Baby Boom Generation is a term which portrays a generation born during post-World War II (normally said during 1946 ~1964). As a group, they experienced the fastest economic growth older generations never had, and were amongst the first to grow up in an atmosphere that felt the world becoming prosperous with time. While Baby Boomers started to go into retirement, the world was about the same time heading for the Great Depression of the 21th century due to the financial tsunami. Though some of the baby boomers are still at the helm or act as masters of the organization they work for, will the Baby Boom Generation speed up to hand over?

Some of the baby boomers are quite well-off and retired earlier. They can even back up startup teams to become their angel investors. Some are impacted by the financial crisis; hence wish to maintain certain part-time job even after retire from main career. In any event, most of these veterans are with rich international business experiences, or are specialist in certain front-end area, or are full of operational management experiences. They are valuable intangible assets to countries facing aging issue in population structure. Their knowledge and experiences are also attractive to countries that are looking to upgrade industrial level via strategies including acquisition of foreign talents. Government and private sector are also contemplating arrangements and ideas of how to vitalize the intangible values and enrich the retirement life of the baby boomers when they are inevitably retired.

In Japan, there will have ten millions retirees in five years. Due to the rich experiences and excellent skills possessed with them, in past three years they have been the target talents research institutes and private companies in Taiwan, China and Korea were trying to acquire. From 2003 Japanese government also launched a program to inspire the so called corporate OBs (Old Bone) to help SMEs in operational management, fundraising, IPO or starting up new ventures, etc. The program helps build a talent pool to collect active retirees, and bridge them to meet the specific needs of SMEs in different areas. Three kinds of talent matchmakings are under way: 1. Retirees of large companies are introduced to SMEs; 2. Retirees from metropolitan area are bridged to meet the demands in small town or country area; 3. Retired overseas talents are invited to help upgrade home industries.

The retirement tide of the Baby Boom Generation is a common phenomenon in most of developed countries. As this generation comprises a key portion of current population, when this distinct group fades out of the scene, all the countries are severely impacted in various aspects, ranging from industrial development to heavy burden of the health care system and retirement pension. To smooth out the problems arising out of this abundant manpower’s retreat from work and disconnection from business society, some concepts are emerging to tackle the issues.

Center around the problems and the ideas to solve, “flexible and part-time working style” and “an effective matchmaking platform” to bridge the demands and supplies of the experienced talents are recognized as the focal points. Retired talents and veterans reasonably hope that they can maintain connection with society via part-time works along the way they gradually shift to full retirement. The best fit of the part-time works are like the angel investors, advisors of young companies or partners of a consulting group. Through this way they can keep providing their experiences to guide the entrepreneurs in part-time mode. Besides, an efficient and effective vehicle to help bridge veterans to entrepreneurs directly is desirable, as these relationships will normally be set up casually in nature. This kind of vehicle shall be possible only if it can make the best use of Internet and IT technologies and be a web-based application platform, in where the matchmaking can be performed automatically.

「Venture Aid Platform」 is build on these new concepts. The worldwide reaching capabilities of the internet connect demands and supplies across the geographic and industrial boundaries. Automatic matchmaking and notice performed every day make the bridging service very efficient and effective, so entrepreneurs can meet up with retired veterans in a casual way. It also offers other integrated services. No other platform can vitalize the valuable knowledge and experiences to benefit new ventures in such an easy way. No other platform can help retired Baby Boomers to extend their knowledge contributions in such a comfortable way. With this vehicle, Baby Boom Generation shall not be going into retirement so soon. They can still help nurture younger generation while enjoy the leisure life simultaneously.