U.S. Chamber’s Campaign for Free Enterprise announces creation of Center for Entrepreneurship
Press release from the issuing company
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Campaign for Free Enterprise announced today the creation of the Center for Entrepreneurship which will help entrepreneurs navigate Washington’s legislative and regulatory obstacles in order to get a business up and running. The announcement comes ahead of the Campaign’s partnership with the Kairos Society this weekend as presenting sponsor at their summit, honoring the 50 most innovative student startups.
“This is an exciting day for the Chamber as we continue to expand our efforts to help entrepreneurs fulfill their dreams,” said Stan Anderson, managing director of the Campaign for Free Enterprise. “For far too long there has been a void from both a legislative and regulatory perspective for the needs of the entrepreneur community. The U.S. Chamber is committed to becoming the voice for entrepreneurs in Washington.”
The Center for Entrepreneurship will be based at U.S. Chamber headquarters in Washington. It will include the formation of an advisory council, consisting of entrepreneurs from around the country and participants from the 2011 Kairos Global Summit. The council will advise the Chamber on the major issues entrepreneurs feel should be the focus on Capitol Hill.
“The innovators we are honoring this weekend have a vision of sustainability that could one day lead to them employing thousands of Americans,” Anderson said. “Already, we are hearing from entrepreneurs about the extraordinary need for the protection of original technology. This is our chance to help expedite the process and ensure the rules that protect intellectual property rights are strengthened.”
The Center for Entrepreneurship is the latest in a series of initiatives the Campaign has launched as part of its expanding programs for young entrepreneurs. Last month, the Chamber complemented the White House’s new “Startup America” initiative with the announcement of a $1 million investment in entrepreneur programs. In addition to partnering with the Kairos Society, this includes:
- Students in Free Enterprise– sponsoring one event in each of 50 states targeting Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) campuses to work with local chambers of commerce to create projects promoting entrepreneurship, culminating in a national competition and the American Free Enterprise Impact Report.
- Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour– reaching more than 50 college campuses to communicate the benefits of free enterprise and inspire the nation’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
- Junior Achievement Partnership– commissioning a nationwide survey—the first of its kind—to measure high school students’ knowledge of the free enterprise system, and inspiring young people to embrace the spirit of entrepreneurship through “JA Be Entrepreneurial,” an effort to bring together local business owners and high school students to outline how to launch and manage a business.
The Campaign for Free Enterprise is committed to protecting and encouraging entrepreneurship. Our campaign is a non-partisan effort to raise the awareness of the American public to the values of a strong free enterprise system, of which entrepreneurship is a critical part.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.