Spotlight on Commerce: Rick Wade, Senior Adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff
Ed. Note: This post is part of the Spotlight on Commerce series, which highlights members of the Department of Commerce who are contributing to the president's vision of winning the future through their work.
Rick Wade is a Senior Adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff for Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
During his recent State of the Union address, President Obama reminded us that in order to be competitive as a country, we need to “out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.” One of the best ways we can celebrate Black History Month is to revive the spirit of past African American inventors and invest more in innovation and entrepreneurship.
It was back in 1907 when Booker T. Washington said, “every member of the race should strive to be successful in business, however humble that business might be.” My work at the Department of Commerce provides me an opportunity to help businesses start, flourish and create high-skill, high-wage jobs.