Promoting American Innovation and Strengthening Entrepreneurship

December 2012 Newsletter

i6 Challenge Winners to Jumpstart the Innovation Economy

Seven winning projects-based in California, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Virginia, and Wisconsin-will each receive up to $1 million to fund proof of concept centers under the latest round of the Obama administration’s i6 Challenge. The projects incorporate a range of services, such as technology and market evaluation and business planning, that are critical to regional economic growth and job creation. They will spur sustainable startups, small businesses, and new ventures. Launched in 2010 as a component of the White House’s Startup America initiative, the i6 Challenge is led by the E /DA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Members of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and representatives of institutions of higher education listen to a presentation by Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank at the White House Conference Center on
October 1.

University Leaders and Obama Administration Accelerate Commercialization Efforts

Leaders from numerous institutions of higher learning convened with members of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) on October 1 to report on the ways they are leading the charge to create new entrepreneurial ecosystems. About 300 participants renewed their commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship on their campuses and in their communities, and asked for the continued support of the federal government in improving these critical components of the American economy.