Angela Fairhurst of Los Angeles-based on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Angela Fairhurst and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Spending time with my adult children who both live away.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Angela Fairhurst, Founder & CEO of Geri-Gadgets®, a sensory engagement company inspired by my caregiving experience with my mother. When I couldn’t find safe, durable, washable tools that helped her feel calm and connected, I created them myself. That became Geri-Gadgets®—a patented line of SafeTouch™ silicone kits now used in dementia care, special education, neurodivergent communities, and rehabilitation programs.

Made from medical-grade SafeTouch™ silicone, our kits are soft, mouth-safe, dishwasher safe, and built for real-world care settings. What sets us apart is our focus on dignity and inclusivity—providing safe, washable, screen-free tools that support touch, curiosity, and communication for people of all ages and abilities.

Today, Geri-Gadgets® is used across the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand. with new themed kits and research collaborations underway. My mission is to create hands-on tools that help people feel seen and supported, and give caregivers meaningful ways to connect when communication is hard.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I wasn’t capable of much. My parents valued education and encouraged traditional careers—they once suggested dentistry—but I was an English major who felt creative, awkward, and very much a late bloomer. I didn’t yet understand that there were paths beyond the predictable ones.

What I know now is that capability often reveals itself through experience. Luck and timing opened the door to television, and creativity helped me see the whitespace that eventually led me to entrepreneurship. I’ve learned to trust the strengths I didn’t recognize in myself as a child and to follow the ideas that don’t fit neatly into anyone else’s expectations.

When did you last change your mind about something important?
The last time I changed my mind about something important was when I realized that reinvention was still possible for me. I had a long career in television and never imagined stepping into the world of dementia care or product development. But caregiving for my mother changed everything. I went from believing I had to stay in the lane I’d always been in to understanding that I could create something entirely new—and needed to.

That mindset shift is what allowed me to build Geri-Gadgets®. I stopped thinking, “Who am I to do this?” and started asking, “Who better than someone who has lived it?” Changing my mind about my own limitations opened the door to a new career, a mission, and a company I never expected to lead.

It taught me that reinvention isn’t reserved for the beginning of your life—sometimes it arrives exactly when you think your story is already written.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
For most of my life, the public version of me was the version that fit the job I had at the time. In television, I was polished and unflappable. As a travel journalist, I leaned into the storyteller and adventurer in me. But the real “me” is the person who became a caregiver, who sat with the hard moments, and who learned how meaningful small moments of connection can be.

Today, the public version of me and the real me are finally the same. I’m still creative and driven, but I’m also more grounded, more honest, and more mission-centered than I ever was earlier in my career. Building Geri-Gadgets® came from a deeply personal place, and that experience aligned who I am privately with the work I do publicly.

I no longer feel the need to perform a role — I get to show up as someone who cares, creates, and tries to make things better for families and care communities. That is the most real version of me.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m creating something that has purpose behind it. For years, that meant storytelling in television, but later it became caring for my mother. Sitting with her—holding her hand, helping her feel safe—taught me that peace comes from being fully present with another person. That experience changed me in a lasting way.

I find that same peace now when I see the impact of the work I’m doing. Whether it’s a resident engaging with a sensory tool or a caregiver finding a moment of calm, there’s something grounding about knowing that something I created out of love and necessity is helping someone else feel connected.

For me, peace comes from contributing to something meaningful.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Portrait of Angela Fairhurst by Hugo Palette

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