The White House

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The Next Big Idea: Supporting Startups Across America

Whether it’s a garage, a basement, a dorm room, or—if you’re like me—a kitchen, a great idea can ignite just about anywhere. In America, those small sparks of innovation have defined who we are as people—creators, risk-takers, and boundary-breakers who know our unwavering commitment to a single dream can significantly reshape our reality.

In America, anyone with a good idea can grow into a successful entrepreneur. And it’s so important that they do, because it is their small businesses that create jobs and drive our economy. However, when it comes to starting a business in America, we are currently ranked 46th in the world. It’s time to change that. 

Today, high-growth companies across the country are connecting with their Members of Congress in the third annual Startup Day Across America.

This event, championed by Congressman Jared Polis of Colorado, gives Members and entrepreneurs a chance to discuss the challenges small businesses face, and to identify ways that Congress can support the startup economy. 

American ingenuity remains one of the most valuable resources in the world. Beyond just tech, entrepreneurs in Colorado and beyond are reshaping the world of aerospace, energy, bioscience, food, outdoor recreation, and even beer. Startups are responsible for the majority of new jobs in the US – we’ve got to make sure we’re supporting these job creators with policies that help, not hinder them.

Congressman Jared Polis

Startup Day shows that both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue understand the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship to the country’s economy. President Obama has made supporting entrepreneurship a top priority—and under his leadership, we’ve worked to make sure every American innovator has the chance to get good ideas off the ground.

Earlier this month, we hosted the first-ever White House Demo Day, part of the President’s Startup America initiative to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship. The President welcomed dozens of startups from around the country to share their stories, showcasing the full breadth of the country’s entrepreneurial talent.  

The theme for Demo Day was Inclusive Entrepreneurship, working to make sure all talent in our country has access to the entrepreneurial ecosystem—an ecosystem that is the envy of the world. Today many women, people of color or those not in certain metro areas do not have access to the same growth capital and other important resources to support their startup to scale. Some people are not encouraged to start business or join in the startup economy.

As part of working to expand access for all entrepreneurial Americans, we announced specific new commitments on Demo Day, from 40 leading venture capital firms, over a dozen major technology companies, and more than a hundred deans of engineering schools, to promote diversity throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We announced or extended programs from the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and Health and Human Services that support startup companies around the country.  

We also announced grant winners in two new Small Business Administration programs: “Startup in a Day,” and the Growth Accelerator Fund.  Both programs are designed to spark inclusive entrepreneurship across the country, especially outside traditional centers for venture capital.

Startup In a Day has a simple goal: Help entrepreneurs find, understand, and apply to meet the requirements for starting a business—in less than one day. The SBA is partnering with 25 cities and two Native American communities to develop online tools that consolidate startup information and streamline permitting processes. Every community involved has pledged to share best practices through the National League of Cities, so cities and towns across the country can help their own entrepreneurs get off the ground more quickly.

The Growth Accelerator Fund supports “accelerator” organizations, which help startups obtain the capital, mentorship, and institutional support they need to grow. Through this fund, the SBA will provide selected accelerators $4 million to expand their efforts, helping more founders and small businesses get good ideas moving.

But our work to support entrepreneurs and small businesses isn’t done. Updating our trade policy is another lever we can pull to help jumpstart American entrepreneurs. Here’s why: 95 percent of the world’s customers live outside the U.S. And when we compete for those customers on a level playing field, our innovators and small businesses are the far and away winners. 

That’s why President Obama is working to secure the Trans-Pacific Partnership—a high-standard, progressive trade agreement that can help level that playing field, open new markets, and set strong rules of the road that protect American businesses, workers, and values at home and abroad.  

Entrepreneurship is more important than ever to the future health of the country’s economy. President Obama will continue to work with Members of Congress like those celebrating Startup Day Across America today to give every American entrepreneur the opportunity to be a part of the country’s success—because the next big idea can come from anywhere.  

Here’s How Pittsburgh Took Action Through a Local and Federal Partnership to Make Lives Better:

In December of 2013, President Obama brought a coalition of new mayors from across the country together to develop plans for America’s progress and growth based on federal-local partnerships. The President’s commitment to removing barriers in Washington has given mayors like me the tools and resources necessary to create a better economic environment in cities throughout the country. In the face of gridlock, mayors across the country are working hard to get things done. 

We in Pittsburgh know that we can't afford to wait for Congress — we need to take action and find partners where we can.

Our new sick leave policy, which I signed into law last week, is a great example of Pittsburgh taking the lead while Congress sits on its hands. America is the only developed nation without a comprehensive sick leave policy, and we could not sit idly by. Pittsburgh is proud to be the 20th city to adopt a paid sick leave policy. We genuinely believe that as one of America's most livable cities, we have a responsibility to ensure a high standard of living for all of our residents. This legislation supports the health and well-being of thousands of city residents, as well as raising the overall public health of our communities. I'm proud of the collaborative effort in City Council that resulted in a bill that provides workers the support they need without imposing an undue burden on our City's small businesses.

Cities and states are acting on their own to implement paid sick leave.

In addition to moving the President’s policy agenda forward, we have partnered on numerous initiatives. From the moment I took office, my administration has had direct access to federal support related to education, economic development, energy efficiency, immigration, manufacturing, community policing, workforce development and technology.

In the last year and a half, Pittsburgh has been a part of several White House initiatives that have had a direct impact on our region.

  • Technology: The TechHire partnership is providing Pittsburghers the skills needed to be competitive in a global economy. In Pittsburgh we will pilot several youth-serving and one adult-serving accelerated training programs that will provide training to over 500 individuals by the end of 2016.
  • My Brother’s Keeper: As an MBK Community, elected officials and local partners throughout the Pittsburgh region are working together to forge long-term and strategic programs to help the job and life development of at-risk youth, particularly young men of color.
  • Crime and Safety: As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve and protect, Pittsburgh was selected as one of the first six cities to host pilot sites for the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice. The DOJ also awarded the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police $1.875 million to hire 15 new community oriented police officers starting in 2015.
  • Immigration: In December of 2014, I joined more than 20 mayors from across the country to launch Cities United for Immigration Action (CUIA) — a nationwide coalition of mayors working together to ensure the successful implementation of the President’s immigration reform plan. This coalition is leading the national dialogue on immigration reform at the municipal level and taking a leadership role to influence policy change from the ground up. And we have launched the Welcoming Pittsburgh initiative and developed a local plan to improve the quality of life and economic prosperity for immigrants and native-born residents alike, which builds on the White House Task Force on New Americans.
  • Veterans' Homelessness: In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, my administration has committed to ending veteran homelessness in Pittsburgh by the end of 2015.
  • Advanced Manufacturing Initiative: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker awarded the Pittsburgh region a designation under the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership, making it one of 12 cities this year to receive unique federal support for long-term economic development growth in regional manufacturing.
  • Clean Energy: Just last month, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz was in Pittsburgh to support a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Pittsburgh and the National Energy Technology Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy on joint efforts to design 21st-century energy infrastructure for Pittsburgh. The outcomes of this MOU will help modernize delivery of utility services through new business models and markets, grow technology research and development opportunities and product manufacturing, reduce environmental impacts, enhance resilience and security through integrated district-based microgrid solutions, address affordability for consumers, and encourage workforce development.

We are happy to be an active partner with the White House on sick leave and many other initiatives. Pittsburgh is a City on the move, and we are grateful for the partnerships we’ve been able to create — both with other communities and with the President — that improve our quality of life and continue to make us America’s Most Livable City.

Bill Peduto is Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh.

People Are Loving @POTUS’s Summer Playlists

Yesterday, the White House joined Spotify — and our DJ-in-Chief, President Obama, treated the world to his personal summer playlists (one for the daytime, one for the evening). If you missed it, check out his playlists here.

Obviously, the internet was pretty excited about it. So without further ado, here are some of our favorite responses:

Weekly Address: Continuing Work to Improve Community Policing

In this week's address, the President spoke about the work the Administration is doing to enhance trust between communities and law enforcement in the year since the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

In May, the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing released their final report setting out concrete proposals to build trust and enhance public safety. And across America, local leaders are working to put these ideas into action in their communities.

The President noted that while progress is being made, these issues go beyond policing, which is why the Administration is committed to achieving broader reforms to the criminal justice system and to making new investments in our children and their future.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3

West Wing Week: 08/14/15 or, “That’s Why We Do What We Do”

This week, we sat down with senior administration officials take a look back at some of the history-making moments that illuminated the fabric of America. Watch what they had to say:

“Sometimes there's days like this, when that slow, steady effort is rewarded with justice that arrives like a thunderbolt.”

President Barack Obama

 

“The notion that cynicism is the right way to operate has been blown out of the water by the events really of the last several months, particularly this summer.”

Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council

 

“No longer was it about partisan fighting, now it was just simply about how do we make sure on a daily basis people have access to coverage…”

 Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy

 

“The room went up in applause and several of us went down to tell the President and he came down and gave amazing remarks in the Rose Garden and changed the world.”

Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President

 

“It almost felt like it was over to us after these dramatic domestic and social breakthroughs.”

Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting

 

“We have to understand that our jails should be places that we make people better, where we go back to the idea of rehabilitation and you can't send that message without actually being there and seeing what is happening there.”

Roy Austin, Deputy Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity

 

The White House Just Joined Spotify: Listen to the President’s Summer Playlist

Your summer just got a little groovier.

Today, the White House joined Spotify — and our inaugural playlist was hand-picked by none other than President Obama. When asked to pick a few of his favorite songs for the summer, the President got serious. He grabbed a pen and paper and drafted up not one, but two separate summer playlists: One for the daytime, and one for the evening.

President Obama discusses his summer playlists with Jason Goldman, Chief Digital Officer, in the Oval Office.
President Obama discusses his summer playlists with Jason Goldman, Chief Digital Officer, in the Oval Office, , Aug. 7, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

It's stocked with a selection of the classics — from Nina Simone's blues sensation “Feelin' Good” to the Temptations' “Ain't Too Proud to Beg” — mixed in with more recent tracks from artists like Florence & the Machine and The Lumineers.

Give them both a listen and a subscribe — we think you're going to love it.

And make sure you follow the White House on Spotify — because we've got a lot more to come, from issue-specific playlists to songs selected by other people in the White House.

President Obama's Summer Playlist: Day

  1. Ain’t Too Proud to Beg – The Temptations
  2. Live It Up – Isley Brothers
  3. Memories Live – Talib Kweli & Hi Tek
  4. Tombstone Blues – Bob Dylan
  5. So Much Trouble in the World – Bob Marley
  6. Paradise – Coldplay
  7. Tengo Un Trato (Remix) – Mala Rodriguez
  8. Wang Dang Doodle – Howlin Wolf
  9. Another Star – Stevie Wonder
  10. Hot Fun in the Summertime – Sly & the Family Stone
  11. Boozophilia – Low Cut Connie
  12. Wherever Is Your Heart  – Brandi Carlile
  13. Good Day – Nappy Roots
  14. Green Light – John Legend
  15. Gimme Shelter – Rolling Stones
  16. Rock Steady – Aretha Franklin
  17. Down Down the Deep River – Okkervil River
  18. Pusher Love Girl – Justin Timberlake
  19. Shake It Out – Florence + The Machine
  20. La Salsa La Traigo Yo – Sonora Carruseles

President Obama's Summer Playlist: Night

  1. My Favorite Things – John Coltrane
  2. Superpower (feat. Frank Ocean) – Beyoncé
  3. Moondance – Van Morrison
  4. Is Your Love Big Enough? – Lianne La Havas
  5. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart – Al Green
  6. Red & White & Blue & Gold – Aoife O’Donovan
  7. Nothing Even Matters – Lauryn Hill
  8. The Best Is Yet to Come – Frank Sinatra
  9. You Don’t Know Me – Ray Charles
  10. I Found My Everything – Mary J Blige
  11. Help Me – Joni Mitchell
  12. I’ve Got Dreams to Remember – Otis Redding
  13. Suzanne – Leonard Cohen
  14. Feeling Good – Nina Simone
  15. Stubborn Love – The Lumineers
  16. Until – Cassandra Wilson
  17. UMI Says – Mos Def
  18. The Very Thought of You – Billie Holiday
  19. Flamenco Sketches – Miles Davis
  20. Woo – Erykah Badu

Like that? You'll love our White House In Performance series. Over the course of the past few years, we've hosted a series of concerts right here in the White House — welcoming artists from Stevie Wonder to Paul McCartney to Jennifer Hudson. 

You can take a look at a selection of videos from these concerts here.

Follow Along: Re-Opening Our Embassy in Havana, Cuba

On July 1, President Obama announced that the United States had agreed to formally re-establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba and re-open embassies in our respective countries. 

The last time we had an embassy in Cuba was in January of 1961, when we severed diplomatic relations at the height of the Cold War.

Today, more than 54 years later, Secretary of State John Kerry is travelling to Havana to re-open our embassy and take a historic step forward in our efforts to normalize relations with the Cuban government and people.

Watch live at 9:45 a.m. as Secretary Kerry raises our flag over U.S. Embassy Havana once more, and stay tuned here all day for more updates from Cuba.

Want a deeper dive into our new approach? You can learn more about the steps we're taking to improve U.S. and Cuban relations here: whitehouse.gov/cuba

Stronger Together: Your Voice in the Workplace Matters

Ed. note: The following essay is cross-posted from Secretary of Labor Tom Perez's Medium account. 

Our nation's continued recovery from the worst recession in generations has given us a lot to celebrate. We saw over 3 million jobs created in 2014, the best year since the end of the Clinton administration. We’re experiencing the longest streak of private-sector job growth on record. Our businesses created more than 200,000 jobs in 15 of the past 17 months — the first time that has happened since 1995. In 2009, there were seven job seekers for every open job. Today there are fewer than two.

But our job isn’t done yet. While productivity has increased more than 90 percent since 1979, real wages are still not climbing fast enough. A lot of people are back to work, but far too many families are finding it nearly impossible to get ahead.

That’s not just a problem for those families — it's a problem for us all. Our nation is stronger when prosperity is broadly shared. And as we’ve seen throughout our history, one necessary ingredient of shared prosperity is working people banding together and raising their voices.

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DOT Helps States, Local Communities Improve Transportation Resilience

Ed. note: This is cross-posted on the U.S. Department of Transportation's blog. See the original post here.

Under the Obama administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation has been working hard to support communities across the country as they adapt the planning, development, and management of their transportation assets for greater resilience in the face of climate change. And earlier today, I kicked off a workshop to share tools and resources to help states, transit agencies, and local communities do just that.

This was an important workshop — more than 50 people attended in person with another 400 joining us online — and it comes at an important time in the history of transportation in the U.S.

U.S. Highway 90 bridge over Biloxi Bay after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

U.S. Highway 90 bridge over Biloxi Bay after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

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Weekly Address: Reaffirming Our Commitment to Protecting the Right to Vote

In this week's address, the President celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act by underscoring the importance of one of the most fundamental rights of our democracy – that all of us are created equal and that each of us deserves a voice. The enactment of the Voting Rights Act wasn’t easy – it was the product of sacrifice from countless men and women who risked so much to protect every person’s right to vote.

The President reminded us about their struggle and that while our country is a better place because of it, there is still work to be done. He promised to continue to push Congress for new legislation to protect everyone’s right to the polls, and asked that all Americans, regardless of party, use every opportunity possible to exercise the fundamental right to vote.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3