Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker joined President Obama in celebrating emerging entrepreneurs from across the United States and around the world. During the event, the White House announced the addition of nine new members of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) initiative, which Secretary Pritzker chairs. PAGE is a group of America’s most respected business creators who have committed to sharing their time, energy, ideas, and experience to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs around the world.

 

Today’s event comes ahead of this summer’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, which both Secretary Pritzker and President Obama will attend to galvanize global attention on emerging women and young entrepreneurs.

 

In the United States and in developed countries, entrepreneurship has been a key driver of job creation and innovation. Across a wide range of sectors and regions, entrepreneurs and small business owners have generated more than 65 percent of net new jobs over the last two decades. In addition, startups in high-tech hubs alone account for over 40 percent of new jobs each year – despite comprising only 1 percent of all businesses.

 

As the driving force behind the Administration’s focus on entrepreneurship, the Commerce Department partners with businesses to set the conditions for innovators and new businesses to test new ideas, take risks, find financing and customers, and ultimately thrive. Many of the Department’s core responsibilities help create the essential infrastructure of opportunity for entrepreneurs – whether issuing patents that protect intellectual property, making investments in local economic development, collecting and disseminating data to inform better decision making, expanding access to broadband, or protecting a free and open internet.

 

Each PAGE member has agreed to develop a signature initiative, delivering on the core tenets of the PAGE mission: to provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to access capital, talent and education, inspiration and hope. These signature initiatives are specifically designed and developed to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, expand the networks and global exposure of existing entrepreneurs, and increase the deal-flow between investors and entrepreneurs.  

 

To learn more about the PAGE initiative, please visit – www.commerce.gov/page.