There is, but maybe not in the direction you think. Almost every independent consultant I've ever hired or had hired into a company I was working at was, at the earliest, late thirties, most late forties/early fifties. On the other hand, as I'm starting an independent consulting business at 27, I'm finding it a little hard to be taken seriously (comments about age, "possible" experience, etc.). I'm getting there, but it's a process.