The International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook (April 2025) confirms what many of us have seen anecdotally: thanks to dramatic gains in cognitive and physical health, today’s 70-year-olds now match the capabilities of 50-somethings from a generation ago​. Yet most workforce systems haven’t caught up. Many still edge experienced professionals out just as their value peaks.

For decades, "retirement" meant stepping away from work and withdrawing from the productive world. But as people live longer, healthier lives, this concept no longer fits. Many have 25-30 vibrant years after careers—time to learn, create, mentor, start ventures, or explore passions. Instead of seeing this phase as an ending, we should view it as a renaissance—a time for reinvention and renewal.