The federal government currently supports entrepreneurs in several meaningful ways. The Small Business Administration and Departments of Agriculture, Treasury and Commerce all offer grants or low-interest loans to entrepreneurship support organizations and community lenders. However, not all of this support is efficiently targeted to reach those who need it and can benefit most. Moreover, few resources have been invested in rigorous evaluation to determine which strategies are working and which need improvement. In this session, presenters will illustrate how policy innovations in recent years in the Tax Preparation and Self-Employment Assistance through the Unemployment Program have benefited low-income entrepreneurs. Participants will further learn about the complex infrastructure needed to deliver these innovations at scale and explore new policy innovations that will further advance the entrepreneurship field.

 

• Jackie Lynn Coleman, NCTC (Presentation - PDF)
• Robert Friedman, CFED
• Michelle Greene, New York Stock Exchange Foundation (Moderator)