Upcoming Meeting at Northwestern University/Kellogg School Helps Baby Boomers Learn About Later-Life Entrepreneurship

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 third meeting in the “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” series on Thursday, October 11. The meeting will be held in Wieboldt Hall on the Chicago campus of Northwestern University/Kellogg School. To register and view the agenda, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/october-11-2012. Participants must be 50 and older.

The meetings are designed to facilitate a national momentum for new-business creation, which will help Baby Boomers remain productively engaged while contributing to 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 successful entrepreneurs over the age of 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:

·      Dr. Paul Magelliis senior director of the Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has held a number of positions at the University of Illinois, including assistant dean of the MBA program and assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

·      James Sheinis professor of entrepreneurship at Kellogg School’s Larry and Carol Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice and an academic director of the Successful Corporate Renewal executive program. He previously spent four years as president and CEO of R.C. Manufacturing, and ten years as president and chief executive officer of Northbrook Corporation.

·      Nancy Rodriguezis founder and president of Food Marketing Support Services (FMSS), which she started in 1985. FMSS is a contractual research and development company that services both the retail (supermarkets) and food service (restaurant) industries.

·      Larry Levyis founder and chairman of Levy Restaurants and chairman and CEO of The Levy Organization. He co-founded Levy Restaurants in 1978 and served as CEO until December 2003. Levy Restaurants’ diverse portfolio includes a network of acclaimed restaurants throughout the country and they pioneered the concept of catering in sports and entertainment facilities, including stadiums and convention centers, in every major U.S. market. Levy has also served as a chairperson and board member for a wide variety of organizations and received numerous awards.

·      Carol Levyis co-owner of Material Possessions, a home décor store that has proven to be successful for nearly 30 years. In 1983, she became co-owner of Material Possessions. With her combination of entrepreneurial spirit and imaginative thinking, Carol helped expand the store to a downtown Chicago location. In 2004, she and her husband, Larry, founded the Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. They took the venture a step further in 2007 by establishing the Carol and Larry Social Entrepreneurial Lab.

The “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” meeting is limited to 125 participants on a first-come basis. 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 must be made by October 1 at http://www.ctrpl.org/october-11-2012.

A block of hotel rooms for this meeting is reserved at the MileNorth Hotel, one block away, at a discounted rate of $175.

This is one in a series of four meetings, organized by CPL. The first was held at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, MO on March 27, and the second is being held at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on September 14; the fourth meeting will be held at the University of Denver on November 15.

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