A co-founder of the Old School Hub[2] , she has been recognized by The New York Times, The New Yorker, National Public Radio, and the American Society on Aging as an expert on ageism.
She speaks widely at venues that have included the TED talks mainstage[3] and the United Nations, has written for Harper's, The Guardian[4][5], and The New York Times,[6] and is the voice of "Yo, Is This Ageist?"
[7] In 2022, she appeared on HelpAgeUSA's inaugural "60 Over 60" list[8] and on Fe:maleOneZero's first international edition of "40 over 40 – The World's Most Inspiring Women",[9] and received the Maggie Kuhn Award from Presbyterian Senior Services.
[10] In 2022 the United Nations named Ashton one of the Healthy Aging 50: "fifty leaders transforming the world to be a better place to grow older.
As the pseudonymous author of the Truly Tasteless Jokes series, she was the first person to have four books on The New York Times best-seller list and was a clue on Jeopardy!.