Our Impact
Our mission
We envision a world where every adult is empowered to find financial security, purpose and social connections in their second half of life by bringing their professional aspirations to life.
We aim to address the many barriers to employment for people over 50, especially women, communities of color and adults with long gaps in employment. We aim to bridge divides, connect across generations and create a society where workers of all ages are valued for their unique assets and invited to contribute while sustaining themselves financially.
There is a fast-growing market of middle-age adults who choose to have agency and meaning in their lives by starting their own businesses. We are passionate about helping them realize their aspirations, make an impact, find a community, and do something that feels truly substantive.
Our approach
While people over 50 are launching more businesses than any other age group, they’re an underserved market with unique needs and challenges that we want to address. Indeed, the transition into midlife entrepreneurship can be a daunting and challenging process.
At Blissen, we make that transition as smooth and enjoyable as possible by providing all the business acumen, technological tools, strategic guidance, and community support needed to run a successful and fulfilling business.
Activities conducted
Outcomes
Communities supported
Alumni Spotlight: Denise, QiGong Classes & Retreats
Denise’s main challenge coming into the program was how she could turn her side gig into a main business. With the encouragement of the class and the business knowledge she learned, she was able to refine her focus on people with chronic diseases and amplify her own story.
She got new students to sign up for her monthly subscription and made significant sales in the 3 months following the program. She created an affiliate program with a partner coach and organized her first QiGong retreat in Italy.
Denise is on the road to developing her Waking Up Energy business into a dynamic and sustainable business with multiple revenue streams. She is one the winners of our Winter 2022 Demo Day.
Alumni Spotlight: Fanel, Ethiopian Restaurant
Fanael is the owner of the Ethiopian restaurant Moya in downtown San Francisco (SOMA).
Thanks to her learnings acquired during the program, she has started creating her own Instagram posts rather than relying on her kids to promote her ethnic vegan foods. She now feels more confident delivering her elevator pitch at pop-up events.
Her deliveries have doubled since running promotions online, something she has learned about during the program. She is one of the winners of our Fall 2022 Demo Day.
Alumni Spotlight: Christine, Person-Centered Planner & Facilitator
After a successful career start, Christine had to stop working to raise her two kids with disability. Now that they are adults, she wanted to get back to work but the gap in her resume was a challenge to get the interest of recruiters.
By attending the program, Christine gained confidence and was able to see her business idea flourish and grow. She particularly benefited from the encouragements of her cohort and the opportunity to put minds together and see things from different perspectives. She got certified and created her website.
By the end of the program, Christine had already acquired 45 customers and was on the way to hire her first part-time employee. She is one of the winners of our Spring 2022 Demo Day.
Alumni Spotlight: Stacey, Personal Healthcare Assistance
When she joined Kickstart Your Business @50+ , Stacey’s main challenge was her confidence in the value of her offering. She did not feel comfortable charging people for for her patient assistance services.
With the encouragement of the coaches in the program, she decided to shift her mindset, took her first step to talk to people about the fee she would charge and received positive feedback. She was able to acquire her first three clients during the program and continued to acquire more.
She also learned the business skills she needed to develop the business and continued to attend other business workshops we referred her to. She is one of the winners of our Winter 2022 Demo Day.
Our multigenerational team
Luther Kitahata
Chief Academic Officer
Highlighted as a “Silicon Valley Obi-Wan Kenobi” in the bestselling book Wisdom at Work, Luther is a seasoned leadership coach with strong entrepreneurial expertise. He has started and grown 8 businesses.
Nancy Collamer
DEBB partner
Nancy is a retirement coach and a recognized expert on second-act career trends. She is the founder of My Lifestyle Career and the author of Second-Act Careers: 50+ Ways to Profit Your Passions During Semi-Retirement.
Isabelle Denis
Graphic designer
A digital and social marketing guru, Isabelle crafts captivating brand identities that connect with their target audience. She creates beautiful designs, logos and visuals that help businesses flourish.
Taruna Punj
Finance & accounting expert
Taruna is a tenured finance and accounting leader with over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, book-keeping, reporting, budgeting and forecasting. She is Quickbooks Online certified.
