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Remembering Rule of Law in Honduras

In this era of sophisticated public policy around enabling high-growth entrepreneurship, governments should be mindful to not forget the basics. A survey conducted last November in Honduras found that gang violence was forcing the closure of 1600 companies across the country. This is a good reminder that supporting startups to scale up in this part of the world must include deep institutional reforms to strengthen the rule of law and the judicial system.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on May 20, 2013

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Rwanda’s Rush to Recovery

While most favor bottom-up, entrepreneur-led efforts to develop robust entrepreneurial ecosystems, in Africa especially, what the government does actually matters a great deal. In the third of four posts this month on Africa, I look at Rwanda and find a country where smart government engagement has created a favorable climate for entrepreneurs.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on April 22, 2013

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Category:  Global 

State of Entrepreneurship Address Available via Live Webcast

If you can’t make it to Washington, DC, tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 5) for the Kauffman Foundation’s State of Entrepreneurship Address, don’t worry, it will be streamed live online. The session, scheduled for 12 noon ET at the National Press Club, features remarks from SBA Administrator Karen Mills, Senator Jerry Moran and new Kauffman president and CEO, Tom McDonnell.

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Posted by: Mark Marich

on February 04, 2013

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Category:  Capitol Hill 

Gulf States Focus on New Starts

At the Global Entrepreneurial Summit (GES) in Dubai last week, it was clear to me that there is a new level of engagement in developing more entrepreneurial economies at the highest levels of government in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The summit, a collaboration between the U.A.E. Prime Minister’s office and the Obama Administration, was an effort to leverage U.S. strengths in high growth entrepreneurship. Now that the summit is over, we take a look at the challenges before policymakers in the region in making the path easier for even more nascent entrepreneurs to succeed in the future.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on December 17, 2012

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Category:  Global 

Global Entrepreneurship Week On the Horizon

Tomorrow, roughly 100 million Americans will cast their vote for one of two men who have stressed the importance of entrepreneurs and of course, small business to the country—and claimed to be the best candidate to empower them. Meanwhile, one week from today, policymakers, researchers and millions of nascent entrepreneurs in 130 countries will be taking matters into their own hands through a collection of 40,000 events, activities and competitions during Global Entrepreneurship Week.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on November 05, 2012

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Category:  General  Global 

Startup Fever Heats Up in Africa

I report this week from Africa which is enjoying its greatest economic success in decades and where there has never been a better time to be an entrepreneur. With economic growth rates this year around 6 percent in one-third of the 49 sub-Saharan African countries, the IMF forecasts that Africa will have the fastest-growing economy of any continent over the next five years. The World Bank in turn has reported earlier this month that more than 20 sub-Saharan African countries, encompassing more than 400 million people, have gained middle-income status, while the number of people living in poverty is down by roughly 10 percentage points over the past decade.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on October 22, 2012

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Category:  Global 

Startup APEC Host Raises the Bar in Asia

The APEC Startup conference that just wrapped up in Seoul signaled stepped-up interest within the 21 APEC member nations in policies that promote new firm formation as ameans of “booting up” economies. Interestingly, the drive for this effort is being led not by the United States, but by South Korea which has taken big strides over the past two years to rebuild its own startup ecosystem.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on June 18, 2012

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POPVOX Shines Spotlight on Startups

A new startup aimed at engaging the American public in the legislative process is shining a light on a handful of bills that could have a direct impact on entrepreneurship throughout the US.

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Posted by: Mark Marich

on February 13, 2012

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Category:  Capitol Hill 

Watch the 2012 State of Entrepreneurship Address

At the 2012 State of Entrepreneurship Address, held February 9, 2012, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation interim president and CEO Benno C. Schmidt, along with National Governors Association (NGA) leaders Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman and Delaware Governor Jack Markell, called for state and local government policy changes to foster entrepreneurship and accelerate economic growth.

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Posted by: Mark Marich

on February 13, 2012

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Category:  Capitol Hill  Growth & Poverty 

State Leadership In Boosting Startups

Last week, I shared how we should be encouraged by recent developments to ramp up efforts in support of America’s new and young job creators—including legislation put forth by President Obama at the end of January.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on February 13, 2012

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