Startup Lesson: How To Raise $1M in seed funding
Startups, how do you raise $1M in seed funding? So, you have a good idea. No, you have a great idea, right? You’ve built your product, received positive feedback from customers, gained a little traction in the market, and you need to raise money to scale your startup operation. What is it going to take to get the seed capital you need? Time? How much time? Emails? Phone calls?... Read More
America21 introduces new ScaleUp Campaign
America21 has introduced a new ScaleUp Campaign in partnership with the Next Economy Partnership Project. Visit ScaleupCampaign.org and tell us about innovative efforts ongoing in your local region that create jobs and economic opportunity. We want to highlight innovators, collaborators, outside-the-box thinkers & doers in your local area. With your help, we can identify, connect... Read More
Mike Green gives keynote at Tabor 100 Gala in Seattle: Building An Inclusive Innovation Economy
Mike Green was invited by Ollie Garrett, the executive director of Tabor 100 in Seattle, to give the keynote address at its annual gala fundraiser. The elite of Seattle’s political landscape attended the sold-out venue at the Washington State Convention Center on Sept. 15, 2012. A standing ovation followed Mike’s 27-min speech. See Mike’s... Read More
America21 Co-hosts Closing the Wealth Gap, Sept. 19
America21 will co-host a forum on Closing the Wealth Gap on Sept. 19, 2012 in Washington D.C. at B’s Restaurant in Union Station from 4 pm to 8 pm. See the slides below for more information. Limited seating. Get your tickets here while they last. Share this: Read More
America21 highlighted in Forbes by Nortech CEO
INCLUSION: The Missing Link in Economic Competitiveness By Rebecca O. Bagley President and CEO, Nortech Aug. 15, 2012 (See original column in Forbes) As I continue to engage with companies, universities, government leaders, investors and economic development practitioners in Ohio and across the country, I can’t help but notice the lack of diversity in high growth technology sectors.... Read More
America21 – Tired of the Talk Campaign
America21 needs your support. We’re excited about the progress we’re making in changing the economic narrative across urban America, promoting inclusive competitiveness in established innovation ecosystems and connecting the economically disconnected to regional innovation clusters and opportunity. But, this economic movement needs you. America21 needs your financial... Read More
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Economist Agrees with America21
Joseph Stiglitz, the Pulizer Prize-winning economist and author of “The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future,” agrees with America21 data and describes for Jon Stewart, host of the Daily Show, the economic landscape that underscores the message that America21 has consistently offered to the American public. Stiglitz says: “Inequality... Read More
America21′s Mike Green featured in Oregon Business Mag
In the past decade, much of the new wealth creation and job growth in the United States has occurred in the startup technology sectors. “But those types of innovations and market disruptions are not happening across black America,” says Green, who is also a part-time blogger. The reasons “are systemic, historical and institutional, and someone has to address it.” Programs... Read More
Mike Green shares economic dream on MLK Day 2012
Around a thousand people gathered today at the Oregon Convention Center for The Skanner newspaper’s 26th Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast. The guests of honor included Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Patrick Quinton, executive director of the Portland Development Commission. Keynote speaker was Mike Green … Photo by Cornelius Swart The... Read More
Congress approves of crowdfunding; do you?
On Nov. 3, 2011 Congress moved the economically disconnected sectors of society a bit closer to the American Entrepreneurial Dream of owning a business by expanding the landscape of angel investing, which is unfortunately still a foreign concept to the vast majority of Americans who are disconnected from knowledge of the job growth and wealth creation processes across the fruited... Read More
‘Gathering of Angels’ summit at Rutgers a success
There’s nothing like success to attract more success. The America21 Project produced three successful events in rapid succession preceding its unprecedented gathering of angels and entrepreneurs at Rutgers University in mid-November. Silicon Valley in California and Long Island, New York served... Read More
Angel investors invited to urban innovation summit
The America21 Project in partnership with The Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (CUEED) at Rutgers University presents … A Gathering of Angels A National Summit on Building 21st Century Urban Innovation Ecosystems: Connecting Capital and High Growth Entrepreneurs November 15-16, 2011 Rutgers Business School – Newark Campus The... Read More
The America21 Project: Investing in Urban Innovation
By Mike Green The Black Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative is changing it’s name (not vision and mission) to become The America21 Project. We need your support. And we’re asking you to make some choices. Choose to pass on this blog post to others in your networks. Choose to support our mission with a financial contribution. Choose to support us by sponsoring... Read More
U.S. Innovation and Competiveness Strategy: ‘All Hands On Deck’
Okay, I’ve never been shy about contributing my ideas on myriad social, educational and economic matters, through written public commentary, in appearances before legislative bodies, during one-on-one or community roundtable discussions or even in town hall-style settings. In fact, I have to say that throughout my life and career, I’ve been close to fearless when it comes to... Read More
Investing in America’s Growing Assets: Minorities
How will America’s economic portfolio change in the next few decades as we race toward 2050 when racial minorities are expected to emerge as the majority of the U.S. population? Investing today to uplift America’s minority students and innovators seems prudent. Unfortunately, the excitement and energy of a nation that elected its first Black president a few years ago... Read More
Good news for Innovators: Venture Capital is Back!
(Image: U.S. Treasury Access to Capital Conference Presentation) Policy-makers, economists, investors, economic developers and I have lamented for the past few years the fact that private sector capital had not yet gotten back into the game. The good news for innovators is that in 2010, the venture capital (VC) sector came roaring back, putting $26.2 billion into 2,799 venture... Read More
Innovation Economy: Making the invisible visible
Over the course of our history, America has experienced three major economic eras — agrarian, industrial and innovation. Prosperity and opportunity in the first two eras was highly visible and plain to any observer. The third and current era, however, can be invisible to those who are not connected to it. And that invisibility is crippling the economic prospects for Black... Read More
Innovative lessons from Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the global Innovation Economy
My mother gave me a good piece of advice early in my life when she said that “Even a stopped clock is right twice per day.” Her point was a basic one: Just as an otherwise useless, broken clock displays the correct time twice daily, I don’t have to adopt whole hog anyone’s ideas to recognize a truth in something they have said. It is off of that advice that I must confess... Read More
Innovation Economy requires a new narrative, new terms
Let’s be honest, we talk with each other about things that we believe are important. In the case of innovation and competitiveness, the cornerstones of the Innovation Economy, we never, ever talk about them. Although our present and future economic prosperity hinges on these key, foundational elements, at times it seems we are either unwilling or unable to consider these matters... Read More
