Week of March 28 - April 1, 2005

Welcome to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship, an initiative of the Public Forum Institute made possible by a grant from the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City. Through NDE-news, we bring you short summaries and analyses of various trends driving the innovation economy. Subscribe now to receive your weekly copy. Archived issues are available online. Links to the day's entrepreneurship stories from across the nation and around the world are posted each weekday on the NDE main page - bookmark it and stay informed about the latest entrepreneurship news. 

Association Health Plans pass House panel

The rising cost of health care is a major impediment to many entrepreneurs looking to start a business. One effort to lower those costs got a boost recently as the House Education and Workforce Committee approved a bill that would help small businesses purchase health insurance through association health plans (AHPs). The vote is the first step toward enacting the Small Business Health Fairness Act (HR 525), which has 115 bipartisan sponsors. The measure is expected to pass through the House, but is likely to face a stiff challenge in the Senate. 

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are among the most prestigious business awards that an entrepreneur can receive. This year’s awards cycle is underway, and the nominating process is open until April 8, 2005. If you are a world class entrepreneur or if you know one, be sure to check out the nomination details.

Ernst & Young, in cooperation with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, also promote the annual Supporter of Entrepreneurship Award. This nomination process closes on June 30, 2005. Learn more. 

Carl Schramm 
on
BusinessWeek.com

Watch the interview (Real Player needed)

VIDEO VIEWS

Thanks to a cultural and policy environment with a greater appreciation for entrepreneurs, Kauffman Foundation CEO Carl Schramm told BusinessWeek.com that it is getting progressively easier to start a business in the U.S.

 

UK budget calls for investment in science, enterprise

Consistent with his recent focus on promoting an “enterprise culture” in the UK, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown pointed to science and innovation as the cornerstones for continued economic expansion. In his ninth budget speech, Brown outlined several proposed approaches, including: efforts to reduce regulatory burdens on all businesses; new guidance for growing businesses claiming R&D tax credits; efforts to stimulate involvement of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in public sector R&D; and implementing the ten-year Science and Innovation Investment Framework, including a new partnership to boost stem cell research.

  • Download the full budget report and read Chancellor Brown’s speech on the Treasury website.

EDA webcast highlights Strengthening America’s Communities Initiative

Last week, the Economic Development Administration hosted an interactive telecast on the administration’s economic and community development strategy to help strengthen needy communities and those struggling to make the transition to a knowledge-based economy. The backbone of that strategy, the Strengthening America's Communities Initiative, consolidates 18 existing programs into one unified grant-making program. Critics of the proposed initiative point to a number of communities who will lose out on their Community Development Block Grants. However, proponents claim that the consolidation and greater flexibility will better target the most effective programs to the areas that need it most. 

The telecast is now available for on-demand viewing from the EDA website. The show features related and topical research findings by the Council on Competitiveness and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, as well as an overview by the White House and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development David Sampson on the underlying principles, reasons for reform, and implementation process of the Strengthening America's Communities Initiative.

2005 Innovation Policy and the Economy Conference

Some of the country’s leading academic and policy researchers will be center stage at the National Bureau of Economic Research's 2005 Innovation Policy and the Economy Conference. The Innovation Policy and Economy Group focuses on the implications of rapid technological change for economic policy, and the appropriate policies and programs regarding research, innovation, and the commercialization of new technology.

This year's program includes presentations by a number of notable economists, including: Richard Gilbert, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust; Richard Freeman of Harvard University; and, Raghuram Rajan, Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund. 

Made possible by a grant from the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, this year’s conference will be held on April 19 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The deadline to register for the National Bureau of Economic Research's Innovation Policy and the Economy Conference is this Friday, April 1. If you would like to attend, contact Rob Shannon – rshanon@nber.org. 

The Muhlenberg College
Institute for Entrepreneurship
2400 Chew Street
Allentown, PA 18104
484-664-3100

Last week, we wrote about Entrepreneur magazine’s listing of the best colleges for entrepreneurship training. This week, we highlight one of those schools: Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. Why does Muhlenberg warrant a special mention? Because it is the one of the few liberal arts colleges in the nation to offer a specialization in entrepreneurship. The program has been operating since 1993, and its founders believe that creative entrepreneurial thinking fits in perfectly with the comprehensive and wide-ranging education found in a liberal arts program. In addition to providing traditional courses, the program links students to local entrepreneurs and also assists entrepreneurs throughout the wider Lehigh Valley.

Kauffman Foundation    The Public Forum Institute

National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship
2300 M Street, NW; Suite 900
Washington, DC 20037
Mark Marich, Editor

All stories © 2005 The Public Forum Institute
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