Older people who struggle with technology are often figures of fun, at least in our house. But the frustration and sense of isolation felt by technologically-challenged seniors is genuine. It’s a problem Sally Ng plans to address with her technology programs for older people.

Ng is best known regionally as the founding executive director of Planet Hatch, Fredericton’s incubator for startups. She is currently taking her idea, which she’s calling Digilearn.ca, through Fredericton’s B4Change accelerator for social ventures at the Pond-Deshpande Centre.

It’s a busy time, as Ng is also growing her new company The Triple Effect.

“Many of the things I did at Planet Hatch I’m now doing for corporations,” she said. “Initiatives like developing startup communities, corporate innovation, helping develop technologies . . . That’s why I’ve called my new venture The Triple Effect.”

It’s been more than 18 months since the native of Malaysia left Planet Hatch. In that time, her work projects have included helping launch Charlottetown’s new entrepreneurship centre, Startup Zone, and assisting Atlantic Lottery with a Catalyst Program, which encourages employees to think like entrepreneurs.

Her inspiration for Digilearn.ca came from watching her parents, Richard and Grace Ng. Her father owns a paving company and still uses carbon paper for estimates. Two years ago, he bought cell phones in bulk because he was scared the technology would change and he wouldn’t be able to cope.

Her father was also 24 hours late learning about the birth of a recent grandchild because he doesn’t connect on social media with his geographically scattered family.

“Dad’s a little isolated from the world,” Ng said. “He lacks basic knowledge, although he wants to acquire it. I asked myself — why is there nothing like Kumon (the children’s math program) for seniors?”

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Ng said there are some government-sponsored programs that teach basic technology, but not many.

She plans to pilot Digilearn.ca with Fredericton community groups at the end of this month. She and her colleague Mark Loggie are currently testing topics for their workshops. Under consideration: online shopping; Facebook; avoiding danger online and password management.

Ng wants the teacher-to-learner ratio to be 1:5 or 1:6. Initially, teachers will volunteer and be paid an honorarium. A name for the course has not yet been decided on, although Ng says she hopes to avoid the word ‘seniors’.”

She said that, with her experience of entrepreneurship, not everything she is learning on the B4Change accelerator is new, but she is benefitting, especially from the peer support.

“I really wanted the peer support and the accountability,” she said. “I’ve been working alone for over a year and it’s pretty lonely. . . It’s great to have people to bounce ideas off.”

In mid-June, Ng will head to Berlin to take part in the summit held by the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance. Ng is accustomed to travelling in her long-standing role as a facilitator with Startup Weekend, (she also holds a commercial pilot’s license), but this time she is excited to be representing Canada.

“There’ll be 35 of us from Canada, 500 globally, all under 40. We’ll be working with deputy ministers on initiatives that we’ll translate to action back home, for example, by presenting to schools, economic development agencies.”

When she returns, she hopes to begin piloting her seniors’ technology classes in Fredericton.

It will then be piloted in Halifax.

“Halifax has so many initiatives. There is more attention focused on seniors and aging,” she said of the choice.