Retirement is outdated.

Or at least that’s the attitude of the growing number of folks 50-plus who are launching startups, turning their hobbies into businesses and/or staying involved in the workforce. These people are ditching the word “retirement” in exchange for “life 2.0” – a way forward that keeps them busy. According to USA Today, almost 80 percent of boomers expect to work in some capacity, even after they retire.

And it’s not all about keeping the savings account padded either. A whole generation of aging workers are choosing to stay active professionally in order to maintain a sense of industry and purpose. For some, it’s about finally following passion projects they put aside for more practical careers.

That’s not to say an encore career is easy to launch. There are a slew of challenges, including a rapidly changing technology landscape, age bias, and the financial push it takes to launch a startup. But encores are using their years of learning to bring wisdom, experience and work values to the business world. And there’s a space in the market for folks with perspective, patience and enthusiasm who want to keep creating, making and working.

Tune in to PRP this Friday, Jan 13 between 1-2 p.m. for our Biz503 episode on the topic of Encore Entrepreneurs. Co-hosts Mark Grimes of NedSpace and Mike Rogoway of The Oregonian/Oregon Live led a discussion on how folks who want to launch encore careers can get started. They spoke with 50-plus entrepreneurs, got advice from industry experts, and learned what resources exist in Portland for encore entrepreneurs.

Our panelists this week included:

Jacqueline B Peterson – Strategic Advisor at PCC’s SBDC

Joyce DeMonnin, Director of Communications at AARP

Steve Higgs, Executive Director of SAGE

Steven Maser, Encore Fellows Program Manager at Social Venture Partners

Sam Shogren – Principal at Shogren Consulting Group

William Stack, Research Associate, PSU College of Urban and Public Affairs

Janet Farr, Author

Mary Mutchler, Private Investigator

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