PRESS RELEASE: Five Two-Part Events Planned for 2014

In collaboration with Jeff Williams, President of Bizstarters.com, we are holding a series of five two-part events in Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas and Seattle.  The first part will be a 2 ½ hour evening session for people 50+ on “50 and Older-Start Anew”, which will focus on the rewards and challenges of becoming an entrepreneur, and a two-day workshop on new-business creation for not more than 30 participants on the how-tos of creating a successful new business.

Speakers in the first part will be Bill Zinke, meeting Chair; and Jeff Williams, President of Bizstarters.com and trainer of 1,000 people 50+ over the past 20 years on how to become successful entrepreneurs.  The charges are $59 for the general session and $900 for the workshop, which includes a package of planning materials and personal counseling by Jeff Williams, who will lead the workshops.

The workshops are an integral part of these events.  In 2012, CPL held afternoon workshops following the meetings, but the planned workshops in 2014 are two-day, intensive and interactive events that are planned to enable participants to create a successful new business.  Thirty participants will be the maximum number and if there is adequate demand, additional workshops will be provided.

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Evangalist of Entrepreneurship

‘Evangelist of Entrepreneurship’ Carl Schramm
to Keynote 
National Conference Encouraging Americans 50 and Older To ‘Start Anew’ by
Creating their Own Businesses

Former President and CEO of Kauffman Foundation Leads Program Featuring Leading Policy Makers, Academics and Successful Entrepreneurs

            WASHINGTON, DC (Sept. 23, 2013) — Carl J. Schramm, U.S. economist, entrepreneur and president for ten years of the Kauffman Foundation who was named “evangelist of entrepreneurship” by The Economist, will headline a strong slate of speakers and panelists from across the country and Europe at the National Conference on the Entrepreneurship Imperative for Engaging People 50 and Older, November 7-8, 2013, in Washington, DC.

            Schramm, a noted professor at Syracuse University and formerly on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University, was instrumental in creating a number of businesses including a publicly traded data company, HCIA, and merchant banking company Greenspring Advisors.

            While president of Kauffman, Schramm generated an international reputation for the foundation as the center of research, policy studies and programs on the critical role of the entrepreneur in economic growth largely through the substantial research and outreach programs Schramm established.

            “We invited Dr. Schramm primarily because he practices what he preaches,” said William Zinke, president of the Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), the non-profit organizer of the conference, based in Boulder, Colorado.  “His practical knowledge and academic wisdom will generate entrepreneurial enthusiasm among people 50 and older attending this event or connecting through social media.”

            The nationwide effort of CPL to encourage people 50 and over to “Start Anew” as entrepreneurs of the 21st century advances to the national level with this event, after its launch in 2012 at four regional meetings in Kansas City, Boston, Chicago and Denver.  

            “With a sluggish economy continuing to batter older Americans who, at the same time, are feeling healthier and living longer, the potential exists for significantly increasing the number of entrepreneurs,” Zinke said.  The attendance target for the Conference is 200 thought leaders from the public, private, academic and non-profit sectors.  The event will conclude with a Call to Action, discussed and agreed-upon by the participants.  CPL will be committed to facilitate implementation of the actions within 12 months following the Conference in order to stimulate a substantial increase in new-business creation.

            Among other noted speakers will be:

  • Sergio Arzeni, director of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship in Paris;
  • Technology trailblazer Candace Johnson, co-founder of SES ASTRA and SES, the world’s pre-eminent satellite system;
  • D. Bruce Merrifield, former Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs and chaired professor of entrepreneurship at The Wharton School;
  • Ralph Sorenson, former president of Babson College and founder of its Center for Entrepreneurship, director of Whole Foods since 1994; and
  • Donna Kelley, Babson College associate professor of entrepreneurship and director of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the leading annual survey of entrepreneurship on the global level.

 

            The Conference will be held at The Westin Washington, DC, City Center hotel. 

Find more information at www.ncei.co.

 

Follow us on Twitter at:   https://twitter.com/Over50StartAnew.   

 

Media contact:

Kristine Heine: 202-371-9600

[email protected]   

 

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National Conference Focuses on Workers 50 and older

National Conference Will Focus on Workers 50 and Older to Spur Economic Growth through Entrepreneurship

Increased Longevity, Economic Need, and Untapped Experience Drive “Over 50, Start anew!” Event in Washington, DC, November 7-8 

WASHINGTON, DC (Sept. 4, 2013) With clear demographic metrics quantifying the potential of people 50 and older (50+) to stimulate economic growth through entrepreneurship, a national conference based on the theme “Over 50, Start anew!” and bringing together thought leaders from business, government, education, and non-profits will convene November 7-8, 2013, at The Westin Washington, DC, City Center Hotel.

Participants in The National Conference on the Entrepreneurship Imperative for Engaging People 50 and Older will be charged with discussing and reaching agreement on actions the four sectors must initiate separately and through collaboration to stimulate substantially more new-business creation by Americans 50+.

With unemployment high at 7.6 percent and economic growth low at 1.7 percent and little improvement on the horizon, participants will be challenged to develop new approaches to tapping a talent pool of adults 50+ with experience, expertise, seasoned judgment, and proven performance. 

“We call this double ESP; entrepreneurship has been the backbone of the U.S. economy since the country’s inception,” said William Zinke, president and founder of the Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), a tax-exempt non-profit and conference organizer.

The National Conference will feature noted speakers and panelists, including:

  • Carl Schramm, dubbed by The Economist as “the evangelist of entrepreneurship,” an economist, president emeritus of the Kauffman Foundation, and Syracuse University professor;
  • Sergio Arzeni, director of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship in Paris;
  • Technology trailblazer Candace Johnson, co-founder of SES ASTRA and SES, the world’s pre-eminent satellite system;
  • D. Bruce Merrifield, former Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs and chaired professor of entrepreneurship at The Wharton School;
  • Zoltan Acs, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Public Policy and professor at George Mason University; and,
  • Donna Kelley, Babson College associate professor of entrepreneurship and director of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.

“We have another energy crisis –massive amounts of human energy being wasted by society’s failure to utilize this large and growing talent pool,” Zinke said.  He added, “The 99 million Americans 50 and older comprise almost one-third of the total U.S. population.  Many of them possess the skills and ability to continue adding value through creating new businesses.”

Conference participants will explore how to develop an environment that stimulates, supports and sustains entrepreneurship and hear inspiring examples of entrepreneurial successes.

“The economic realities of a continuing global recession demand creative, innovative job-creation initiatives,” said Zinke.  “Despite popular thinking, the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity for 1996-2012 has reported that adults 55-64 created 8.7 percent more new businesses on average for each of the last 17 years than did 20-34-year-olds and achieved higher success rates.”

Zinke continued, “Now is the time to recognize the transformative impact of demographic change and to engage those 50+ in entrepreneurial endeavors.  The conference provides a unique opportunity to stimulate a sea change in outmoded attitudes, law, regulations, and policies.  The result will spur our economic growth and job creation, with a lasting impact far beyond this event.”

Follow details of the conference at http://ncei.co/.

Media contact:

Kristine Heine: 202-371-9600

[email protected]    

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Who Will Be Supporting Retired Workers In 2020?

by William K. Zinke

In 1950 there were 16.5 workers for every retired worker. In 2012 the ratio was reduced to 3.3 to 1. By 2020 that ratio is projected at 2.2 to 1 and to almost 2 to 1 by 2030. Is anyone considering these projections and their implications for the U.S. economy?

Actually, there is good news. Thirty years were added tolongevity in the 20th century; Gary Becker, an economics professor at the University of Chicago and Pulitzer Prize winner has called this the greatest gift of the 20th century. The U.S. has moved from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy; in fact, only 11 percent of the civilian workforce is employed in industrial companies and 84 percent in service companies. And we have a large and growing talent pool of Baby Boomers, 80 percent of whom, according to a 2011 survey conducted by AARP, indicate their intent to continue working after retirement.

The reality is that with the dramatic increase in longevity in the 20th century, millions of people are qualified and ready to continue working after the traditional retirement age of 65. This is very good news because we have a large and growing talent pool with experience, expertise, seasoned judgment, and proven performance (we call this EESP) to meet the workforce needs of the 21st century.

View the rest of this blog at The Huffington Post.

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PRESS RELEASE: Center for Productive Longevity Working to Defuse the Ticking Time Bomb

Media Contacts: 
Jenny Foust or Alicia Hassinger 
Communications Strategy Group 
303.433.7020

Company Contacts:
William K. Zinke or James R. Hooks
Center for Productive Longevity 
303.499.3939

BOULDER, CO-(Marketwire - May 10, 2012) - The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between people 55 and older and the opportunities that enable them to continue in productive activities, today described “The 3 Important Ways to Defuse the Ticking Time Bomb of our Aging Workforce. With 77 million people in the United States 55 and older, we are at a tipping point: we can either watch them sit on the sidelines, drawing from unsustainable entitlement programs and the general economy, or we can enable this growing population segment to continue working and contribute to the country’s economic growth and prosperity.

Recent surveys by AARP indicate that 80 percent of the Baby Boomers intend to continue working after leaving their regular career jobs, more than half on less than a full-time basis. Many need or want the additional income, particularly because of their wealth reduction from the recession in 2001 and the global economic crisis that began in the U.S. in late 2007. Other reasons to continue working include the desire to maintain cognitive skills, continue adding value, and remain socially connected.

“We have been aware of this ticking time bomb for years without taking effective action. Now it’s really getting louder with the growing retirement of Baby Boomers at the rate of 4.2 million each year from 2011 through 2029, compounded by high unemployment and low economic growth for the foreseeable future,” says William Zinke, 85, founder and president of CPL. “We can defuse this time bomb by creating a wave of entrepreneurship across the country and stimulating employers to take a more flexible approach in providing employment opportunities for older workers.”

According to CPL, we can defuse the ticking time bomb of our aging workforce in three important ways:

1. Baby Boomer Entrepreneurship
Create awareness and understanding among the Baby Boomers about the benefits and opportunities of creating their own businesses. Entrepreneurship remains a critical factor in the country’s economic growth and vitality, with a spirit of pioneering and self-reliance still a part of America’s DNA.

2. Flexible Workplace Options
Stimulate employers to develop phased retirement programs and other flexible workplace options that will retain and attract Baby Boomers 55 and older who want to continue working but on a part-time basis. A movement is developing in this direction, but a recent survey by Harris Interactive indicates that only 24 percent of Fortune 1000 companies provide such options.

3. Greater Talent Pool Utilization
The reality is that America has a large and growing talent pool of workers 55 and older with experience, expertise, seasoned judgment and proven performance (EESP). Research shows that older workers have a higher level of commitment, reliability and motivation; have better overall skills and abilities than younger workers; and have much lower absenteeism and turnover. This talent pool must be tapped to a substantially greater degree.

“Economic growth and our standard of living may be reduced if older workers are not provided with opportunities to continue working, yet there is no real recognition of the need to do so,” adds Zinke. “It is CPL’s purpose to change the national mindset about aging and retirement.”

One way CPL is highlighting the benefits of senior entrepreneurship is by organizing a series of four meetings titled “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers. The first meeting was held at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, MO, the focal point for entrepreneurship in America, on March 27 with almost 100 participants and excellent feedback. The next three meetings will be held at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on September 14, Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Business in Chicago on October 11, and the University of Denver on November 15. To register, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview.

About the Center for Productive Longevity
The mission of CPL is to be the bridge between people 55 and older and their engagement in productive activities, paid and volunteer, where they are qualified and ready to continue adding value. It is imperative that we recognize the value added by an aging workforce. Visit ctrpl.org for more information. Follow the Center for Productive Longevity on Facebook at facebook.com/CTRPL.

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PRESS RELEASE: Baby Boomers Are Fastest Growing Segment in Entrepreneurial Wave

Media Contacts: 
Jenny Foust or Alicia Hassinger 
Communications Strategy Group 
303.433.7020

Company Contacts:
William K. Zinke or James R. Hooks
Center for Productive Longevity 
303.499.3939

BOULDER, CO-(Marketwire - Apr 26, 2012) - The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between people 55 and older and the opportunities that enable them to continue in productive activities, today announced the results of the first in a series of four meetings, Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers.” During a time of high unemployment and low economic growth, CPL initiated the 2012 series to stimulate the interest of Baby Boomers in new-business creation.

The first event was held at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, MO, a focal point for entrepreneurship in America, and attracted almost 100 participants to engage in interactive discussion and dialogue about entrepreneurship. Sponsors of the event included the Kauffman Foundation, AARP, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) and CPL.

Written evaluations from the event indicated that almost all participants have a strong desire to start a new business; 97 percent stated they are more likely to create a new business as a result of attending the daylong meeting.

These responses mirror a national trend where increasingly more Baby Boomers are starting their own businesses. In fact, according to the Kauffman Foundation, from 1996 to 2011 the number of Baby Boomers starting a business increased by nearly seven percent, the largest increase among all age groups. For people 20-44, the number of people starting a new business actually fell about five percent during that same time period.

“There is a wide range of individual, economic and societal benefits for the Baby Boomers to start new businesses,” says William Zinke, 85, founder and president of CPL. “People are living longer, yet often retiring earlier, and recent AARP studies confirm that 80 percent of Baby Boomers indicate their intent to continue working after leaving regular career jobs.”

Additional feedback from the meeting found that 87 percent of attendees stated that the event increased their awareness and understanding of the benefits and opportunities provided by entrepreneurship “very much” or “a great deal.” Seventy-seven percent indicated that they were “a great deal” or “very much” more likely to pursue programs or courses on entrepreneurship as a result of attending the event.

Speakers from the March meeting included Benno C. Schmidt, Jr., Interim President & CEO, Kauffman Foundation and former President, Yale University; Bruce Merrifield, former U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce and Chaired Professor of Entrepreneurship, the Wharton School; Mary Beth Izard, author of BoomerPreneurs; Jerry Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder, Silpada Designs; and Danny O’Neill, President and Founder, Roasterie.

Human Resource Services, Inc. (HRS) created CPL as a non-profit to serve as the bridge between people 55 and older and opportunities that enable them to continue as productive contributors. The economic benefits of enabling people 55+ to continue working include providing them with needed income, contributing to — instead of drawing from — entitlement programs, reducing unemployment and increasing national economic growth.

The next “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” meetings are scheduled to be held at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on September 14, Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Business in Chicago on October 11, and the University of Denver on November 15. To register, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview. Follow the Center for Productive Longevity on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

About the Center for Productive Longevity
The mission of CPL is to be the bridge between people 55 and older and their engagement in productive activities, paid and volunteer, where they are qualified and ready to continue adding value. It is imperative that we recognize the value added by an aging workforce. Visitwww.ctrpl.org for more information.

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PRESS RELEASE: Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: William Zinke
Tel: 303-499-3939; Email: [email protected]

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 27th, 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.

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