Chief Counsel for Advocacy Winslow Sargeant attended the inaugural meeting of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday. The council is made up of 26 national leaders in business, technology, and academia, and it is co-chaired by AOL founder Steve Case, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, and entrepreneur Desh Deshpande.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has said the council “will help the Administration develop a broader strategy to spur innovation and enable entrepreneurs to develop breakthrough technologies and dynamic companies, and to create jobs all across America.”
Members of the advisory council weighed in on a number of issues, including the importance of regional clusters and the critical role of angel investing. Curtis Carlson, president and CEO of SRI International, said that government policies and regulations cannot be one-size-fits-all, but that the needs and interests of small businesses must be considered.
Administration officials participating in the meeting included Secretary Locke, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra.
—Thad Inge, Assistant Chief Counsel
5 responses so far ↓
1 Bryan Gonzalez // Sep 7, 2010 at 12:16 pm
formal discussions about entrepreneurship and innovation are a great way to maintain the flow of ideas in the business sector. Often companies adhere to very secular or myopic business models without opening themselves up to new ideas. This can especially be the case for small business who may pride themselves on remaining ‘un-corporate’. A forum where business owners can be exposed to new ideas is a great way to level the playing field.
2 Jumper Rental // Sep 8, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Bryan – I agree. Small Businesses need to think of themselves with an everchanging business model. My belief is that most small businesses don’t innovate enough. well said.
3 Neal Coxworth // Sep 13, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I think that any exchange of this type of information is absolutely crucial for business owners who may get “tunnel vision” and caught up in the day to day minutiae of their ventures.
Adding top flight experts who can take the long view with the sort of strategic wisdom that is sorely needed can only help all of us
4 Tony DAmato // Sep 14, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Thanks for the Forum, as a Small Business Owner in an ever changing climate I am always looking for new information.
5 tami // Sep 21, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Angel investors are crucial to helping entrepreneurs do their thing. Also, I would love to see the banks start lending again. Capital is King in the business world!!!