(Pictured above, left to right: Kyle Robidoux, Janet Seckel-Cerrotti, and Dr. Richard Schwartz)
FriendshipWorks is home to leading experts on the issue of social isolation among older adults, with more than four decades of direct service experience in Greater Boston. Our team brings a deep understanding of how social connection impacts health, dignity, and quality of life—insights grounded in both research and on-the-ground programming. If you're covering aging, loneliness, or community health, our staff and volunteers are available to provide expert commentary, compelling stories, and proven solutions. From academic insight to real-world impact, our subject matter experts can speak to the challenges and innovations in reducing elder isolation. We invite reporters and producers to connect with us for interviews, data, and human-interest stories that highlight the power of friendship and community-based care.
Please contact our Marketing & Communications Strategist, Laura Willis at: lwillis@fw4elders.org or by phone at (617) 482-1510 X 123 to get started.
Kyle Robidoux is the Executive Director of FriendshipWorks, dedicated to the mission of ending social isolation among older adults. First connected to the organization in 2017, Kyle served as Board President before stepping into the Executive Director role. A respected nonprofit leader and former Assistant Director in Boston’s Office of Housing Stability, he brings decades of experience community organizing, strategic planning, and civic engagement.
Diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease at age 11 and declared legally blind at 19, Kyle has spent his career breaking down barriers and redefining what’s possible. As a person living with a visual impairment, he understands the impact of how a disability can increase the risk of experiencing social isolation and the action steps needed to prevent it. He is an accomplished public speaker and group facilitator, known for his engaging presentations in classrooms, conferences, and interactive Q&A sessions. A dedicated advocate, skier, and accomplished Marathoner and endurance athlete, Kyle leads with authenticity, resilience, and a lifelong commitment to inclusion and connection.
Connect with Kyle on LinkedIn KyleRobidoux.com
Janet Seckel-Cerrotti is the Founder and former Executive Director of FriendshipWorks, championing the mission to reduce social isolation and enhance the quality of life for older adults in Greater Boston since 1984. Prior to her role as Executive Director, Janet served as Coordinator of Volunteers and Program Director. She holds an MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work and is a graduate of LeadBoston. Janet has held leadership roles in various organizations, including founding member and former Board Chair of the National Volunteer Caregiving Network, and board member of the Boston Partnership for Older Adults. Currently, she is Vice President of the national board of Aging forward, a member of the Beacon Hill Village Advisory Council, and involved with the MA Healthy Aging Collaborative Advisor Council and the MA Task Force to End Loneliness and Build Community. Janet has been featured by Massachusetts Comcast Newsmakers, the New York Times, Boston Globe, CBS Boston, and Humankind Public Radio sharing her expertise on healthy aging and the positive impact of social connection on the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of older adults.
Janet brings deep experience and insight in:
- Developing and managing volunteer programs
- Fostering intergenerational and cross-faith/cultural relationships
- Highlighting the importance of purpose and connection in later life
- Leading with passion, empathy, and vision
Dr. Richard Schwartz is a practicing psychiatrist, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and a nationally recognized expert on loneliness and human connection. He co-authored The Lonely American: Drifting Apart in the Twenty-First Century and two other books with his wife, Jacqueline. His research led him to FriendshipWorks while seeking meaningful solutions to social isolation for patients — and, impressed by the model, he joined the Board in September of 2022.
Richard brings both professional and personal insight to the mission, having witnessed his 101-year-old mother outlive her spouse and old friends, and encounter her own physical limitations. He is passionate about expanding FriendshipWorks’ reach and sees it as a national model for addressing loneliness and building lasting relationships. In addition to his clinical and teaching roles, he is Senior Consultant in Residency Training in the Massachusetts General Hospital-McLean Hospital Combined Residency Program. He has also served on the Faculties of the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute and Society and the Psychoanalytic Family and Couples Institute of New England. When he’s not working, he enjoys time with family and friends, music, and swimming.
