When Sonam Bhayani speaks about ageing, she doesn’t talk about decline. She talks about possibility. Purpose. Dignity. Joy. Her voice carries the conviction of someone who has spent years looking beyond society’s assumptions and into the quiet spaces where people – particularly older people – are too often unseen.
As the Founder and CEO of 2ND INNINGS, the UAE’s pioneering social enterprise for senior wellbeing and ageing innovation, she’s reframing what it means to grow older in one of the world’s most future-focused nations. “We’re transforming ageing from a need-based sector to an aspirational lifestyle space,” she says, describing a movement built on community, policy influence, and emotional repair.
Her work began with a simple but urgent observation: despite ageing being universal, older people were becoming increasingly invisible. “While working across community spaces, I saw seniors who once shaped families, businesses, and society now feeling invisible,” she recalls. “That became my turning point.”
What followed wasn’t a linear path, but a deeply human one.
Sonam’s “aha moment” arrived when she asked the questions no one else seemed to ask: Who’s taking care of seniors’ emotional wellbeing? Who’s designing platforms for their joy, dignity, and belonging? “The answer,” she says, “was almost no one.”
Leaving behind conventional pathways, she launched 2ND INNINGS – long before senior wellbeing became a recognised development priority. There was no roadmap. Instead, she built one with courage and empathy.
Every time a senior looked at her and said, “I feel alive again,” she knew she was on the right path. Her insights shaped her mission: “Ageing isn’t a problem – isolation is. Seniors don’t need charity – they need community. If we build ecosystems with empathy, dignity becomes a natural outcome.”
These ideas later anchored 2ND INNINGS’ one-stop ecosystem for engagement, purpose, support networks, and meaningful experiences.
Under her leadership, 2ND INNINGS has grown far beyond gatherings or programmes. “Our impact goes beyond events – we’re reframing ageing as a development priority in the UAE,” she explains. The venture is backed by State and Federal Government programmes, aligned with the Year of Community (2025) and Year of Family (2026), and supported through recognition, mentorship, workshops, grants, and EIR opportunities. As a member participant of the UN Global Compact, 2ND INNINGS is also advancing SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Through these partnerships – and its role as the UAE’s only entity focused on senior citizens, a designated “vulnerable group” – the organisation helps policymakers view senior wellbeing as measurable, investable, and essential. This isn’t an initiative; it’s systems change.
“Our journey is guided by hope, inclusion, and a simple truth – every person deserves purpose at every age,” she says.
Her belief in social innovation is rooted in empathy. “When communities prioritise wellbeing, equity, and inclusive ecosystems, we shift from transactional societies to human-centred ones.” In that shift, she sees the seeds of a better future.
Sonam views her mission not as a career, but as “a responsibility to shape kinder systems for the next generation.” To her, success means creating something that endures – a movement, a mindset shift, a framework of support. “Success, to me, is creating something that outlives you.”
Forging a new category in an under-recognised sector came with challenges. Scaling 2ND INNINGS meant confronting limited infrastructure, funding constraints, and entrenched perceptions. She navigated this through “data-driven impact metrics combined with heartfelt storytelling,” building credibility through evidence and lived transformation. “We gradually proved that senior-focused social enterprises can be both meaningful and sustainable,” she says.
Her advice to her younger self reflects this long-view philosophy: “Trust the invisible work. The seeds you plant quietly will bloom when you least expect.”
Among her proudest moments is seeing a previously isolated senior rediscover confidence. “He began attending events, sharing his wisdom, and forming friendships – small steps that completely transformed his quality of life,” she says. “Moments like this remind me that our work is not just about programs; it’s about human transformation.”
These subtleties – quiet but profound – continue to fuel her mission.
She sees the next decade as a tipping point. “Ageing will no longer be viewed as a phase of decline but as a period of opportunity,” she predicts. Preventive wellbeing, social engagement, intergenerational programmes, and tech-enabled solutions will define the landscape – and she intends 2ND INNINGS to lead the way.
“What inspires me daily is witnessing how a simple community moment, a shared story, or a renewed sense of purpose can transform someone’s outlook,” she says. The elders she works with ground her and reinforce her belief that societies thrive when every generation is valued.
Her desired legacy is clear: “A world that honours its elders, where ageing is dignified, joyful, and socially integrated.”
As a woman entrepreneur in a historically overlooked sector, she’s had to challenge perceptions. “It’s meant facing biases around credibility and funding access,” she shares. She overcame these by owning her voice, building alliances, and letting outcomes speak louder than assumptions.
Her advice to women forging their own paths is energising: “Believe in your vision, even when the world doubts it. Don’t wait for permission – build the future you imagine.”
She also highlights a persistent barrier: funding for women-led projects. “Despite strong ideas and proven impact, women entrepreneurs often face higher barriers,” she says, calling for more equitable funding streams.
Her own leadership, shaped by identity and lived experience, has become a strength. “It’s made me more empathetic, collaborative, and purpose-driven,” she reflects.
If Sonam could place one message on a billboard, it’d be just ten words: “Celebrate every age. Empower every generation. Live fully.”
It’s more than a slogan. It’s the world she’s building – one community, one partnership, one transformed life at a time.
