Before enrolling at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Ilian Grigorov built Bulgaria’s largest health care system: City Clinic. The company included four hospitals and five outpatient centers.
A Turkish health care conglomerate purchased the company in 2016, leaving Grigorov open to new ventures. He found his next investment opportunity in rehabilitation and senior care facilities in Bulgaria and Greece. Then COVID-19 hit.
It was a challenging time, but Grigorov wasn’t deterred. His drive for success led him to the Master of Arts in Senior Living Hospitality (MASLH) program at USC Leonard Davis School. What he didn’t expect to find at USC was another direction for his work — longevity clinics.
From investment banking to senior living
Grigorov started his career in investment banking in the late 1990s, eventually becoming a partner at Soros Investment Capital Management. His shift to health care was fueled by a desire to do something more meaningful.
“People who work in the finance industry often talk about impact,” Grigorov explains. “Climate change is a popular interest for mission-driven investments. But I can’t think of an industry that has a more direct influence on people than health care.”
Whether it’s hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation facilities or senior living communities, Grigorov is leaving his mark at a national level.
Pursuing quality and excellence in care
From the start, Grigorov aimed to deliver world-class care. He worked with prominent U.S. health care organizations to set up cardiac and cancer centers at City Clinic. He also pursued accreditation through The Joint Commission — a premier health care accrediting organization.
“Accreditation required us to analyze patient data to find any shortfalls in care. We also developed policies and procedures to meet rigorous quality and safety standards,” Grigorov says. “We were proud to be the first in southeast Europe to receive Joint Commission accreditation.”
Grigorov also prioritized excellence when developing rehabilitation and senior care facilities. Being new to the field, he wanted to learn as much as possible.
“It was a great academic and practical experience”
When Grigorov compared his options for master’s degrees in senior living, USC Leonard Davis School rose quickly to the top. The main reason was the level of expertise among the faculty. USC professors are at the forefront of the industry in California, the U.S. and across the world.
Grigorov started the MASLH program in the fall of 2020. He attended classes online, often asynchronously due to the difference in time zones. “It was fantastic to dive into senior living academically while also developing these services in Bulgaria and Greece,” he says.
Among Grigorov’s professors, Jim Biggs, MPA, was particularly impressive. “Jim is a senior living legend,” Grigorov says. “He provided real, practical advice from the points of view of the industry, staff and residents.”
Classes Grigorov found most useful were those in finance, marketing and strategic planning. He also enjoyed looking at senior living from the lens of hospitality. MASLH students can earn a Master Certificate in Hospitality Management through Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration. These classes provided a different perspective on cost and efficiency and the importance of amenities, such as catering and social activities.
Entering the field of longevity care
Like all master’s degree programs at the USC Leonard Davis School, the MASLH program includes basic classes in gerontology. “To run a senior living facility well, you need to understand the many aspects of aging,” Grigorov says. “But I also started thinking about how this knowledge might apply to the emerging wave of longevity and wellness.”
Turning that idea into action, Grigorov founded Blue Longevity Clinic in 2024. The company combines advances in medicine and technology with Mediterranean traditions in diet and lifestyle.
Grigorov plans to open longevity clinics in Bulgaria, Greece and eventually Turkey. These clinics benefit from being in or near Greece, which is a blue zone — an area of the world where people live longest.
Helping people live longer and healthier
Blue Longevity Clinics provide rigorous health assessments for clients. Clinicians then use large-scale predictive health models to create personalized recommendations for:
- Exercise
- Nutrition
- Sleep and recovery
- Social connections and purpose
Making lifestyle changes is challenging. In general, only about 15% of people who set out to make changes stick with their plan. To improve compliance, Grigorov’s clinicians use a hybrid coaching model that includes behavioral interventions and wearable devices. This approach has been shown to increase compliance to more than 60%.
Grigorov is excited about this new direction. “I often come across USC Leonard Davis School alumni who are also working in the area of longevity,” Grigorov says. “USC has not only given me a prestigious degree. I also feel I’m part of a community of professionals dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health as they age.”
To learn more about the Master of Arts in Senior Living Hospitality at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, call us at (213) 740-5156.
