Silvernest is one of several home-sharing platforms connecting homeowners with roommates. But what’s distinctive about the Denver-based company is that it’s riding multiple powerful trends affecting the US economy. According to CEO and co-founder Wendi Burkhardt, the typical homeowner who posts a room for rent on Silvernest is a female baby boomer, often unmarried, who finds herself long on spare rooms and short on companions. Renters, meanwhile, average 40 years old and are looking for an economical place to live in desirable US areas. With 50% percent of baby boomers having saved less than $100,000 for retirement (PwC) and the cost of aging skyrocketing, it’s easy to see why an empty nester would wish to turn an extra room into an income source. The acute problems for a generation who didn’t grow up meeting people online, though, relate to the understandable concerns over renter trustworthiness and safety. Enter Silvernest, which emphasizes a background and diligence check as core to its offering. “Several studies by AARP show that living in isolation can be more hazardous to one’s health than smoking 15 cigarettes per day,” said Burkhardt. “With Silvernest, homeowners and renters can rest assured in knowing that parties can come together in a way that maximizes the security of all parties involved.”

This article was published as part of Weekly Briefing No. 90