreneurs looking to scale, tapping into student talent can provide significant advantages, including cost-effective, high-quality work and fresh perspectives that push your business forward.
If you're interested in learning how Riipen can support your business or institution, reach out today and see how you can start leveraging work-integrated learning to boost your company’s growth.
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