Benita Cooper

Benita Cooper is an award-winning, Harvard-trained community leader and national pioneer in solving the overlooked healthcare crisis of social isolation among seniors, and creating opportunities for greater inter-generational connection.

Her journey began with a deeply personal inspiration: her grandmother’s stories. Determined to preserve that wisdom and provide older adults with a sense of dignity, Benita founded The Best Day of My Life So Far in 2009. What began humbly at the Philadelphia Senior Center with one table and a pen has grown into a regionally rooted, nationally reaching network of storytelling groups. More than 15 years later, those weekly sessions have never stopped. They have created ripples of impact across healthcare systems, academic institutions, and communities, proving that connection is a powerful form of care.

Benita is a sought-after speaker and trainer, teaching health professionals how to integrate active listening and compassionate care into their practice. At conferences and public events, she shares stories that illustrate how loneliness and disconnection can be as dangerous as chronic disease, and how low-cost, human-centered solutions can dramatically improve outcomes. Audiences leave with a broader perspective on the definition of health, and practical strategies to apply in their own work.

Her leadership has been formally recognized by both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey State Senates, which commended her for “excellence,” “character,” and meaningful contributions toward a better society. She has been honored by the Philadelphia Business Journal as a Woman of Influence and Minority Business Leader, by SJ Magazine as a Woman of Excellence, and by many more media outlets and organizations for her pioneering impact.

Yet Benita’s influence doesn’t stop at healthcare. Through her firm, Benita Cooper Design, she has redefined what it means to build “meaningful, exquisite structures that shape human experiences.” Her design portfolio spans historic preservation, residential, hospitality, and retail, each project reflecting her belief that environments should uplift the people who inhabit them. She is also an educator, teaching at institutions like the University of Washington and University of Pennsylvania, and a STEM advocate, inspiring youth to pursue architecture, construction, and design.

Learn more about her story and the origins of our organization on the Our Story page, and visit our Press page to hear and see Benita speak on TV, podcasts, and more.