FORUM TO ADDRESS KEY POLICY AREAS TO PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

For immediate release: July 27, 2004

WASHINGTON – As part of the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship, the Public Forum Institute will host a forum on Capitol Hill to determine the necessary focal points of a policy agenda to stimulate and strengthen entrepreneurship throughout America’s communities. 

“Entrepreneurship continues to be a powerful force in the American economy,” stated Jonathan Ortmans, president of the Public Forum Institute. “And while much attention is given to the number of jobs created by entrepreneurs, there currently is little discussion on the appropriate public policy agenda needed to support high-growth entrepreneurship.”

There are an array of federal policy issues that have a direct impact on those who assume the risk of starting a business, including regulatory burdens, intellectual property concerns and effective tech transfer. With the purpose of facilitating a national discussion on these and other issues, the July 29th forum in Room 562 of the Dirksen Senate building will provide members of Congress and their staff, policy experts, and other opinion leaders with an opportunity to take a closer look at the forces that drive entrepreneurship.

Highlighting the event will be several speakers, each of whom will address a particular aspect of a potential national policy to promote entrepreneurship. They include: Mark Heesen, president of the National Venture Capital Association; Thomas Sullivan, chief counsel for advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration; Brien Biondi, CEO of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization; and, Dr. Erik Pages, the president of EntreWorks Consulting and former policy director for the National Commission on Entrepreneurship. 

The National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship is an initiative of the Public Forum Institute, made possible by a grant from the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, to increase awareness of the value of entrepreneurship to our nation. For more information on the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship, or to register for the weekly newsletter, or to join the July 29th luncheon on Capitol Hill visit www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.

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