40 Under 40: Drew Lakin

It was after seeing how hard it is for families to find reliable, compassionate home care that Drew Lakin had an idea.

“What started as a desire to serve the community grew into building a business focused on dignity, trust and high-quality care,” said Lakin of what became Visiting Angels of Coeur d’Alene.

Today, the Visiting Angels owner leads a team committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of the families they serve.

Lakin earned a sociology degree from Brigham Young University–Idaho, which he said gave him a strong understanding of people, families and the social challenges many face as they age.

“Studying sociology helped me see the bigger picture of how community, relationships and support systems impact quality of life,” Lakin said. “That perspective shapes how I run my agency today — I focus not just on providing care, but on building trust, strengthening families and creating meaningful connections for the seniors we serve.”

Lakin has also seen firsthand how much a loved one could have benefited from home care services.

“At the time, I didn’t even know that kind of support existed,” he said. “Watching the challenges he faced opened my eyes to how difficult aging at home can be without the right help in place. That experience shaped my perspective and showed me there’s a better way for seniors to age with dignity, independence and the right support around them.”

Over the next five to 10 years, Lakin said he sees Visiting Angels of Coeur d’Alene continuing to grow and expand services while maintaining high-quality care. He hopes to strengthen the company's presence in Coeur d’Alene and expand into communities such as Sandpoint and Lewiston, ensuring more families have access to compassionate in-home care.

If he could give his younger self one piece of advice, Lakin said he would encourage himself to start networking earlier and intentionally learn from the entrepreneurs around him.

“Growing up, I was surrounded by business owners, and I now realize how invaluable their insight and experience truly are,” he said. “Building those relationships sooner and asking more questions would have given me an even stronger foundation as I stepped into business ownership.”