Recognizing Mobile Innovation Everywhere

In 2014, Jonathan Ortmans, a Senior Fellow at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation testified before the U.S. House Committee on Small Business, Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce. This isn't surprising given that the Kauffman Foundation is one of America's most well regarded resources on entrepreneurship, jobs, and economic growth. Mr. Ortmans' testimony though should be a wake-up call for all of us who care about economic prosperity everywhere. He said, "New business creation is crucial to a healthy, vibrant economy for two reasons: job creation and innovation. Contrary to popular rhetoric, it is not small businesses, but rather new and young businesses that drive new job creation. Nearly all net new jobs are created by new and young companies. Similarly, startups are responsible for a disproportionate share of innovative activity, which creates not just wealth for the entrepreneur, but rising standards of living for all." (My emphasis added)

His observations are not only well documented by a slew of folks in the economic development field, but they sync up with my observations as a former corporate executive turned tech entrepreneur in Northwest Montana.

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