The "Great Age Shift" is not a burden but the biggest untapped economic opportunity: the longevity dividend. Unlocking this $26 trillion-plus potential relies on supporting experienced older founders, the encore entrepreneurs, who are statistically more successful and perfectly positioned to innovate for this growing market.

Key Concepts & Discussion Points

• Longevity Economy Scale: The U.S. 65+ population is projected to reach 82 million by 2050. The global 60+ group jumps from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion by 2030.
• Economic Power: The U.S. 50+ segment contributed $8.3 trillion (40% of U.S. GDP) in 2018, projected to hit $26.8 trillion by 2050.
• Aha! Moment: The average age of founders for the fastest-growing U.S. startups (top 0.1%) was 45. A 50-year-old founder is about twice as likely to achieve a major successful exit compared to a 30-year-old.
• Encore Edge: Success is driven by deep industry experience, established networks, greater financial stability for bootstrapping, and practiced managerial skills.
• Motivation: The primary motivation is personal fulfillment, finding purpose in a "second act," and a strong desire for social impact.
• Age Tech Market: Innovation is critical across healthcare (telemedicine, digital therapeutics), elder care (caregiver solutions, fall prevention sensors), and combating isolation (learning communities like Get Setup).
• Barriers: The main hurdles are pervasive investor age bias in funding and the need for tailored support to address perception/reality of digital skills gaps.

Actionable Recommendations

For Policymakers & Government Leaders:

• Remove Disincentives: Adjust pension/Social Security rules that penalize continued contributions.
• Expand Support: Expand tailored digital skills programs and foster intergenerational teams.

For Entrepreneurs & Innovators:

• Leverage Experience: Use domain expertise as the "unfair advantage".
• Embrace Tools: Utilize low-code/no-code and AI tools to bypass pure coding skill barriers.
• Target Growth: Focus on the specific needs of the fast-growing 80+ segment.

For the Ecosystem (Investors, Educators, Community Leaders):

• Challenge Bias: Actively challenge age bias, as the data proves older founders' higher success rate.
• Support Caution: Support "rational caution" and the focus on steady profitability.
• Celebrate Role Models: Highlight encore success stories (e.g., Ray Kroc, Colonel Sanders, Dave Duffield).

The Big Takeaway

Embracing senior entrepreneurship is an economic necessity that transforms aging from decline to a new stage of creativity and contribution. Harnessing this longevity dividend through institutional support secures a more sustainable economic future.