Encore careers can be extra rewarding

The Purpose Prize and Civic Ventures are Atlantic grantees.

• Seizing opportunities for good in an encore act
• ‘The passion to do something to change the world’

(Repurposing one’s career for a greater purpose is discussed in today’s CVBT Audio Interview via Skype with Alexandra Kent.)

As Baby Boomers age many are finding that the goal of a quiet retirement has become a mirage, often due to changes in economics.

But for some, these are turning points toward careers with greater good as those over 60 do extraordinary things to improve life for millions of people worldwide.

Civic Ventures, a San Francisco-based think tank on boomers, work and social purpose, recently cited five people with the Purpose Prize for “encore careers” that have helped others.

They include a former telecom executive who helped wire an Appalachian county; a professor who invented a way to transform toxic fly ash into green bricks; a psychiatrist who helps saves soldiers' lives by offering free mental health treatment; a former NASA executive who works to treat alcoholism in Native American communities by reviving old customs and traditions, and a couple who honor their son, killed on 9/11, by helping to bring mental health services to countries ravaged by terrorism, violence and war.

“We’re actually trying to redefine the conversation around retirement and aging,” says Alexandra Kent, director for the Purpose Prize. “We find that people are living much longer lives, that people have the energy and commitment and the passion to do something to change the world.”

“I find that people are extremely passionate, they’re motivated,” says Ms. Kent about those over-60 social entrepreneurs.

Social entrepreneurs over the age of 60 are using their experience and passion to take on society's biggest challenges, says Civic Ventures.

The winners of the Purpose Prize and 1,000-plus nominees in 2009 underscore a trend in entrepreneurialism later in life. According to studies by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the 55-64 age group is the most active in creating new ventures. Counter to stereotype, people ages 20-34, the study found, are the least entrepreneurial.

"More than ever, the problems facing our communities, our country and our world call out for creative solutions," says Marc Freedman, co-founder of the Purpose Prize and author of “Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life.”

"Fortunately, we don't run out of ideas as we age," Mr. Freedman says.

Funding for the Purpose Prize comes from The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John Templeton Foundation.

Copyright ©2009 Central Valley Business Times