Kickstart Your Business @50+
SF Tech Council and private sector partner Blissen have received a grant from San Francisco’s Office of Economic & Workforce Development to pilot two 10-week online programs to guide aspiring older adult entrepreneurs through the step-by-step process of bringing their business ideas to life.
Do you know someone who is interested in starting a business? If you are over 50 years of age and live in San Francisco, this is the program for you!
About Blissen
Blissen, an early-stage startup founded by Solene Oudet and headquartered in San Francisco, rolled out its first beta bootcamp in 2020. Prior to launching its beta bootcamp, interviews with more than 100 stakeholders confirmed that the key barriers for older adults who want to start a business include: self-doubt and fear of failure; lack of entrepreneurial know-how; limited digital skills and knowledge of how to leverage new technology in business; and lack of a supportive community and support system.
More about the program
Key program components include: a cohort-based approach where participants develop meaningful relationships and learn from the experience of peers; hands-on experience via a "learn-by-doing methodology" that involves practical and useful assignments; expert guidance through sessions led by industry experts to get answers to their questions as well as receive personalized advice; entrepreneurial mindset sessions to overcome mental blocks and develop confidence as budding entrepreneurs; and tech clinics to get up to speed on the best online tools to manage a business efficiently, and to receive assistance from tech support specialists.
“Kickstart Your Business at 50+” is focused on:
Helping marginalized people over the age of 50 find financial security;
Creating a positive, safe, social, inclusive, interactive, inspirational learning environment;
Guiding all participants through the step-by-step process of starting a business so that they leave the bootcamp with a live website and are ready to land their first customers;
Equipping participants with the entrepreneurial know-how and tech skills they need to successfully run their business day-to-day; and
Addressing loneliness challenges among this demographic by providing each participant with a sounding board of peers on a similar path.