September, 2011

I remain committed in this second half of my life to engage in projects with the potential for significant outcomes. When possible, I hope to engage colleagues of similar age and circumstances to join as well.

Since to be relevant older professionals must remain up-to-date and alert to what's going on in our communities and in the world, continuing education - lifelong learning - is critical.  My life continues to be enriched by the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC) and Chautauqua Institution; also the World Affairs group of the Geneva Learners, thanks to wonderful group of participants!  And, CBEID's educational programs have been especially pertinent.

But achieving significant outcomes - relevance - isn't always so easy in this stage of life.

We hope for significant outcomes with CBEID, especially.  Experienced business people are critical to all CBEID programs.  CBEID's Vision states as much: "CBEID will be a primary source of expertise, support and connections to start and grow new [local] businesses; an organization fostering entrepreneurial collaboration among new and experienced business professionals of all ages..."

More than that, CBEID hopes to be a catalyst to significantly enhance the culture for entrepreneurship in the area (Northern Illiniois).  For me, this is a decades long commitment, I hope.

Most significant toward achieving real outcomes with CBEID is our work to help create the new Fox Valley Entrepreneurship Center (FVEC).  CBEID was on the organizing committee along with a number of local business stakehholders, and I am managing the incorporation and NFP applications.  FVEC is incorporated and is currently running competitions with local entrepreneurs pitching their plans to win funding to underwrite marketing, strategic planning, staffing and other custom-tailored consulting services.  It is hoped that FVEC will facilitate some high-profile successes and thereby significantly enhance the profile of entrepreneurship - new companies and those with high growth potential - in the area.  FVEC hopes to become a learning organization for local people of all ages.

I've written about intergenerational competencies that are required if older professionals are to really engage - reengage - in society. Modern society's expectations of older people are too low. Even our families and local communities seem to tolerate but not to engage us as real players (equals).  Perhaps older people also fail to address younger people as equals.  Maybe we're just not enterprising enough!  Anyway, we typically relate in the real world, young and old, from very separate silos.

I am especially interested in older-younger adult relationships, with real world initiatives and outcomes - economic, social and political.  ASPEC, and Geneva Learners all try to develop such programs.  

CBEID and FVEC promise to offer real world opportunities for older and younger professionals to work together in meaningful ways.

My personal entrepreneurial project is all about real outcomes. Having bought a house to renovate, add on and sell, we're almost finished!  I have thereby reentered, in a very concrete way, the world of business with actors of all ages.. and have experienced a lot of new learning!  See: 405 S First Street! 

We had started the project to develop techniques for making old homes more energy efficient.  Our objectives were to authentically restore a historic home and to achieve high levels of energy efficiency.  Also, research done by CBEID indicates that building trades are critical to any local economy, so I had further justification for investing in local tradesmen while the real estate market is soft.

The outcomes were a house which will cost only 62% of the energy of a new house built to code of the same size and it was approved for tax freeze for achieving an authentic level of historical restoration!

Our town, Geneva IL, is known for it's stock of Victorian-style homes and shops.  As these houses come up for renewal, hopefully some of the lessons from "405" will be useful to others. 

The renovation got a good deal of coverage in magazines and the local press, as was our intention. Apparently there aren't many historic renovations with energy-savings objectives.  Old House Journal July/August issue - http://www.oldhouseonline.com/an-energy-efficient-tudor-retrofit/ and the Daily Herald, July 17th - http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110717/entlife/707179843/photos/AR/

I would love to hear from others on these issues.  Obviously, I like sharing what I learn, and I also wish to hear from those with different ideas, especially those who disagree with mine!

Sincerely,

Ernest Mahaffey