Last week, Philip Gaskin, Vice President of Entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation, testified before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion on ways to reduce barriers for women and minority-owned businesses.

Gaskin’s testimony highlighted the role that new and small business play, serving as the engine of innovation and continued reinvention of our economy.

The topic is particularly relevant today as the federal government prepares to deploy $1.2 trillion in infrastructure funding – a level of funding that provides an historic opportunity to work toward a more inclusive economy and level the playing field for entrepreneurs who have been denied the same access to opportunity as others.

While the available infrastructure funding certainly provides myriad opportunities for American contracting firms, not all firms have an equal chance of accessing the award funding. It’s our job to work together to change that so that America doesn’t miss out on an incredible opportunity to develop, grow, and scale women- and minority-owned small businesses. 

If you missed the hearing, you can watch it here. 

“Successful entrepreneurs and even large corporations have gotten where they are today because they gained access to opportunity, capital and funding, knowledge, and the support needed to help their venture thrive; we have identified these pillars of success as part of our America’s New Business Plan, a research-vetted policy platform that outlines the changes necessary for more entrepreneurs to succeed.”

-Philip Gaskin, VP of Entrepreneurship, Kauffman Foundation

Entrepreneurship is a team sport. Working together with policymakers, the Start Us Coalition and entrepreneurship advocates across the country have an opportunity like never before to get more players on the field – and grow our local economies in the process.