Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers
A March 27 meeting will help Baby Boomers explore how to start entrepreneurial ventures that can contribute to the nation’s economic growth

BOULDER, CO – On Tuesday, March 27^th, 2012, a one-day meeting will convene 100 Baby Boomers to explore the opportunities of entrepreneurship. The meeting is designed to inspire Baby Boomers to view entrepreneurship as a positive way for people ages 50 and older to remain productively engaged and to reflect this country’s roots of self-reliance. The goal is to increase awareness and understanding about the benefits of pursuing the entrepreneurial route.  This event will be held at the Kauffman Foundation Meeting Center at 4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO. Sponsors include AARP, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), the Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), and the Kauffman Foundation.

The opening speaker will be Benno C. Schmidt, Jr., Interim President & CEO, Kauffman Foundation.  Other speakers will include Mary Beth Izard, a former scholar-in-residence at the Kauffman Foundation and author of BoomerPreneurs, and three successful entrepreneurs:  Jerry Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder, Silpada Designs; Dave Alburty, Chairman & CEO, InnovaPrep; and Danny O’Neil, President and Founder, Roasterie.  The meeting will include two rounds of breakout sessions on topics of significant interest to potential entrepreneurs.  Breakout session leaders will include Rick Moody, Vice President & Director of Academic Affairs, AARP; Helen Dennis, a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and work; and Greg Merrill, President, National Older Workers Career Center. 

The meeting will focus on the benefits and opportunities of entrepreneurship, as well as the fears and concerns.  The underlying theme for these meetings is the enterprising spirit that built America.

The other three meetings will be held in the period of September-November in Boston, Chicago and Denver with the same purpose.  Each of the meetings will be for people 50 and older at no charge, with a maximum of 100 participants.  The goal is to stimulate more workers 50 and older–people with experience, expertise, seasoned judgment and proven performance–to create their own businesses.  The result will be reduced unemployment and increased economic growth for the United States.  With the 78 million Baby Boomers reaching traditional retirement age of 65 in 2011 and each year thereafter through 2029 at the rate of 4.1 million per year, the United States cannot afford either economically or socially to have this enormous talent pool sitting on the sidelines and drawing from versus contributing to our national economy.

America was built by people with an enterprising spirit and a determination to persevere despite large obstacles.  At the present time and based on future projections, there are few alternatives for people 50 and older who want to continue in productive activities.  These meetings can rekindle the pioneering spirit in America. 

Information about the meetings and how to register for the first event can be found on the CPL website www.ctrpl.org. The meeting is limited to 100 participants and registrants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The mission of CPL is to stimulate the substantially increased utilization of people 55+ in productive activities, paid and volunteer, where they are qualified and ready to continue adding value. More…

CPL will reach out to employers to stimulate their development of phased retirement programs, flexible workplace options, and other ways of utilizing the large and growing talent pool of workers 55. More…

Utilizing this talent pool to a substantially greater extent will have a positive impact on the nation’s economy and its ability to play a leadership role in the global economy. More…

The negative mindset about aging must change because people are living longer and in better health, therefore able to be productive for significantly longer periods of time. More…