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Measuring the Impact of a Startup Visa

This week, President Obama will turn his focus from budget sequestration to immigration. A new Kauffman Foundation report released last week argues that making 75,000 Startup Visas available for current holders of H-1B and F-1 visas who start companies could create as much as 1.6 million U.S. jobs in the next 10 years. Will Washington act or, if they cannot agree, throw the baby out with the bath water?

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on March 04, 2013

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Category:  Immigration 

Startup 3.0 Introduced

Is the third time really the charm? A bipartisan group—U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), along with Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)—recently introduced Startup Act 3.0, aiming to revitalize the economy by making it easier to start and grow new firms.

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Posted by: Mark Marich

on February 25, 2013

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Category:  Capitol Hill 

Universities and Startup Junkies Come to Washington?

While politicians are out of town campaigning, the nation’s capital has been welcoming leaders in entrepreneurship education from America’s colleges and universities. Following a warm up from the younger “Empact” entrepreneurship education advocates, I joined a packed summit of university and community college presidents at the White House put together by the Commerce Department’s Nish Acharya, and then spoke this past Friday at Jeff Reid’s Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers conference at Georgetown University. It is increasingly clear that America’s colleges and universities have been retooling as engines of entrepreneurship and innovation.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on October 08, 2012

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Category:  Education 

Washington’s Willingness to Send Job Creators Overseas

As elections approach and there is a lot of debate on which is the best road to a robust economy with more jobs, policymakers should take time to listen to the message of the just-released Kaufman Foundation videos on the benefits of high-skilled immigration. With Washington being unwilling to separate the obviously different issues of high-skilled immigration and how to handle illegal immigrants, a net job gain strategy remains hostage to politics as usual in the nation’s capitol.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on July 16, 2012

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Category:  Capitol Hill  Immigration 

Startup Act 20 Introduced in House

A few weeks ago, we told you about the Senate version of Startup Act 2.0—sponsored by a bipartisan group of four U.S. Senators. Not to be outdone, the House introduced identical legislation last week thanks to Congressman Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) along with a group of cosponsors—Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Robert Dold (R-Ill.).

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Posted by: Mark Marich

on June 11, 2012

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Category:  Capitol Hill 

Senators Unveil Startup Act 2.0

Four U.S. Senators yesterday introduced Startup Act 2.0. This Bipartisan legislation, which combines two pieces of legislation that were introduced last year builds upon the original Startup Act and the AGREE Act, highlights four major components to jumpstarting the nation’s economy

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Posted by: Cameron Cushman

on May 24, 2012

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Helping Startups Cross the 'Valley of Death'

A proposed permanent exemption to capital gains taxes on investments in startups could help new high-growth firms thrive and create jobs. According to a new report from the Kauffman Foundation, an exemption on investments in startups held for at least five years could spur $750 million in additional seed investment and help them survive the ‘Valley of Death’—moving from concept to prototype.

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Posted by: Mark Marich

on February 13, 2012

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Category:  Capitol Hill  Tax Code 

A Year for Entrepreneurs

Welcome to 2012 – a year which, without any official proclamation, will likely be an excellent year for entrepreneurs. In so many respects, advocates in 2011 for startups and entrepreneurs could not have done better in setting up 2012. Better data, more relevant policy and legislation, streamlined programming and more widespread public support should give all reason to be optimistic that more people will take a risk, unleash an idea and make a job. And we should expect even more new developments that will shape even better entrepreneurship ecosystems across the world.

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Posted by: Jonathan Ortmans

on January 09, 2012

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Category:  General  Capitol Hill 

Legislation Introduced to Improve SOX Requirements for Small Businesses

Rep. Ben Quayle from Arizona’s third district recently introduced  H.R. 2941, the Startup Expansion and Investment Act, which will allow shareholders of public companies with market valuations below $1 billion to opt out of regulations within section 404 for the first 10 years after going public. The costs for complying with the requirements of this section of Sarbanes-Oxley can exceed $1 million for new companies and can cost them up to $20 million in loss of valuation.

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Posted by: Mark Marich

on September 26, 2011

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Category:  Capitol Hill 

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