Leading tuition-free online public school starts new school year with strong parent satisfaction and expanded College and Career Readiness offering

Englewood, Colo.  – As students across the state head back to school, so are those who prefer logging into their classes with Colorado Connections Academy. This tuition-free online public school serving students in grades K-12 from across the state, recently welcomed new and returning students to the virtual classroom for the 2025-26 school year.

This year, students in grades 6-12 can benefit from an expanded College and Career Readiness offering. The school will integrate traditional academic subjects with industry-leading, career-focused options like IT, business, health sciences, and marketing, helping students develop durable skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership. Students can participate in career exploration and industry networking opportunities to build confidence, make connections and find direction to prepare for their future.

“Colorado Connections Academy is more than just a school, it’s a community. It’s a place where you can find unparalleled support from our incredible teachers and exemplary staff who care about helping everyone thrive. Not only academically, but as a person,” said Bryan Hill, Executive Director of Colorado Connections Academy schools. “Our school model offers engaging instruction and meaningful collaboration.”

Students return to school as results from the 2025 Parent Satisfaction Survey, an annual third-party survey that provides families with the opportunity to review their experience with Colorado Connections Academy, show continued high levels of approval from families:

• 98% of parents say their child is satisfied learning at Colorado Connections Academy
• 96% of parents agree the Colorado Connections Academy program gives them more opportunity to be more involved with their child’s education
• 95% of parents believe their child is receiving a quality education with Colorado Connections Academy
• 95% of parents feel their children are making progress on their academic goals with Connections Academy  

Colorado Connections Academy offers a comprehensive virtual school experience that keeps students motivated and engaged with a strong circle of support and a deep sense of belonging. The school’s team of supportive and experienced educators, specially trained in online instruction, establish meaningful connections with students helping them achieve their full potential and reach their goals. Parents and caregivers are involved in the learning journey as their child’s Learning Coach, serving as their mentor and guide through the school day. 

  Virtual school is a great fit for a variety of students, including those who are academically advanced or struggle in a traditional school setting, as well as those who may be experiencing health challenges, bullying, or living in rural areas. Others are athletes or performers who require a flexible learning schedule. 

Siblings Aimee and Aaron Wild train full-time as elite halfpipe snowboarders while completing their studies through Colorado Connections Academy. The school’s flexible schedule enables them to compete internationally and stay on track academically. Both have earned top finishes on the NorAm and Rev Tour circuits, with Aaron also competing on the World Cup circuit for Team Great Britain.

“Colorado Connections Academy has helped me prepare for my snowboarding goals of winning at an elite level by giving me the flexibility of when I complete my schoolwork. It has also prepared me for my future at college,” said Aimee, a 9th grader with Colorado Connections Academy. 

Aimee recently won the NorAm Cup and earned two wins and two silver medals at Rev Tour events. Aaron qualified for finals in three out of four Rev Tour events, reached the podium at Mammoth Mountain, and competed at the World Cup level. He hopes to qualify for the X Games and the Olympics in 2030.

“I have a solid relationship with my teachers. They are all very responsive and helpful,” added Aaron, who will be an 11th grader this year. “I love my electives and I feel like I’m learning things I can apply to real life.”

Enrollment is currently open for the 2025-26  school year. Families interested in Colorado Connections Academy schools are encouraged to attend an online information session to learn more, ask questions, and discover if virtual school is the right fit for their students. To learn more about the school or begin enrollment, please visit www.ColoradoConnectionsAcademy.com or call 1-833-591-0251.

###

About Colorado Connections Academy

Colorado Connections Academy is a unique, tuition-free, online public school for students in grades K-12. Colorado Connections Academy creates a high-quality educational experience that keeps students motivated and engaged in a safe, virtual learning environment. In addition to academics, teachers focus on building fundamental life skills, working closely with families to help students learn how they learn best. Here, students gain the skills and confidence they need to direct their own educational journey, learning to thrive in the real world by first learning how to be resourceful and resilient. For more information, call 1-833-591-0251 or visit www.ColoradoConnectionsAcademy.com.

Survey Methodology  

Connections Academy conducts the annual Parent Satisfaction Survey to find out how parents, guardians and Learning Coaches grade the program in several key areas. The 2025 survey was conducted from January 15 to February 26 by Shapiro + Raj, an independent market research company that created the questionnaire, collected the data and tabulated the results. Parents and caretakers of all students enrolled at the time of the survey were invited to complete the survey online.

Full-time, tuition-free online public schools welcome students in grades K-12 from across the state back to the virtual classroom

Englewood, Colo. (August 12, 2024) – It's the time of year when students are returning to school for the 2024-2025 school year. That includes students who don't step foot in a physical classroom, but log into school on their computers with Colorado Connections Academy, a tuition-free online public school serving students statewide. Colorado Connections Academy students in grades K-12 from across the state kicked off the school year on August 12, 2024, with a supportive community of fellow students, families and state-certified teachers. 

“I have found that being in the virtual environment allows our teachers, staff and administrators to form meaningful connections with students and families. The ability to provide truly individualized instruction and support sets our school apart,” said Amy Davis, Colorado Connections Academy’s Secondary Principal. “We are thrilled to begin the new school year, and I truly believe that an education at our school sets students up for a bright and successful future with a personalized education experience and the ability to have access to courses they might not be able to take at their local brick-and-mortar school,” she added. 

Colorado Connections Academy is committed to providing a high-quality education that is personalized to meet each student’s individual needs. Using accessible technology, Colorado Connections Academy connects parents, teachers, and students to the virtual classroom from home or anywhere there is an internet connection. Families also benefit from the flexibility of creating their own schedule and ensuring their student’s learning environment is a safe, stimulating atmosphere. 

Most recently, parents at Colorado Connections Academy had an opportunity to review their experience in an annual third-party survey, the 2024 Parent Satisfaction Survey. According to the 2024 Parent Satisfaction Survey results:

• 96% of parents say their child is satisfied learning at Colorado Connections Academy
• 92% of parents would recommend Colorado Connections Academy 

• 96% of parents agree their child's teachers at Colorado Connections Academy are supportive 
• 94% of parents believe their child is making good progress with Colorado Connections Academy

Colorado Connections Academy serves nearly 3,000 students in grades K-12 across the state. Colorado Connections Academy’s state-certified teachers work hard to foster meaningful connections by providing individualized student attention and a positive, engaging learning environment. Students have regular opportunities to share ideas, compare experiences, and have fun learning with their peers through online classroom sessions. 

“I like the ability to work ahead, and it’s nice that I can work from home and have ways to pace my own learning. It’s nice that I can work ahead and have the rest of my time to focus on everything else. At my previous school, I could barely find the time to do everything I wanted to do,” said Joshua Nageli, an 11th grader for the 2024-25 school year. Joshua has been with Colorado Connections Academy since he was in the 5th grade. 

Joshua’s dream is to become an astronaut, and he is well on his way to becoming one. He secured an internship with the Colorado Space Business Roundtable (CSBR), which exposed him to the space industry, allowing him to connect with industry professionals. Joshua is also part of a robotics team called Team Komodo, and they are currently working on a music-themed robot that shoots notes into amps and speakers.

When it comes to back-to-school advice, Joshua notes, “Focus on time management. Being on a computer, you can easily get distracted. Make sure you limit distractions; that helps a lot. Ask teachers for help.”

Virtual school is a great fit for a variety of students. Colorado Connections Academy students are diverse and come from different backgrounds and educational histories. Some students are academically advanced and struggle in a traditional school setting, while some prefer to learn at their own pace. Other students may be experiencing health challenges or bullying, while others are athletes or performers who require a flexible learning schedule.

Enrollment is currently open for the 2024-25 school year. Families interested in Colorado Connections Academy schools are encouraged to attend an online information session to learn more, ask questions, and discover if virtual school is the right fit for their students. To learn more about the school or begin enrollment, please visit www.ColoradoConnectionsAcademy.com or call 1-833-591-0251.

###

About Colorado Connections Academy

Colorado Connections Academy is a unique, tuition-free, online public school for students in grades K-12. Colorado Connections Academy creates a high-quality educational experience that keeps students motivated and engaged in a safe, virtual learning environment. In addition to academics, teachers focus on building fundamental life skills, working closely with families to help students learn how they learn best. Here, students gain the skills and confidence they need to direct their own educational journey, learning to thrive in the real world by first learning how to be resourceful and resilient. For more information, call 1-833-591-0251 or visit www.ColoradoConnectionsAcademy.com.

Survey Methodology  

Connections Academy conducts the annual Parent Satisfaction Survey to find out how parents, guardians and Learning Coaches grade the program in several key areas. The 2024 survey was conducted from January 15 to February 26 by Shapiro + Raj, an independent market research company that created the questionnaire, collected the data and tabulated the results. Parents and caretakers of all students enrolled at the time of the survey were invited to complete the survey online.

The Denver chapter of the Drug-Free World Foundation travelled for the second year to the Northern Colorado (NOCO) Emergency Preparedness and Family Safety Expo.  The Drug-Free World mission is to everyone—kids and adults—learn the truth about drug use and abuse so they can make the better choice and not take drugs.

The NOCO event is a joint effort between Larimer and Weld Counties and provides the public with a variety of public safety services, ranging from emergency preparedness  to life-safety classes.

Foundation for a Drug-Free World provides those attending with effective ways to talk to their kid about drugs. Sometimes it’s a concerned grandparent, an aunt or uncle, parents, and many times teachers, who are concerned about the alarming increase in vaping, and how that may lead to the use and abuse of other drugs.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a non-profit, international drug education program proudly sponsored by the Church of Scientology and Scientologists all over the world. For the Church’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard, noted the role substance abuse plays in the disintegration of the social fabric, stating: “Research has demonstrated that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs.”

Kids who visit the Foundation’s booth voluntarily take the drug-free pledge, where they promise to learn the truth about drugs and promote the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle with their friends.  Foundation for a Drug-Free World spends many weekends during the late spring, summer, and early fall at events like the NOCO Emergency Preparedness and Family  Safety Expo, and this year over 270 students signed the pledge to remain drug-free.

For more information on the Foundation for the Drug-Free World please visit www.Drug-FreeWorld.org.

Rabbit Hole Recreation Services - Escape Rooms

Looking for something to do with your family while still practicing social distancing? Well we have good news for you! Private escape rooms are fun for the whole family and your exposure to people is minimal. They are safer than grocery stores, restaurants, bowling alleys, movie theaters, sporting events, and family fun centers.

Here is a list of precautions that we are taking to keep you safe.

• Private Booking - You will only be playing with the people you bring and the only other person you will see is your game host.

• Private Lobby - We only allow one group in the lobby at a time to ensure that proper social distancing is maintained. To achieve this goal you may be asked to wait outside of the building or stay in your game until the lobby is cleared.

• Hand Sanitizer - We provide hand sanitizer in the lobby and ask players to apply it before entering their game.

• Extra Cleaning - To help ensure everyone’s safety, extra cleaning of high touch surfaces is being completed between games.

• Touch-less Waivers - We email digital waivers to the players so that they may complete them before arriving at the facility, eliminating the need to touch tablets.

• Masks - Per the statewide mask mandate, game hosts and players MUST wear masks when in any public spaces.

Escape rooms offer people a live-action game experience in which players become heroes of their own stories. You must work together as a team to solve interesting problems, and complete the tasks at hand before time runs out. The games will keep you engaged while offering a much-needed break from being cooped up.

Whether you play at our facility or at one of the many other companies in Colorado, we appreciate your support of our industry.

Two hundred forty years ago General George Washington, the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, took to the field with his troops and spent the next eight years engaging in a military campaign to secure freedom for our patriot ancestors and their posterity. He made some of his toughest decisions in his sleeping and office tent, what we like to refer to as the “First Oval Office.”

George Washington’s tent served as his field headquarters throughout the war.  Erin Jackson, the National President of the Children of the American Revolution 2015-2016 Project is to raise funds to support the preservation of our nation’s history and create a permanent home for this iconic treasure. It is an authentic witness to our founding history and traveled on the Road to Independence that led to the fulfillment of the dream for American independence and the expansion of liberty to future states.

"First Oval Office” will be permanent exhibit at the new Museum of the American Revolution.  The museum is now under construction in Philadelphia—the city that served as the headquarters to the Revolution. A dedicated theater will house the tent, dramatically bringing its story to life through state-of-the-art multimedia techniques. Scheduled to open in 2017, the museum is located just steps from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Many places claim that George Washington spent the night, but how many people can say that they have saved, made a home for, and promoted education about the room where General George Washington spent the entire Revolutionary War?  We have the opportunity to preserve a Revolutionary War artifact for generations to come.  To learn more please visit www.amrevmuseum.org

The month of November is officially Zonta Says No month in Boulder and around the world. Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County is taking this effort very seriously and working hard with local organizations to help fight sexual violence.

“Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” is a Zonta International campaign to raise awareness of and increase actions to end violence against women and girls around the world. It begins in November and runs through December 10 ending with the culmination of the16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence which is commemorated by the United Nations. This year we are working with Boulder High School, the Fairview High School women's basketball team, Moving the End Sexual Assault (MESA), The CU Center for Gender Studies and Abby's Voice  to spread the word.

To support ZSN, which began in November, 2012, Zonta clubs and districts around the world serve and advocate against violence against women and girls in their local communities. It also highlights Zonta International’s ongoing efforts to end violence against women and girls through the Zonta International Strategies to End Violence against Women (ZISVAW) program and through Zonta’s partnerships with the United Nations and its agencies.

So with the help of the Boulder High School Pantherz Z Club we kicked off our Zonta Says NO campaign with a PantherZ TV spot that our Z Club produced to tell their students body about this campaign. The girls painted shirts, gather for the production and then entered it into the school's announcements.(Visit  https://youtu.be/O2-jHUirH94)  

This launched our next school activity at Boulder High School's last home football game against Montbello High School. We stood in the rain wearing orange to remind everyone that October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month and November is ZONTA SAYS NO TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN month. 

Our Boulder High School Pantherz Z Club also created and hung Silent Witness silhouettes. Each black felt silhouette has a victim's tragic story and they hang on the library windows off the Boulder High School central courtyard where students could see read from both inside and outside the school. There are also resources about relationships and community support on display for students who may need help. 

On Thursday, November 12 spent the day spreading the world against violence.  At our business meeting we were inspired by speakers Janine D’Anniballe and Kathy Robertson. Janine is a nationally recognized trauma expert, Director of Access, Emergency, and Community Services at Mental Health Partners and former Executive Director of Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA), the rape crisis center in Boulder, Colorado. Kathy Robertson co-founded  Abby’s Voice, after the murder of their daughter Abigail Robertson who was stalked and harassed by an ex-boyfriend for months prior to her death.  Kathy travels to college campuses and local high schools throughout Colorado talking to groups about healthy relationships.

To end the day we marched in unison with The CU Gender Justice League and MESA to spread say that Boulder Says “No” throughout the campus and surrounding neighborhoods.

The last element of our campaign will be at Fairview High School where we will be creating silhouettes with the girls of the school's four basketball teams. These will be hung outside the school gym to communicate the team’s voice against violence. These will be on display in the large front hall to be seen during the school's Fairview Festival, a large tournament sponsored for the school which is attended by teams from all over the Front Range.

We live in a world where women live in constant danger. It’s a harsh reality to learn that: 1 in 3 women around the world will experience physical/sexual violence by a partner … About 140M women suffer from female genital mutilation/cutting. Three million girls a year are at risk … Globally, 38% of all murdered women were killed by their intimate partners …  Women are 2-4 times more likely than men to become infected with HIV during intercourse. Forced sex or rape increases this risk … More than 64 million girls worldwide are child brides … Women and girls represent 55 percent of the estimated 20.9 million victims of forced labor worldwide … Women and girls represent 98 percent of the estimated 4.5 million forced into sexual exploitation.

Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County joins in fighting this problem that is ruining the lives of women and girls …  We will wear orange throughout November in support of “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” a Zonta International campaign to raise awareness of and increase actions to end violence against women and girls. “We believe that sustainable prevention requires an understanding of the root causes and the use of multiple complementary strategies operating on individual, relationship, and the community and society levels, starting early in life during childhood, continuing in the schools and continuing during adulthood,” explains Maria Jose, Landeira Oestergaard Zonta International President.

Sexual violence is one of the most pervasive human rights violations and a global epidemic. It knows no national or cultural barriers and affects millions of women and girls in peacetime and conflict. It includes physical and sexual violence, and harmful practices such as rape, female genital cutting and human trafficking. Violence against women and girls threatens countries, inhibits economic progress, and prevents women from contributing to their community and creating better lives for themselves and their families. In our own backyards violence against women is hidden in the most unsuspecting places, on our streets, in our schools, or maybe even in a right in your neighborhood. In Colorado 1 in 4 women will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Whether it is rape, child sexual assault, dating or domestic violence incest, human trafficking, it is in all strata of our society. But yet it is estimated that under 10% of sexual assaults are actually reported to police.

As a community, Boulder County can only reverse this trend if we advocate for programs that educate and lay the ground work for change. Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County salutes groups in our community like Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA), Abby’s Voice, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program (SANE), St. Vrain Safe Shelter and CU Women and Gender Studies Program and others who work with us to address reverse this epidemic.  Their efforts must be recognized in our community.

Together we are saying that we can no longer tolerate exploitation of women and that college campuses must not look the other way to traditions of drinking, hazing and sexual exploitation.  As a community we are reaching out to men, women and children to educate and establish an understanding the intricate web of violence. Men and boys must be empowered to speak with a unified voice making violence not just a women’s problem but broader societal issue. Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County asks you to recruit you spouse, your brother, your neighbor or your son…inform them of the facts surrounding this social tragedy urge them to be an agent for change for all of our daughters.

To learn more visit http://www.zontafoothills.org/.

Lafayette, Colorado- June 3, 2013 - What if you knew that your darkest moments could help your loved ones in immeasurable ways?  Springtime may seem like an odd time to focus on this difficult topic, but is there ever really a perfect time to tackle our toughest stories?  This month’s tips focus on how you can tell the more complicated or difficult moments in your personal narrative to your kids and future generations.  

Denying that we've lived through difficult times doesn't help anyone.  In fact, in his new book, "The Secrets of Happy Families," Bruce Feiller shows compelling research that "the more children know about their family's history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned."

Whether it be guilt, illness, or addiction, telling your most painful stories will bring about great transformation for you and your loved ones.  It is important that our kids hear about both the good and bad times in our lives, so that they see and understand our ability to bounce back and live through even the most extreme of painful circumstances. Here are some ways that may make it easier for you to share your difficult stories.  

1.  Lead with what you've learned without being preachy.

One trick to getting your listeners to open their ears (and their hearts) is to not come across as a know it all.  In order to do this, make sure you've gone through the important step of deep reflection before you try to share what you think you've learned. If you want it to be a bonding experience, it shouldn't feel like you are unloading onto them. If you've done the work either on your own or with a professional to uncover the lessons in your hardships, your experiences are more likely to resonate with your listeners and to help them work through their own difficult times.   

Bernice Robertson survived breast cancer and a double mastectomy when she was in her 40s. She is now in her 90s and grateful to have survived but also to have been able to help others women going through their own battles with breast cancer. She was a  volunteer for years, using her experience to inspire while at the same time fully aware that not everyone would have the miraculous outcome she had. She was able to help countless other women because she shared her story while being aware that we all have our own paths to walk.  If you begin with something you learned during or after your pain, it may just be easier for you to talk about it and for your loved ones to listen.   

2.  Focus on the facts rather than your feelings.

When I interviewed Frances Coraz for her life story movie, she was so scared to talk about her childhood she avoided meeting with me for months. When we finally met, she admitted she was afraid because her mother had died suddenly when she was a little girl and she never talked about it.  

We decided to focus on the facts, and as she began recounting where they lived, what her father did for work, it became easier for her to go back there. When we got to the part of her mother's death, she did get choked up of course, but it wasn't nearly as terrifying as she'd imagined it. She even remembered a tender long-forgotten detail, her father making her hot cocoa the day her mother died and every day thereafter for a long time.  

By breaking down the story into facts, she was able to distance herself from the strong emotions, and talk about what had happened. This gave her family who later watched her movie real insight that they'd never before had about her early life experiences. And in the end it was a relief for her to be able to share the stories and to remember her mother.

3.  Give your loved ones context.

Since your difficult stories can run the gamut of topics, it helps to set them up with some context, whether that be historical, personal, or emotional. Standards, customs, and culture are constantly shifting.  

When giving context, it's also important to remind your listener that situations and people in life aren't usually all one way or the other. When Jennie Pikur remembers her father, Paul, a farmer with a drinking problem, she acknowledges he had a terrible temper but also that he had a gentle side. She fondly recalls how he brought her berries or flowers from the fields when she was ill as a child. Her sister, Mary Balasa, backs her up saying, "You could make this a horror story, but there was a lot of love there."   

It may have been tempting for some to paint Paul as a monster, but that wouldn't have been true, just as painting him as a saint wouldn't be either. Acknowledging other sides of your story is just as important as telling the stories themselves. The positive details Jennie shares with her family about her father doesn't change the horrible things he may have done, but it does make a difference in how he is remembered him. It shows his humanity. If you want to make the most impact with your stories, especially the hard to tell ones, make sure that you set them up with a clear and simple context.

4. Remember you are you because of what you've lived.

Whether your difficult stories have to do with divorce, addiction, abuse, loss, or choices you made that you feel guilty about, acknowledging that they happened and sharing them with people you love will both deepen your bond and remind you of your own strength in overcoming them. You know Nietzsche's famous quote, "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger," your most difficult experiences are proof positive of this.  

Add to that the tons of research about the damaging, even crippling effects that secrets can have on our relationships and our health, and you will see why it's even more important to share all kinds of stories, not just the rose colored ones.  

But before you go telling all, remember that the point is not just to unburden yourself, but to create a sense of belonging to something greater and to demonstrate that you have overcome great obstacles and come out ahead. Because when you reflect on your life, there are surely examples you can find of challenges you've faced and gotten through the wiser for it. Make sure the people you care most about, know these important accomplishments in your life.  After all, if you don't tell you stories now, chances are someone else will for you one day.  Wouldn't you rather be the narrator of your own experience? 

Arielle Nobile, Producer/Director and Legacy Connections’ Films Founder, has been helping people tell their stories in the medium of narrative cinema since 2005.  She has produced and directed over 100 films.  She also gives talks and teaches Legacy workshops all over the country.

She was supposed to be a biomedical engineer, and by some twisted tragedy, Meghan became a singer/songwriter. How did this happen? She only knew a G chord on the guitar, yet the music and lyrics came in between the space of the sorrow she was experiencing.  She wasn't a musician.  Was she?

On the Way to the Waterfall is Meghan Cary's personal story.  She is a Billboard Magazine Newcomer pick and her debut album made it in the top 10 along with John Hiatt's that year.

You can check out all about Meghan via her website: http://www.meghancary.com

Back to my review.  Please suspend your judgement.  In all honesty, I am helping out this show at the 2014 Fringe Festival.  I will say that I am an avid arts fan just like anyone else, and I have been Fringing since 2006.  I have to say that this was one of the best Fringe shows I have experienced.  Maybe it is because, this time, it was personal.

My family went through a similar tragedy.  I got the call, I remember it being at around two in the afternoon, that my sister was in a car accident. I was hoping beyond hope that they were not riding their motorcycles that day. I barely got out the words to ask if she was okay, and the officer knew I was having trouble. He said she is going to be okay. My sister was in intensive care. I asked about her significant other, the officer quietly said, he didn't make it.

During the show, there was a scene that was extremely raw and powerful.  It was in that moment I was hit with all the emotion I know my sister had gone through.  It was anger at experiencing a loss when no loved one was around to help support the intense heavy load, and I lost it.  I knew in that moment what my sister had gone through. I never truly got it, what it was like before I could get to the hospital, until Meghan acted out her personal experience.  I am thankful I brought some tissues.

Another moment that had me breathe in, the grasping at the reason why this happened.  In a simple instant, "Oh."

The ending got me as well.  This show was well acted, professionally directed, fast flowing, and the music is demonstratively healing, as the part of the music truly was in Meghan's life.  

So please, suspend judgement.  Of course I want this show to succeed.  I will say as the role of another arts attendee, this show is a must see.  At least give yourself the opportunity to witness a gifted talent, Meghan Cary, while you have this chance.  

SCHEDULE: Thu, Sep 18 @2PM; Fri, Sep 19 @8:30PM; Sun, Sep 21 @4PM; Tue, Sep 23 @7:30PM; Wed, Sep 24 @5:30PM; Sat, Sep 27 @4PM
VENUE: Carsen Theater at The Dairy Center for the Arts (2590 Walnut St, Boulder, CO)
TICKETS: $12/$10 general/students & seniors
TICKET DEALS: 2-for-1 discount, Bring 4 Friends get your ticket FREE, Group Rate - $2 off each ticket for 10+!

For information and to purchase tickets: http://bit.ly/hypotheticaltheatre

YouTube: http://youtu.be/9g2i9IVtVRc

Over 100 employees from B Corporations around the Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins areas are volunteering in their communities June 17 - 20, tangibly showing how they are using business as a force for good by “B-ing the Change” in Colorado. Throughout the entire week, Certified B Corps around the United States and the world are coming together to give back to their local communities as part of a global “Be the Change in our Communities” effort.

On June 17 and 19, smaller groups of B Corporations will work on the roof with GRID Alternatives, installing a solar array on a home in a low-income community to help reduce a family’s energy bills while contributing to a renewable grid.  On June 18, a larger group will gather in Lyons to continue with the city’s flood recovery efforts; B Corp employees will be focusing on trail restoration, debris removal, and tree planting, as well as attending to any other needs of the city.  The week will wrap up at the Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver, where volunteers will assemble meals for low-income families and individuals. Other B the Change service days around the world include projects with Habitat for Humanity, a Great Lakes cleanup in Chicago, mural painting, highway cleanups, and home repair projects in low income communities. Full details for each Colorado project and lists of participating companies are below. 

“Businesses and the people behind them have the power to spread awareness, create good and ignite worldwide change. We like to think of this movement simply as community in action,” said Kim Coupounas, GoLite Co-Founder and director of B Lab Colorado. “These service projects help showcase the good that can happen when purpose-driven businesses walk the talk. I’m so proud to be able to roll up my sleeves to ‘B the Change’ in my community with fellow business leaders this week.”

“Giving back to our community in tangible ways is important to Rally Software’s employees, not only because of the positive impact they are making but because it lets them share our strengths with organizations who really need it,” says Ryan Martens, co-founder and chief technology officer of Rally Software, a Certified B Corp. “As a Rally employee, it allows them to collaborate with employees across the company while engaging at deeper level with our social mission of creating Citizen Engineers.”

Colorado has an especially strong B Corp community with more than 40 local companies certified including New Belgium Brewing, Rally Software, Moye White, GoLite, Namasté Solar, Door to Door Organics, and the Gary Community Investment Company.

Orange peel skin. Cottage cheese thighs. Cellulite influences over 85% of ladies - fat and thin. Yes, the unsightly undulated dimples are unbiased, handling women of all shapes and sizes. Also conjecture what, some fat people don't have cellulite whatsoever. On the grounds that cellulite is not a fat issue, dieting and exercise is not the corrective.

What actually causes cellulite?

• Hormones 
• Heredity 
• Lifestyle

In spite of its pervasiveness, specialists have yet to discover that absolute cure. Gratefully they have concocted some amazingly viable cellulite treatments to slow the occurrence, minimize the appearance, and strengthen slackened tissues. Certainly, cellulite is a cosmetic problem, however more than that; it’s a continuous medical issue that deteriorates with age. There may not be a cure, yet you can manage it. Since it is a connective tissue issue, truly the main thing that can help prevent and slow the spread of cellulite is by reinforcing the fibers of the connective tissues so the maverick fat cells can't permeate the dermis even more.

5 Cheap Cellulite treatments:
Cellulite is unsightly and so people tend to hide it or avoid it from being noticed. Here are some treatments that are low on cost and highly effective to estimate cellulite from your body.

Diet and Exercise:
The best and simplest way to get rid of cellulite is to have a good nutritive diet and hard core exercise that helps you shed those extra pounds causing cellulite. A healthy weight improves the body looks including the areas that have cellulite. Also being at a healthy weight and having a healthy percentage of body fat may help the skin look reduce those dimples.

Exercise for about 30 minutes is recommended to reduce the percentage of body fat, but there is no exercise that directly targets cellulite. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at least three days a week with 70 to 80 percent of maximum heart rate.

Cellulite Wraps:
These wraps are commonly done in a spa or a salon, but can be done at home also. The wrapping process involves a thin layer of special mud, applied to the cellulite affected areas of the skin. When the pores begin to open, the mud starts acting as a sponge and removes the toxins that take up space trapped within the tissue below the skin. The fat in the tissues then breaks up, compacted by the tight wrap, and the dimpled cellulite is eliminated. But this result is temporary.

Massage treatments:
This is a simple way to reduce the appearance of cellulite. The fat in your body is broken up by the motion with a massage and also increases the blood circulation.

Dietary supplements:
A multivitamin that contains vitamins like C, B6 and E. Vitamin B6 helps to get rid of excess fluid buildup, thereby improving cellulite appearance. Vitamin C, acts as a detoxifier and skin strengthening supplement and also improve the appearance of cellulite.

Cellulite creams:
Cellulite creams is one of the fastest and easiest ways to reduce cellulite. Unluckily, this method is less expensive than the above mentioned, and cheaper than the medical procedures.

There's a wonderful documentary screening this weekend at the Boedecker Theater in Boulder and as it's being self-distributed by the filmmakers, this is one of your only chances to see it on a big screen!  Lydia Smith, the director of Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago has been traveling with her film to promote it--go see it March 30!  Purchase advance tickets here:

Boedecker Film schedule

The first two screenings have already sold out!!  It's also screening at the Chez Artiste in Denver.

Here's my review of the film:

Film Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJDxD_UE4ZQ

Looking for the next J.K. Rowling

Broomfield, Colorado—On March 2, 2013 Three power-house literary agents will team together to help aspiring children’s book novelists discover how to break into publishing.  Those who register for the event will enjoy a rare opportunity to move beyond the veil of the internet and meet three agents: Sara Megibow from Nelson Literary, Kate Schafer Testerman of KT Literary, and Terrie Wolfe of AKA Literary.

J.K. Rowling, the popular author of the Harry Potter series, was rejected twelve times before she found her publisher.  Furthermore most publishers won’t engage with authors who don’t have an agent representing them. The Rocky Mountain chapter of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) has arranged for the three agents to offer a workshop at the Broomfield Public Library.  Aspiring children’s book novelists will learn the in’s and out’s of publishing including how to pitch their project. This is a quick way to move past the slush pile. After learning the art of the pitch, each writer will be afforded the valuable chance to pitch directly to an agent, and then receive immediate feedback on what works and what doesn’t.  Furthermore, the agent panel will read the first page of each participant’s manuscript in a session called “First Pages” and again participants will receive immediate feedback. This is an incredible opportunity to meet executives in the industry, and it’s a valuable chance to ask questions and learn.

The event takes place on Saturday March 2^nd from 9:30am-4:30pm at the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library located at 3 Community Park Road in Broomfield, Colorado. Space is very limited and pre-registration is required (registration deadline is February 25, 2013).  The cost is $79 for SCBWI members and $100 for non-members.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  This event is geared toward Middle Grade and YA Novelist.  To register please visit http://tinyurl.com/ak8j5b2 or contact the registrar, Carrie Seidel, at whispurr_s@hotmail.com.  To learn more about the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, please visit www.scbwi.org more on Agent day at http://www.scbwi.org/Resources/Documents/2013%20AGENT%20DAY.pdf

The anomaly is that people in America are living 30 years longer than people in the 20^th century but only working two years longer.  In 2000, the average retirement age was 62, and the average retirement age in 2010 was 64.  Many of the recent retirements were involuntary: the massive lay-offs between 2008-2012 because of the Great Recession, corporate mergers and consolidations, work being outsourced to other countries, increased automation, and other factors.  Many were also voluntary as employees accepted attractive severance packages or just wanted to get off the corporate treadmill.

Here are the seven principal reasons why many people 55 and older (55+) want to continue working after retirement: 

• The need for additional income to maintain a standard of living or the desire to have additional income for discretionary spending
• Recognition that, with knowledge of their increased longevity and vulnerability of their financial resources through market fluctuations, it may be necessary or desirable to generate additional income through a career after retirement
• The desire for continued interesting/stimulating/challenging work to maintain cognitive skills and abilities
• The desire to maintain self-esteem and self-fulfillment by continuing in productive activities that add value
• The desire to maintain relationships with the outside world and to remain socially connected
• The attraction of continued part-time work, without the responsibility and stress of a full-time job, to enhance the satisfaction with life and overall feeling of well being
• The opportunity for flexible workplace options that offer greater choices than full-time work plus an attractive benefits package that desirably includes healthcare coverage

My consulting firm, Human Resource Services, Inc. (HRS) organized a “Survey on the Strategic Involvement of HR in Fortune 1000 Companies” that was completed in November 2011 and conducted by Harris Interactive, with 25 major companies as sponsors.  Only 24% of the HR heads stated that their companies provided flexible workplace options.  The options include:

• Reduced working hours
• Reduced working days
• Flexible working times that may be variable
• Seasonal work
• Job sharing
• Telecommuting (i.e., working from home with telecommunications connections)
• Different work assignments (e.g., mentoring or training younger workers, a new functional or business area)
• Project assignments

As the economy improves and companies face the reality of an aging and shrinking workforce, many more will be required to develop flexible workplace options.  In a recent AARP survey, 80% of Baby Boomers indicated their intent to continue working, more than half on a part-time basis. Companies will be required to tap this large and growing talent pool of workers 55+ because of their experience, expertise, seasoned judgment and proven performance (we call that EESP).  And recent surveys conducted among Generation Y and Millennials indicate that many of them want more flexibility to spend time with their families and engage in other activities.

Companies would also be well advised to maintain databases of retired workers who may want to continue working on a part-time basis because it is substantially more efficient and cost effective to hire former employees who know the company and can continue to add value.   The alternative is to pay a fee to a staffing company for part-time help who don’t know the company, the people and the way it functions. 

HRS has created a nonprofit, the Center for Productive Longevity, with this mission:

To stimulate the substantially increased engagement of people 55 and older in productive activities, paid and volunteer, where they are qualified and ready to continue adding value.

In furtherance of this mission, CPL will be working closely with the HR heads of major companies around the country to increase their focus on flexible workplace options, as well as reaching out to mid-size and smaller companies. For more information, please visit www.ctrpl.org/.

The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between people 55 and older and opportunities that enable them to continue in productive activities, recently wrapped up its last meeting in the “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” series. These meetings attracted more than 400 participants 50 and older to the four meetings in Kansas City, Mo., Boston, Chicago and Denver.

There are 78 million Baby Boomers (one-quarter of the total U.S. population) reaching the traditional retirement age of 65 at the rate of 4.2 million each year from 2011 through 2029. With unemployment high and economic growth low for the foreseeable future, new-business creation is a bright spot on a gloomy employment horizon for older people. A survey sponsored by AARP in 2011 indicated that 80 percent of the Baby Boomers surveyed intend to continue working after leaving their regular career jobs. This series of meetings is on the leading edge in encouraging Baby Boomers to consider the benefits and opportunities of new-business creation as they consider how to remain productively engaged.

This interest in entrepreneurship as a career after retirement is reflected in national research as well, with increasingly more people 55 and older creating their own businesses than people 20-34. In fact, according to Kauffman Foundation research, the relative percentage of entrepreneurs has increased by almost 7 percent for people 55-64 from 1996-2011, the largest increase among all age groups. By contrast, the percentage dropped about 5 percent for people 20-44.

“This is what built America! Individuality, capitalism, inventiveness, and the freedom to create your own business,” stated Karen Rose, a participant in the Denver meeting. “This meeting reignited passion in so many of us, along with providing educational avenues to turn passion into success.”

Tom Backhus, another participant in the Denver meeting, said, “The event has given me confidence in moving forward and ideas on the importance of writing my business concept.”

Each meeting had presentations by successful, highly visible entrepreneurs such as Jerry Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder, Silpada Designs, Doug Rauch, former President and CEO, Trader Joe’s, Larry Levy, Founder and Chairman of Levy Restaurants, and Alan Hall, Founder and Chairman, MarketStar.

Participants also attended interactive breakout sessions on topics relating to new-business creation and how to become an entrepreneur, including: risks and rewards, strategies for identifying and selecting potential business opportunities, developing a business plan or business concept statement, and exploring funding support.

Written evaluations from all of the meetings indicated that participants benefited and were even inspired by their experience. Almost all participants reported that it increased their understanding of the benefits and opportunities provided by entrepreneurship, and 74 percent stated they were now more likely to create a new business as a result of the meetings.

For more information on CPL, visit www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CTRPL. 

All readers may be familiar with ESP–extrasensory perception.  I propose that we focus on EESP–experience, expertise, seasoned judgment and proven performance. This is what Baby Boomers can provide versus their younger counterparts. I like the old saying: “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.”

Quoting from the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity for 1996-2010, written by Robert W. Fairlie in March 2011: 26% of entrepreneurial activity was produced by people ages 20-34 versus 39% produced by people ages 55-64.  My view is that the disparity will not only be maintained but will increase because we have an aging and shrinking workforce.

More than five million Americans ages 55 and older (55+) have their own businesses or are self-employed, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA), indicating an increased interest in entrepreneurship opportunities.  And the SBA reports that the number of self-employed people ages 55 to 64 is soaring, climbing 52% from 2000 to 2007.  Here are some of the reasons why people are changing careers at 55, particularly at a time when unemployment is high and jobs are scarce:

• After years of working for others, acting in accordance with established policies and procedures, experienced workers are creating their own business, enabling them to “march to their own drummer.”

• Many people 55+ are attracted by the opportunity to create a business that is responsive to their own unique needs, interests, and desires.

• The need for additional income to maintain a standard of living or the desire to have additional income for discretionary spending

• The desire for continued interesting/stimulating/challenging work to maintain cognitive skills and abilities

• The desire to maintain self-esteem and self-fulfillment by continuing in productive activities that add value

• The desire to maintain relationships with the outside world and to remain socially connected

• Recognition that, with knowledge of their increased longevity and vulnerability of their financial resources through market fluctuations, it may be necessary or desirable to generate additional income

Let’s talk about the biggest driving force–the impact of demographic change in America.  When the Social Security Act was passed in 1935, few people lived past the established retirement age of 65.  The reality is that almost 30 years were added to longevity from beginning to end of the 20^th Century.  People are not only living longer but in substantially better health.  This, of course, depends upon three essential tenets: remaining intellectually engaged, socially connected and physically fit.  According to a recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, those who are committed to these tenets enjoy better health, report a greater satisfaction with life, and live at least four years longer than those who don’t.

With so many more years to live than people expected when younger, sitting on the sidelines with nothing to do for another 20-30 years doesn’t look so attractive.  Another factor is that we have moved in the U.S. from an industrial to a knowledge-based society, with more than 80% of the private, non-farm sector in knowledge-based services and only about 11% in manufacturing.

We still tend to think about the traditional two stages of adulthood: early adulthood from 18 to 40 and mature adulthood from 40 to 62 or 65.  Then, the traditional thinking goes, you are out of the game and the headlights are getting dim.  But the reality is that, with the advent of demographic change and people living appreciably longer lives in better health, there is a new and third stage of adulthood from 62-85.  And people are increasingly working into their latter 80s, 90s and even beyond.

Because we are still recovering from the global economic crisis, most companies have not yet begun to recognize that they will shortly be facing skills shortages. And there is another problem.  Because of a shrinking number of younger people coming into the workforce, they will be in even greater demand and will be changing jobs more rapidly. In 2010, the average job tenure for workers 20-35 was 2.3 years versus 9.9 years for older workers 50-65.  With the 78 million Baby Boomers reaching 65 in 2011 and each year thereafter through 2029 at the rate of 4.2 million per year, companies will be facing serious skills shortages unless they begin to utilize this large and growing talent pool of people with EESP.

Meanwhile, with unemployment slated to remain above 8% and economic growth low for the foreseeable future, there is one bright spot for retired workers on a gloomy employment horizon–the entrepreneurial path. Through a non-profit organized by my firm in 2006, the Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), we are substantially involved in organizing four meetings in 2012, the first of which was held on March 27 at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City.  Other sponsors were AARP and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE).  The title for all four events is “Spotlight on Entrepreneurial Opportunities for Baby Boomers.”

Our goal was to attract 100 Baby Boomers 50+ for this event (reduced from 55+ because AARP was a sponsor and this is their threshold membership age) for which there was no charge. When I left for a quick trip on February 8, we had attracted 50 participants. When I returned to the office on February 13, the number had climbed to 141 and we promptly closed registrations.  We actually had 130 participants at the meeting, including 20 spouses, and there was a waiting list of more than 35.  This provides you with some idea about the growing wave of interest in Baby Boomer entrepreneurship.

We anticipate the same or a greater degree of interest in the major metro areas for the next three meetings:

• Babson College in Wellesley, MA (near Boston) on September 14
• Kellogg School of Management/Northwestern University in Chicago on October 11
• University of Denver on November 15

We have carefully selected academic institutions with a major focus on entrepreneurship because they are training the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, and I believe we will see substantially larger numbers of older entrepreneurs as we move away from the more traditional forms of employment.  After all, new-business creation has been the backbone of the American economy since Paul Revere, with his own silversmith company, went on his famous ride to warn that the British were coming.

Back to thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, here are the factors that need to be considered:

• Risks and rewards
• Strategies for identifying and selecting potential business opportunities
• Desirability of taking skills and aptitude tests to ascertain your professional and personal strengths
• Importance of developing a business plan or at least a business concept statement
• How to evaluate a business plan or concept statement
• Creation of a personal vision
• Exploration of funding support
• How to overcome fears and concerns/real and artificial barriers
• Importance of conducting research on the competition
• Importance of developing an Advisory Board or Planning Committee to meet several times a year to provide counsel and guidance on your new venture     

Finally, another acronym I like is the three Ps: passion, purpose and perseverance.  These are critical qualities in pursuing the entrepreneurial path, and I would add a few others:

• Courage/willingness to take risks
• Positive attitude and optimistic spirit
• Strength of character/integrity
• Vision/ability to see things as they might be
• Self-confidence and assurance
• High energy level
• Resourceful and resilient
• Ability to accept rejection and turn failures into learning opportunities

You won’t need all of these qualities for changing careers at 55, but it would be desirable to have many of them.  Having created my own consulting firm more than 40 years ago and found it to be a great way to go, I have one more quote: “You don’t stop having fun when you grow older. You grow older when you stop having fun.” Good luck and godspeed for the growing number of senior entrepreneurs!

Note:  I have three books for suggested reading:

• Barreto, Hector V., The Engine of America: The Secrets to Small Business Success from Entrepreneurs Who Have Made It!  Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007.
• Price, Robert W., Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business.  New York: AMACOM, 2004.
• Murphy, Bill Jr., The Intelligent Entrepreneur: How Three Harvard Business School Graduates Learned the 10 Rules of Successful Entrepreneurship.  New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2010

The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between older people and opportunities for them to continue in productive activities, is hosting its fourth meeting in the “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” series on Thursday, November 15. This meeting, which is the final stop in the series, will be held at University College on the University of Denver campus. To register and view the agenda, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/november-15-2012. Participants must be 50 and older (50+).

The meetings are designed to contribute to a national momentum for new-business creation, which will help Baby Boomers remain productively engaged while reducing unemployment and increasing national economic growth. AARP, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) and CPL are sponsors of the meeting, along with other organizations.

The day will include presentations from three successful entrepreneurs 50+ and two rounds of interactive breakout sessions on topics relating to new-business creation and how to become an entrepreneur.

The featured speakers include:

• Jody Holtzman, Senior Vice President–Thought Leadership, AARP, has more than two decades of experience helping companies develop and implement competitive strategies and achieve their strategic market goals. At AARP he leads AARP's new Thought Leadership efforts, which support the new brand positioning around a focus on living, not just aging, and for people 50+ to live their best lives.

• Courtney Price, President & CEO, VentureQuest Ltd., in the early ‘90s, founded the Entrepreneurial Education Foundation in Kansas City, MO, and co-founded FastTrac, which was selected to have the best materials for entrepreneurship training in the U.S.

• Alan Hall is Founder and Chairman of MarketStar Corporation, which is a global, outsourced sales and marketing company. MarketStar assists technology companies by increasing sales through the small to medium business sector. Omnicom Group (OMC) now owns MarketStar. He is also the Founder and President of Grow America, whose focus is on stimulating the growth and development of entrepreneurship throughout the U.S.

• Ding-Wen Hsu, President, Pacific West Technologies, has more than 30 years of MIS and managerial experience. A native of Taiwan, she has been very active in the Asian-American communities in Denver since she moved to Colorado in 1978. She is one of the founders of Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the largest Asian American festival in the Rocky Mountain region. In addition, she is the co-founder of International Multi-Cultural Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes understanding and interaction among various cultures.

• Adam Swiecki, President, Swiecki Enterprises, founded Swiecki Enterprises in 2003 after serving as an Army Officer and financier. Focused on the action sport market, he has built leading ecommerce businesses in skate (SkateboardsEtc.com), surf (SurfboardsEtc.com), and snow (SkiGogglesEtc.com).

This meeting focuses on the reality that, with unemployment high and economic growth low for the foreseeable future, entrepreneurship is a bright spot on a gloomy employment horizon for Baby Boomers 50+.

Space for the meeting is limited, and people are encouraged to reserve a place as soon as possible. The charge of $35 per person covers a spouse, if desired, and a post-meeting workshop on the “how-tos” of creating a new business. Registrations should be made by November 1 at http://www.ctrpl.org/november-15-2012/registration.  They will be accepted thereafter on a first-come basis.

For more information on CPL and the senior entrepreneurship meetings, visit www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CTRPL. 

The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between people 55 and older and opportunities that enable them to continue in productive activities, is organizing three more meetings this fall in the “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” series. The meetings are designed to contribute to a national momentum for new-business creation, which enables Baby Boomers to remain productively engaged and also facilitates national economic growth.

The events will be held for people 50 and older at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on September 14, Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Management in Chicago on October 11, and the University of Denver on November 15. To register and view preliminary agendas, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview. Sponsors of upcoming meetings include AARP, CPL, and a number of other organizations.

Each of the meetings will have presentations by three successful entrepreneurs. The meetings will also include two rounds of interactive breakout sessions on topics relating to new-business creation and how to become an entrepreneur, including: risks and rewards of being an entrepreneur, strategies for identifying and selecting potential business opportunities, developing a business plan or business concept statement, and exploring funding support.

The first meeting in the series was held March 27 in Kansas City, MO at the Kauffman Foundation, a focal point for entrepreneurship in America, and attracted 95 participants. The written evaluations indicated that the meeting was extremely successful: 87 percent of the participants reported that it increased their awareness and understanding of the benefits and opportunities provided by entrepreneurship, and 97 percent stated they were now more likely to create a new business.

This interest in entrepreneurship as a career after retirement is reflected in national research as well, with increasingly more people 55 and older creating their own businesses. In fact, according to Kauffman Foundation research, the relative percentage of entrepreneurs has increased by almost seven percent for people 55-64 from 1996-2011, the largest increase among all age groups; by contrast, the percentage dropped about five percent for people 20-44.

The minimum age level is 50, and qualified people can register now for one of the following meetings at http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview: 

• September 14, 2012: Babson College, Wellesley, MA

Babson College has been selected for each of the last ten years as having the best post-secondary school program on entrepreneurship in the country.  Leonard Schlesinger, the President of Babson College, and Ralph Sorenson, past President of Babson College and founder of its Center on Entrepreneurship, will be the opening speakers.

• October 11, 2012: Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Management, Chicago, IL

Dr. Paul Magelli, Senior Director, Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and James Shein, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Kellogg School, will make the opening presentations.

• November 15, 2012: University of Denver, Denver, CO

The details for the Denver meeting are still being finalized, but will include Courtney Price, President of VentureQuest, and one other speaker.  Go to http://www.ctrpl.org/november-15-2012 for the latest information.

The number of participants will be limited to 125 on a first-come basis. The cost of $35 per person covers inclusion of a spouse, if desired, and a post-meeting workshop on the “how-tos” of creating a new business. Payment to the Center for Productive Longevity must be received by the first of the month in which the meeting is held to confirm participation.

CPL has also initiated a national competition, the Later-Life Story Contest, for people 55 and older. The competition has two categories: Entrepreneur Success Stories and Inspirational Later-Life Stories. A panel of three independent judges will select one winner from each category who will receive $1,000 and a specially designed trophy. CPL will post the best stories on its website (ctrpl.org) under “Success Stories.” The contest deadline is August 31, and winners will be announced on October 1, 2012.

To submit a story, visit www.ctrpl.org/laterlifestorycontest and complete a submission form. Entrants must be 55 and older, have a compelling story to share, and be willing to have it posted on the CPL website for viewing and for possible publication. Stories may also be sent to James Hooks at jhooks@ctrpl.org.

For more information on CPL, the meetings and how to submit entrepreneur success stories, visit www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

By: William K Zinke

Founder & President of the Center for Productive Longevity

All readers may be familiar with ESP–extrasensory perception.  I propose that we focus on EESP–experience, expertise, seasoned judgment and proven performance. This is what Baby Boomers can provide versus their younger counterparts. I like the old saying: “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.”

Quoting from the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity for 1996-2010, written by Robert W. Fairlie in March 2011: 26% of entrepreneurial activity was produced by people ages 20-34 versus 39% produced by people ages 55-64.  My view is that the disparity will not only be maintained but will increase because we have an aging and shrinking workforce.

More than five million Americans ages 55 and older (55+) have their own businesses or are self-employed, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA), indicating an increased interest in entrepreneurship opportunities.  And the SBA reports that the number of self-employed people ages 55 to 64 is soaring, climbing 52% from 2000 to 2007.  Here are some of the reasons why people are changing careers at 55, particularly at a time when unemployment is high and jobs are scarce:

• After years of working for others, acting in accordance with established policies and procedures, experienced workers are creating their own business, enabling them to “march to their own drummer.”

• Many people 55+ are attracted by the opportunity to create a business that is responsive to their own unique needs, interests, and desires.

• The need for additional income to maintain a standard of living or the desire to have additional income for discretionary spending

• The desire for continued interesting/stimulating/challenging work to maintain cognitive skills and abilities

• The desire to maintain self-esteem and self-fulfillment by continuing in productive activities that add value

• The desire to maintain relationships with the outside world and to remain socially connected

• Recognition that, with knowledge of their increased longevity and vulnerability of their financial resources through market fluctuations, it may be necessary or desirable to generate additional income

Let’s talk about the biggest driving force–the impact of demographic change in America.  When the Social Security Act was passed in 1935, few people lived past the established retirement age of 65.  The reality is that almost 30 years were added to longevity from beginning to end of the 20^th Century.  People are not only living longer but in substantially better health.  This, of course, depends upon three essential tenets: remaining intellectually engaged, socially connected and physically fit.  According to a recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, those who are committed to these tenets enjoy better health, report a greater satisfaction with life, and live at least four years longer than those who don’t.

With so many more years to live than people expected when younger, sitting on the sidelines with nothing to do for another 20-30 years doesn’t look so attractive.  Another factor is that we have moved in the U.S. from an industrial to a knowledge-based society, with more than 80% of the private, non-farm sector in knowledge-based services and only about 11% in manufacturing.

We still tend to think about the traditional two stages of adulthood: early adulthood from 18 to 40 and mature adulthood from 40 to 62 or 65.  Then, the traditional thinking goes, you are out of the game and the headlights are getting dim.  But the reality is that, with the advent of demographic change and people living appreciably longer lives in better health, there is a new and third stage of adulthood from 62-85.  And people are increasingly working into their latter 80s, 90s and even beyond.

Because we are still recovering from the global economic crisis, most companies have not yet begun to recognize that they will shortly be facing skills shortages. And there is another problem.  Because of a shrinking number of younger people coming into the workforce, they will be in even greater demand and will be changing jobs more rapidly. In 2010, the average job tenure for workers 20-35 was 2.3 years versus 9.9 years for older workers 50-65.  With the 78 million Baby Boomers reaching 65 in 2011 and each year thereafter through 2029 at the rate of 4.2 million per year, companies will be facing serious skills shortages unless they begin to utilize this large and growing talent pool of people with EESP.

Meanwhile, with unemployment slated to remain above 8% and economic growth low for the foreseeable future, there is one bright spot for retired workers on a gloomy employment horizon–the entrepreneurial path. Through a non-profit organized by my firm in 2006, the Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), we are substantially involved in organizing four meetings in 2012, the first of which was held on March 27 at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City.  Other sponsors were AARP and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE).  The title for all four events is “Spotlight on Entrepreneurial Opportunities for Baby Boomers.”

Our goal was to attract 100 Baby Boomers 50+ for this event (reduced from 55+ because AARP was a sponsor and this is their threshold membership age) for which there was no charge. When I left for a quick trip on February 8, we had attracted 50 participants. When I returned to the office on February 13, the number had climbed to 141 and we promptly closed registrations.  We actually had 130 participants at the meeting, including 20 spouses, and there was a waiting list of more than 35.  This provides you with some idea about the growing wave of interest in Baby Boomer entrepreneurship.

We anticipate the same or a greater degree of interest in the major metro areas for the next three meetings:

• Babson College in Wellesley, MA (near Boston) on September 14
• Kellogg School of Management/Northwestern University in Chicago on October 11
• University of Denver on November 15

We have carefully selected academic institutions with a major focus on entrepreneurship because they are training the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, and I believe we will see substantially larger numbers of older entrepreneurs as we move away from the more traditional forms of employment.  After all, new-business creation has been the backbone of the American economy since Paul Revere, with his own silversmith company, went on his famous ride to warn that the British were coming.

Back to thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, here are the factors that need to be considered:

• Risks and rewards
• Strategies for identifying and selecting potential business opportunities
• Desirability of taking skills and aptitude tests to ascertain your professional and personal strengths
• Importance of developing a business plan or at least a business concept statement
• How to evaluate a business plan or concept statement
• Creation of a personal vision
• Exploration of funding support
• How to overcome fears and concerns/real and artificial barriers
• Importance of conducting research on the competition
• Importance of developing an Advisory Board or Planning Committee to meet several times a year to provide counsel and guidance on your new venture     

Finally, another acronym I like is the three Ps: passion, purpose and perseverance.  These are critical qualities in pursuing the entrepreneurial path, and I would add a few others:

• Courage/willingness to take risks
• Positive attitude and optimistic spirit
• Strength of character/integrity
• Vision/ability to see things as they might be
• Self-confidence and assurance
• High energy level
• Resourceful and resilient
• Ability to accept rejection and turn failures into learning opportunities

You won’t need all of these qualities for changing careers at 55, but it would be desirable to have many of them.  Having created my own consulting firm more than 40 years ago and found it to be a great way to go, I have one more quote: “You don’t stop having fun when you grow older. You grow older when you stop having fun.” Good luck and godspeed for the growing number of senior entrepreneurs!

Note:  I have three books for suggested reading:

• Barreto, Hector V., The Engine of America: The Secrets to Small Business Success from Entrepreneurs Who Have Made It!  Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007.
• Price, Robert W., Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business.  New York: AMACOM, 2004.
• Murphy, Bill Jr., The Intelligent Entrepreneur: How Three Harvard Business School Graduates Learned the 10 Rules of Successful Entrepreneurship.  New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2010

Coda Coffee, a Denver-based specialty coffee roaster and sustainable wholesaler, today announced its Farm2Cup program.  The program aims to continuously improve Coda’s coffee quality and positively impact farming communities around the world.  Through the Farm2Cup program, Coda Coffee invests money and works directly with coffee farmers, who then reinvest in their coffee and community.  Coda expects Farm2Cup participants to use the funds they receive for research, development, experimentation, best practice sharing and sometimes inner-village or cross-community competitions to improve coffee quality.  The program also requires farmers to give back to their local community.

Coda Coffee informally implemented the program as a business practice about two years ago, but is now formalizing the program, launching www.farm2cup.org and labeling the coffee bags for customers and partners.

“By simply drinking Farm2Cup coffee, you know you’re enjoying a product that supports people around the world,” said Tim Thwaites, Coda Coffee co-founder.  “In addition, the coffee exceeds taste and quality expectations because of best practice sharing and the traceability of the coffee from farm to cup.” 

Farm2Cup can drastically impact the livelihood of the farmer’s family, employees and even an entire village.  Coda Coffee works with farmers around the world, in countries such as Guatemala, Ethiopia, Brazil and Honduras.  Some examples of how Farm2Cup funds have helped farmers and communities include:

• El Salvador: Coda Coffee held fundraisers for a school in Ayutepeque, which funded a new kitchen, utensils, desks and chairs for the children. Additionally, the community is working on plans for a school library.
  
  
• Guatemala: In Guatemala, Coda purchases high quality micro lots of coffee to encourage overall product improvement.   The community has also held cupping competitions, where the local coffee farmers come together to have their coffee graded.  The premium that Coda Coffee pays for the best coffee has helped build a road to A’Achimbal, a school, church, community center and 80 homes with electricity and running water.

• Las Capucas, Honduras: Cupping competitions in Honduras also helped improve coffee quality, which increased the coffee’s price and allowed one community to build cupping labs, a wet mill and a dry mill.

Coda Coffee performs site visits and its importer, Atlas Coffee Importer, assists with annual quality control checks.  The trips are to make sure that farmers are spending time and money on improving their products and communities, which allows them to stay in the Farm2Cup program.

“There is a great story behind every cup of Farm2Cup coffee,” added Tommy Thwaites, Coda Coffee co-founder.  “This program helps personalize those stories and makes a global purchase feel local.  A better quality of life for our farmers actually does make a better cup of coffee for our customers.”

To learn more about the program, visit www.farm2cup.org.  To find Farm2Cup coffee, look for the Farm2Cup logo at coffee shops.  Farm2Cup products are available where Coda Coffee is sold.  To find a retail location near you that serves Coda Coffee, visit www.codacoffee.com.