The “Boomers, Entrepreneurship, and Retirement 2030” research program comprehensively investigates the predictors of which individuals become entrepreneurs, and the success of subsequent entrepreneurial activities among Baby Boomers. We propose to do this through four interrelated research studies and by employing a holistic, systems-based approach to synthesizing and analyzing large and/or big heterogeneous datasets covering individual-level factors such as race, gender, cognitive functioning and genetics, social environment factors such as social networks, and physical environment factors such as amenities, services, and pollution. Below are brief descriptions of the four studies in the program:

Study #1: This study investigates the predictors of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship outcomes in the Baby Boomers demographic group. We propose to do this by designing three innovative and interrelated entrepreneurship surveys.

Study #2: In this study we seek to address questions such as: 1) Can we identify typologies of Boomer entrepreneurs beyond the commonly invoked necessity versus opportunity entrepreneurship? 2) How do the social and geographic contexts influence the emergence of different types of entrepreneurs?

Study #3: The questions we will analyze in this study include: 1) Are there cognitive and/or genetic differences associated with different types of entrepreneurs? 2) Do differences in cognitive functioning and genetic profiles explain differential rates of success of entrepreneurial activities?

Study #4: Minorities have significantly lower rates of entrepreneurship even in older ages (Fairlie & Meyer, 1996; Moulton & Scott, 2014). In this study we will conduct holistic analyses of racial disparities in entrepreneurship and isolate whether they are attributable to individual-level or contextual-level factors, or a combination of the two. Some of the questions we intend to address include: 1) Are there racial differences in rates of entrepreneurial activities, types of entrepreneurship, and even entrepreneurship success rates among Boomers? 2) And are there cohort differences too, based on the different boomer cohorts i.e. Early Baby Boomers (born 1948-53),Mid Baby Boomers (born 1954-59), and Late Baby Boomers (born 1960-64)?

The Boomers, Entrepreneurship, and Retirement 2030 research program has received funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The program has also received institutional funding from the University of Michigan Office of Research.