Chief Counsel for Advocacy Winslow Sargeant attended the inaugural meeting of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday. The council is made up of 26 national leaders in business, technology, and academia, and it is co-chaired by AOL founder Steve Case, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, and entrepreneur Desh Deshpande.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has said the council “will help the Administration develop a broader strategy to spur innovation and enable entrepreneurs to develop breakthrough technologies and dynamic companies, and to create jobs all across America.”
Members of the advisory council weighed in on a number of issues, including the importance of regional clusters and the critical role of angel investing. Curtis Carlson, president and CEO of SRI International, said that government policies and regulations cannot be one-size-fits-all, but that the needs and interests of small businesses must be considered.
Administration officials participating in the meeting included Secretary Locke, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra.
—Thad Inge, Assistant Chief Counsel