The Ladies Club Fall Issue

The Ladies Club

A Business and Education Source

Women Disrupting Business Spaces

The Fundamentals of Trademark and Copyright Searches

Summer | Fall 2024

Harnessing The Power of Age: 5 Key Benefits of Hiring Older Workers

PLUS: 3 Key Learnings from Chase for Business

3 Key Learnings from Chase for Business

The Modern Miracles Woman is...

Cutting Edge · Fresh · Futuristic · Leading-Edge · Modernistic · Extraordinary

CONTENTS 14

How Colleges and Universities Can Support Adult Learners Navigating A Changing World

16 6 Tips On How To Find, Apply For And Get Scholarships For College

18

Women Disrupting Business Spaces

MASTHEAD & CONTACT INFO Publisher & Editor Yvette Paez Chief Operating Officer | Research Specialist Mildred Velazquez Branding Manager | Special Events Daisy Paez Director of Business Affairs Pedro Paez Contributors Mildred Velazquez Yvette Paez BrandPoint Content Photography Credits BPT © wolterke - stock.adobe.com © Sorin - stock.adobe.com © Martin - stock.adobe.com ©Noelia - stock.adobe.com @Enrique - stock.adobe.com Each edition promotes the theme of entrepreneurship and educating readers through an array of scholarly resources and article links. Our magazine features content on hot topics ranging from women's and equality issues, business ethics and creative activity.

The Ladies Club Magazine is published bi-annually by Modern Miracles Enterprises, LLC. Subscriptions and reprint permission should be sent to: info@modernmiraclesllc.com Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities: Call (760) 260-8414 Mailing Address: 777 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Suite 200-198 Palm Springs, CA 92262 Websites: www.tlcusercommunity.network www.modernmiraclesllc.com Social Media: The Ladies Club (@TheLadiesClub24)/Twitter Facebook Home | (https://www.facebook.com/TheLadiesClub) Instagram | (https://www.instagram.com/tlcusercommunity/) Copyright @2024. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any form without prior permission is prohibited.

DEPARTMENTS

CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP | BUSINESS & RESEARCH | EDUCATION | CLOSING THE GENDER GAP

Celebrating 5 Years!

After writing these letters for close to 5 years now, I began to think about what I can say that would come across as crisp, new and inspirational to our readers. In remaining authentic to this magazine brand, I wanted to let you know what you can expect.

Upcoming editions will feature insightful articles on promoting gender equality, women and the workplace and other innovative solutions and perspectives in business and entrepreneurship. Our editorial focus is in alignment with our creative initiatives for women and in discussing and understanding concepts from the viewpoint of diverse backgrounds.

I would also like to include more women-led businesses and publish their stories of success so that together we can all learn from one another’s experiences and keep each other motivated with our business journey!

In order to do this, our publication has a special promo going on now where you can publish your professional business bio without breaking your advertising budget.

I am constantly thinking of ways to help empower women so that they can position themselves to achieve their personal goals in both business and education. So again, you can expect to read and learn about various topics as a business owner. You will also be able to locate links to other articles and further explore topics related to our content.

You will learn about the different incentives we extend to our readership that leads to an original website with even further reading materials and resources.

Lastly, I am excited to be launching our first YouTube Channel, The Modern Miracles Experience - a platform with even more visually striking images and information on our ongoing creative projects.

As always, I invite you to reach out to us personally and let us know how this publication is making a difference and how we can make our pages and content even greater!

Yvette Paez info@modernmiraclesllc.com

Editor Notes

20 The Fundamentals of Trademark and Copyright Searches

22 4 Ways Small Businesses Can

Innovate Without a Big Budget

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The Modern Miracles Experience

Coming Soon...

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26

3 Key Learnings from Chase for Business

28

Harnessing The Power of Age: 5 Key Benefits of Hiring Older Workers

EDUCATION SECTION

Adult Learning

How Colleges and Universities Can Support Adult Learners Navigating a Changing World

Provided by Brandpoint Content

Balancing Life, School and Mental Well-Being

Oftentimes, adult learners must juggle their education and existing professional responsibilities, as more than two in three adult learners in 2022 were employed either full or part-time while pursuing their degrees. Making time for education can be difficult, and some students are forced to choose between completing an assignment and receiving a steady paycheck.

Adult learners account for more than 24% of the 12.8 million enrolled students pursuing an undergraduate degree during the period, according to a survey by The Best Schools. These students face challenges not typically experienced by traditionally aged learners (18-24).

Family obligations are another area in which adult learners differ from their traditional counterparts. The survey found that nearly half of older learners who enrolled in spring 2020 reported they had dependent children. Only about 3% of students 18-24 reported the same.

The world is always changing - for better or for worse - but the last few years have transformed society rapidly. Handling these changes in current responsibilities can be incredibly overwhelming and for some people, it has resulted in poor mental health.

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Managing school, work and family is challenging, and even more so in a changing environment. That's why it's crucial now more than ever that adult learners receive mental health support from their educational institutions.

How Higher Education Institutions Can Help Colleges and universities have an opportunity to play a pivotal role in the mental well-being of their adult learners.

"The role mental health support and academic resources play in the personal and professional success of adult learners cannot be overstated," says Agnam Memeti, DeVry University's chief enrollment and student support officer. "Higher education institutions must find ways to create an environment that fosters mental health awareness and promotes well-being for all students, including adult learners."

The majority of DeVry students are at least 26 years old and more than half are parents supporting children and other dependents.

With so many adult learners, it's no surprise that the university is proactive in supporting adult learners' mental health and well-being.

DeVry provides them with academic support, mental health resources and flexibility scheduling that they require due to their busy lives balancing work, school and family.

For example, the DeVry CARE Formula demonstrates the institution's commitment to student success.

All students are provided with a personalized support team that includes a student support advisor and career advisor.

Students can also receive support through the StudentLinc program, which offers an array of emotional well-being and life balance resources and support whenever and wherever needed free of charge.

Through StudentLinc, students can receive help addressing everyday issues through short-term counseling from licensed clinicians available 24/7, 365 days a year; therapy via text with licensed counselors Monday through Friday; and digital group support via live sessions hosted by licensed counselors. Other resources available include training, and referrals to help address challenges like child or elder care, adoption, pet care, home repair, education and housing.

If a student isn't sure what assistance they need, they can access a Mental Health Navigator to receive personalized guidance for program support and resources. Beyond mental health support, StudentLinc also provides free legal consultations with a local attorney, consultations with financial experts and more via phone, the web and mobile apps.

"Mental health isn't a one-size-fits-all journey," adds Memeti. "At DeVry, we want to make sure that all our students, whether traditional or adult learners, have the resources they need to complete their education while prioritizing their wellbeing."

15 The Ladies Club | Summer/Fall 2024

Education Funding

6 Tips On How To Find, Apply For And Get Scholarships For College

By Brandpoint Content According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of college in 2023 is $36,436 per year. Even if you or your parents can afford to pay the full costs, that's still a hefty sum. Scholarships can help cover the costs of college, from tuition and books to living expenses.

From community organizations and major corporations to military branches or your school itself, make a list of which types of scholarships are most of interest to you.

Here are some common types of scholarships available: Merit-Based. Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on academic achievements.

This includes criteria like GPA, standardized test scores or outstanding talents. Merit scholarships are designed to reward excellence, without consideration for financial need.

Need-Based. These scholarships are determined by a student's ability to pay for their education. Low-income students may be eligible for additional grants.

Minority Scholarships. Minority scholarships support underrepresented groups in higher education. These scholarships may award money to racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ students and individuals with disabilities.

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Subject-Specific. These scholarships are for students pursuing specific fields of study, such as STEM or the humanities.

Community Service. Community service scholarships recognize a student's commitment to community service and volunteering.

Athletic. Athletes who excel in sports like football and basketball may receive an athletic scholarship.

Colleges and universities may offer them to recruit athletes for their teams.

Creative and Artistic. Students with exceptional creative talents may be eligible for these scholarships.

International. If you're moving to the United States for higher education, apply for international scholarships.

They might be merit-based, need-based or otherwise specific to international students.

Career-Specific. Some scholarships are tailored to specific careers or industries. They may require recipients to commit to working in that field after graduation.

Entrepreneurial. These awards support students with innovative business ideas or entrepreneurial ambitions.

First-generation. If you're the first in your family to attend college, you might qualify for this type of scholarship. They're designed to bridge financial and educational gaps for first-generation students.

Study Abroad. Study abroad scholarships are for students interested in studying in foreign countries for a semester or more.

Military. Active Duty Military Personnel, Veterans and their dependents may qualify for certain scholarships through the branches of the military.

From there, here are a few tips to maximize your scholarship opportunities.

1) Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. This helps determine your eligibility for federal financial assistance. Even if you're not eligible for student aid, apply anyway. Many states and scholarship programs use FAFSA information to evaluate applications.

2) Look for Local Opportunities. Check with your high school's guidance counselor. Then, inquire with community organizations and local businesses.

3) Sign up for National Scholarship Database websites. These websites collect information on a wide range of scholarship opportunities. Take time to create a comprehensive student profile. List your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, interests and career goals. Scholarship databases will try to match you with opportunities based on this information.

4) Research scholarships at each university or college before you apply. Some schools will automatically consider you for certain scholarships, while others may require you to apply. Contact each school's financial aid office to ask about opportunities.

5 Start Early. Keep track of the application deadlines, requirements and materials for each scholarship.

6) Ask your peers, family, mentors or guidance counselors for advice. They may provide recommendations or be available to review essays.

Whether you're just starting out on your educational journey or currently in school, check out Navy Federal Credit Union's student loan options to help fill funding gaps or resources on college savings.

Navy Federal Credit Union is federally insured by NCUA.

17 The Ladies Club | Summer/Fall 2024

Women Disrupting Business Spaces

By Yvette Paez

In assessing women-led startups, I would like to take a look at where we are we this year in connection to women disrupting business spaces in corporate America. Although the inclusion of such factors as cultural discrimination and gender disparity appear to be an ongoing uphill battle, there is always hope for those fearless trailblazers making a profound impact in sectors which remain undeveloped by building new business opportunities.

For starters, a female presence in the technology industry is slowly increasing which not only brings about diversity but also takes a look at gender discrimination in this field.

According to a 2022 Forbes article, the economic potential of generative AI was instrumental when Founder and CEO of CrowdAI, Devaki Raj was able to incorporate her collective experience as a data scientist with visual data. Her expertise in this industry allowed her to identify and gain insight on ways to utilize pertinent information being generated from large volumes of data. “In 2016, she cofounded CrowdAI, a no-code computer vision and deep learning platform that enables non- technical users to not only analyze their images and videos but also automate business-critical decisions around them.”1 Next, is Ali Sehreen Noor, the Co-Founder of Sleuth, a GPS designed for early childhood health, Ali goes on to say “At a time when chronic conditions have risen 400 percent in two generations and 45 percent of the children who need immediate intervention do not get it, we're disrupting the way parents get information about children's health and development.2

Furthermore, Christina Blacken is the Founder of The New Quo, a leadership development consultancy that helps leaders create inclusive practices. Blacken claims to “... use a unique methodology called narrative intelligence that helps leaders to identify the impact of historical, cultural, and personal narratives on beliefs and behaviors so they can improve their bias recognition.

Additionally, she has instructed over 11,000 leaders in 9 different sectors, provides platforms for training and online learning. She is also a public speaker, podcast host and performer.

In summary, as women position themselves to redefine and transform existing markets from an innovative lens, the convergence of existing business practices with those which remain untapped will lead to even more diversification and unity in the world of business.

Article Sources: 1. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/audemarspiguet/2022/09/12/tech-trailblazers-the-womendisrupting-disruptive-industries/ sh=7592322b72d0) 2. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/women-leaders-onhow- they-are-disrupting-their-industries-2021-03-19 Useful Links: https://www.thenewquo.com/ https://www.crowdai.com https://hellosleuth.com

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Business & Research

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF TRADEMARK AND COPYRIGHT SEARCHES This particular publication is devoted to educating and inspiring women-owned business and thriving female entrepreneurs. The goal is to provide content and resources on diverse topics, in order to safeguard against some of the most common business startup mistakes and on ways to avoid them.

Q. What is the legal difference between a trademark, copyright and patent?

Trademarks are usually names, symbols, designs or phrases that are used by a person or business to identify its/his products and/or services from competitor’s products. As long as a trademark is in use in commerce in the U.S., it can last indefinitely. Five years after registration, the owner must show commercial use of the mark in the U.S.A. A trademark registration must be renewed every 10 years from the registration date. An example of a trademark would be the golden arches that McDonald’s restaurants use.

Copyrights cover artistic works such as literary works like books, magazines and computer code; visual works such as paintings and sculptures, musical and dramatic works such as sound recordings, films and theatre; and architectural works such as designs. Copyrights generally last for the life of the creator plus 70 years, or for 95 years if it is considered a work for hire.

Q. During your extensive career as an attorney specializing in copyright and trademark issues, what mistakes are commonly made with new start ups?

Probably the biggest mistake that start ups encounter is not checking to make sure that no other business or person is using the name that they have selected.

Sometimes, a new owner will check the records with the Department of State in which he is doing business but he fails to obtain a trademark search.

The state records only show which businesses are incorporated -- they do not indicate what names have been registered with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office or which names are in use in the state but have not been formally recorded.

The other mistake that new business owners make is assuming that it is acceptable to use a name that is similar but not exactly the same as the name the owner intends to use. For example if someone is selling shoes under the trademark Fishskin, the owner should not use the name Red Fishskin to sell boots.

Another mistake is copying works from others and using them in the business or using personal information without permission. For example, a business person cannot post pictures on his web site without permission from the photographer and the person depicted in the pictures.

About Monica P. McCabe | Partner and Chair, Intellectual Property, Phillips Nizer She represents a broad range of businesses, arts and entertainment talent and non-profit entities. Her practice encompasses a wide variety of entertainment related practice areas including copyright, trademark contract and litigation issues. Ms. McCabe has developed client relationships in these areas and has represented record companies, media companies, apparel manufacturers and distributors, musical performers, writers, book publishers, illustrators, photographers and non-profits.

This is a reprint from an excerpt of an article previously printed in The Ladies Club Magazine during a personal interview with NYC Intellectual Property Partner, Monica P. McCabe. She specializes in copyrights, trademarks and entertainment law.

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Creative Entrepreneurship

4 Ways Small Businesses Can Innovate Without A Big Budget (BPT) - By Irana Wasti, Chief Product Officer at BILL

2. Listen To Your Customers And Innovate For Them

In today's fast-paced business landscape, it's important for small business owners to adopt a mindset for innovation. However, the misconception that innovation requires vast resources and significant time investment can often deter entrepreneurs and business builders from pursuing new ideas and strategies. But with the right approach and perspective, small businesses can foster a culture within the company to make innovation more of an ongoing tenet of a successful business.

Research from McKinsey & Company has shown that improving the client experience can increase sales revenues by 2%-7%. However, one common pitfall in innovation is over-engineering solutions that don't align with your customers' needs. Prioritize innovation that is rooted in customer feedback, provides value, and aligns with business goals, and is measurable.

As small businesses look at their goals for the new year, with some businesses also thinking about how to do more with the same, consider these four practical tips to innovate without breaking the bank or spinning too many resources

Provide Multi-Channel Support: For customers who still need help after navigating your educational resources, offer support across the platforms that matter to them such as email, social media, SMS, in-app support and more. Leverage tech-enabled tools, such as finance software that offers free phone and chat support with live agents. This meets your customers where they are, letting them reach you in a way they find comfortable and convenient.

1. Nurture An Innovation Mindset With Your Team Innovation starts with your team. Cultivating an innovation mindset among your team members is the first step toward achieving small wins that lead to breakthroughs. As someone who has led product development teams for over 20 years, I know that the ability and willingness to analyze the environment, listen to feedback, and adapt to change are key disciplines to delivering products that delight customers.

Here are some key aspects to consider: Embrace Diverse Perspectives: Different backgrounds and experiences bring unique viewpoints that can spark creativity and improve collaboration within your organization. Where you can, build diversity into your hiring strategy.

Foster a culture of openness: Create an atmosphere where employees feel safe to share their ideas and insights freely. Make them feel that their opinions matter and that they have a stake in the company's success. You can do this with monthly brainstorm sessions to get the whole team thinking about different challenges faced by the business.

Promote Continuous Learning: Encourage ongoing learning and skills development. There are lots of free online training resources that help employees stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies.

By nurturing an innovation mindset within your team, you can tap into their collective creativity, which can lead to cost-effective innovations that drive your business forward.

Here are a few ways you can build trust with your customers and serve as a pipeline to fuel innovation:

Deliver a personalized customer experience with AI tools: Chatbots make a particularly helpful AI-powered customer support tool. A chatbot can respond to customers in real time, offering additional information about your products or services or even fielding customer service questions. AI-powered marketing tools can be used for content creation, social media management, and more. Chatbots and other AI tools can do more than just answer customer inquiries about your products. The best AI tools can adapt and learn from customer behavior.

Cascade the Outside, Inside: Often customer feedback does not go beyond the customer support team. To help drive more organic innovation, enable regular touch points between team members who face customers and team members who are on the front lines of innovation.

By keeping your customers' needs at the forefront of your innovation efforts, you can ensure your new ideas are well-targeted.

3. Ensure Your Tech Tools Help You Move The Business Forward Efficiency is a cornerstone of cost-effective innovation.

Leveraging technology to automate manual tasks lets you accomplish more in less time, freeing up valuable staff time to focus on strategic and creative thinking. You want to work with technology partners that can help you customize tools to meet the needs of your business and facilitate integration. Remember that innovation can come from anywhere in your business so keep your automation goals broad.

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Creative Entrepreneurship

Here's how some small businesses have found solutions that make an impact: Automate Financial Operations: Using technology to eliminate manual activities, such as invoicing, bill payments and financial reporting, helps you streamline operations and reduce human error.

It also helps you get back to focusing on what matters to you, your business. Finding a solution that pre-populates invoice information can save business owners, on average, 50% of time on bill pay alone.

One of BILL's customers, Ascent Respiratory Care, a home health care provider that helps patients with respiratory issues, eliminated writing paper checks entirely. "We do not write checks anymore. I would say about 95% of what we do is all paid out via BILL, whether it's a hard copy check or an electronic payment," said Ascent Respiratory Care Senior Business Development Associate Heather Thompson.

Use data analysis to uncover business insights more easily: Solutions that bring efficiency and optimization to your business can provide valuable analytics that can uncover insights to fuel innovation, inform your decision-making and identify areas for improvement. Golf Genius has seen firsthand how financial analytics has provided better control, visibility and efficiency. "I believe we're saving thousands of dollars a quarter as a result of real-time budget tracking. Before [BILL], people would ask where they were against their budgets, and now we know," says Golf Genius CFO, Lou Lombardo.

By harnessing technology to optimize key foundational parts of your business operations, you can achieve cost savings and efficiency gains that contribute to your overall business innovation. For example, BILL's Financial Operations Platform for SMBs allows businesses to manage and optimize their cash flow all on one platform, delivering the most comprehensive suite of capabilities for SMBs. 4. Don't Be Afraid to Fail Forward Innovation is inherently risky, and not every idea will yield immediate success. However, the more efficient and automated some functions or processes are, the more a small business can embrace a culture of "failing forward," where failure is viewed as a learning opportunity rather than a setback. It will help employees have the space and time to be more creative or innovative.

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Here's How To Do It: Encourage Experimentation: As product leaders, oftentimes we tell our peers: "If experiments aren't failing often, then you are not experimenting enough".

Encourage your team to experiment with new ideas and approaches, even if they come with a degree of uncertainty. Build in time to test-run the idea, with an evaluation checkpoint, before implementing it system-wide.

Iterate and Refine: After an experiment, assess what worked and what didn't. Use these insights to refine your approach and try again.

Acknowledge Lessons Learned from Failures: Celebrate the lessons learned from failures. This will encourage a culture where innovation is valued regardless of the outcome, giving business owners a competitive edge and supporting employee retention.

Remember that many groundbreaking innovations have emerged from a series of trial and error. By embracing failure as a stepping stone to success, your small business can take actionable steps toward building a culture that promotes creative thinking, and develop innovative solutions without a big investment.

In conclusion, innovation isn't solely reserved for large corporations with deep pockets. Small businesses can thrive in today's competitive landscape by adopting an innovation mindset, listening to customers, harnessing technology to optimize and adapt to market shifts, and being unafraid to experiment and learn from failures.

With the right strategies and a commitment to cost-effective innovation, your small business can stay ahead of the curve.

At BILL, we're 100% focused on helping SMBs to get more control, visibility, and efficiency in their business. Automating financial operations can be a game changer for your business, saving valuable team time on inefficient manual processes and focusing on high-value strategic tasks instead. BILL helps businesses thrive with technology that is powerful, secure, and easy to integrate and use. To learn more, visit Bill.com/Resources.

Connect With Our Faith & Spirituality Initiative for Women

3 Key Learnings from Chase for Business:

Make Your Move Summit to Inspire Business Owners to Make their Next Move in the Year Ahead (BPT) - More than three million small businesses were started in the first half of 2023, up nearly 6% from the first six months of 2022. While new business formation is thriving, business owners continue to face a number of challenges: Inflation (30%), hiring (17%), taxes (16%) and supply chain disruptions (16%) were all cited as top challenges for small business leaders in the Chase for Business' Midyear Business Leaders Outlook survey.

"Business growth is strong and despite ongoing economic challenges, there's plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurship across the country," said Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business.

"It's important for business leaders to have a space to network and recognize their collective successes. It's also equally important for them to find opportunities for continued education and moments of inspiration."

To help entrepreneurs take on these challenges, Chase for Business held its inaugural Make Your Move Summit in Frisco, Texas from Nov. 1-3, bringing together more than 1,100 small business owners to provide them the tips and tools they need to move their business forward. The complimentary event gave attendees the opportunity to hear from notable speakers - like businessman and investor Mark Cuban, former WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith enjoy educational breakout sessions and network with other local entrepreneurs.

Here are the three key takeaways from the Make Your Move Summit:

2. Values are Hugely Important to New Age Consumers While price is a major component of whether a purchase is made, consumers are increasingly paying more attention to the values of the businesses they choose to support. Business leaders recognize the importance of being purpose-driven, as 45% identified keeping their why top of mind as an important quality to cope with an inflationary environment.

Emma Grede, Serial Entrepreneur, CEO & Chairwoman of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, echoed that sentiment during her two sessions at the Make Your Move Summit. Appearing on behalf of Chase Ink, Grede talked to business owners about how she built her businesses by prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity, while also providing business owners with real-time feedback about understanding and articulating their why.

3. New Revenue Streams are Key to Combatting Inflation Most business owners (70%) think rising costs are here to stay and recognize that combating inflation isn't as simple as raising prices and cutting costs. In fact, they are finding new revenue streams and rethinking their brick-and-mortar strategy. More than one-third (36%) are reporting operations or sales outside of the United States, up from 28% last year. Similarly, the overall percentage of respondents who plan to add or increase physical locations due to growth rose 10% (45% in 2023 from 35% in 2022) while the percentage of respondents who plan to reduce their locations also increased from 15% in 2022 to 23% in the latest survey.

1. Happy Employees Lead to Happy Customers Small business owners are still grappling with the tightest labor market in decades. They know engaged and committed employees are core to business survival - especially in today's environment - with three in five (61%) business owners ranking keeping valued employees as the most important way to manage costs in an inflationary environment.

Bob Jordan, President & CEO of Southwest Airlines, shared the secret behind the airline's oft-celebrated company culture, saying, "We start everything with our people. Happy people lead to happy customers."

As that connection between healthy employees and happy customers has come into focus, business owners are responding with a renewed emphasis on establishing a positive company culture.

They are focusing on mental health and stress management, with nearly 13% more business leaders reportedly offering mental health days since November 2022. More than half say they've tried to implement healthy habits to manage stress in their own lives.

Several of the business leaders at the Make Your Move Summit highlighted the importance of transparency and authenticity, which was echoed by business leaders who cited honest and transparent communication with customers (58%) as the single most important quality needed to cope with the inflationary environment.

Chase for Business expects to host its second Make Your Move Summit in 2024. Visit chase.com/business for more information about the tools and resources available for business leaders, and to stay updated on the latest announcements surrounding next year's Summit.

The statements, views and opinions that will be expressed during the event are those of the presenters and are not necessarily endorsed by, or reflect the views or positions of, JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA or any of its affiliates. The presentation is for informational purposes and is not a recommendation or solicitation of any particular actions.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA and its affiliates are not liable for decisions made or actions taken in reliance on any of the information covered during the event.

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HARNESSING THE POWER OF AGE: 5 KEY BENEFITS OF HIRING OLDER WORKERS (BPT) By Gary A. Officer, President and CEO of the Center for Workforce Inclusion When you think of new hires, who do you picture? While you may expect applicants to be 20-somethings straight out of college or 30- to 40-somethings making a career change, in reality, you'll likely see more applicants who are older adults. According to a report by the U.S. Special Committee on Aging, workers 55 and older will soon represent 25% of our nation's workforce.

3. Improved Team Productivity

However, just because more older adults are applying for jobs doesn't mean they are getting hired. Many older applicants face ageism during the hiring process. A survey by AARP found that it took older workers who were displaced during the Great Recession twice as long to find a new job than younger workers. The association also found that only 4% of firms have committed to programs that help integrate older workers into their talent pool.

These benefits extend beyond workplace satisfaction, too.

Significant profitability and performance gains have been reported for companies that have above-average diversity. For example, according to an AARP report, companies with above-average diversity in age, gender, nationality, career path, industry background and education on their management teams report innovation revenue that is 19% higher and profit margins that are 9% higher than companies with below-average diversity.

Businesses that ignore this fast-growing workforce segment need to rethink their hiring process. With record-low unemployment numbers, many job openings across industries still need to be filled. But there is a mostly overlooked talent pool readily available - older Americans. Now more than ever, businesses must recognize that older workers bring much-needed experience, emotional intelligence and generational diversity to our workplaces.

Not convinced? Here are five key values older workers offer employers.

1. Problem-Solving Abilities Problem-solving is a critical skill that is attained over time. Through their lived experience in the workforce, older workers have accumulated a wealth of industryspecific knowledge that they can use to make informed decisions that help your business thrive. More importantly, they can impart this knowledge to younger colleagues, providing mentorship opportunities that benefit the mentors, mentees and the business as a whole.

The result is a more innovative team. A 2018 study by Cloverpop found that multigenerational teams with an age range of 25 years or more (from the youngest member to the oldest member) met or exceeded expectations 73% of the time, while those with a narrow range of less than 10 years did so only 35% of the time.

It's been reported that seven out of 10 workers in the United States enjoy working with people from other generations. Older workers appreciate the creativity of younger workers and younger workers appreciate the value of older workers' experience and wisdom (AARP).

4. Adaptability Older adults have seen technology rapidly change throughout their lifetime. Contrary to popular belief, older workers are adaptable and willing to learn and master new skills and technologies.

The fact is that they've had to adapt quickly to keep pace with the increasingly connected and technology-forward world. These experiences have taught them to effectively navigate change, a valuable asset for businesses across many industries.

5. Low Turnover Hiring and training new employees can cost a company extensive time, money and resources. To reduce turnovers and increase employee retention, businesses should look to hire older workers.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that older workers ages 55-64 have a higher employee tenure rate than their younger colleagues. They typically stay with a company for nearly 10 years, more than three times the rate of workers ages 25-34.

So, while the assumption might be that an older applicant is ready to retire - that is likely not the case. Many older Americans are delaying retirement, unretiring or simply unable to retire and are prepared to stay on board for many years to come.

Age is a Value-Add, Not a Detriment

2. Reliability

While working for the Center for Workforce Inclusion, I've seen firsthand the benefits of hiring older employees. Embracing age diversity in your workforce can only help to improve your company's overall performance and workplace culture.

Older workers are incredibly reliable. This usually means that they are known for punctuality and dependability.

You can count on them to show up on time to meetings, meet strict deadlines and provide a consistency that may be missing from your workplace. Best of all, they set a positive example for the rest of the company.

We often partner with businesses to help them tap into the talent pool of older workers to achieve successful business outcomes. We also work directly with older job seekers to overcome barriers to employment, develop in-demand skills and secure employment. To learn more about our work and how we can help, visit CenterForWorkforceInclusion.org.

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