'Jobless Entrepreneurship' Tarnishes Steady Rate of U.S. Startup Activity, Kauffman Study Shows 
During the Great Recession, more Americans have become entrepreneurs than at any time in the past 15 years. However, while the economy and its high unemployment rates may have pressed more individuals into business ownership, most of them are going it alone, rather than starting companies that employ others.
1 Million Cups from Kauffman Labs Hits the Road to Connect Entrepreneurs with Coffee, Conversation
The buzz surrounding entrepreneurs and the business startup scene in the Midwest is growing louder. 1 Million Cups, a program launched by Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation last April to bring together and engage entrepreneurs in the Kansas City community, is taking its show on the road – to Missouri's eastern edge.
2008 State New Economy Index
The 2008 State New Economy Index indicates five states—Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey—are leading the United States’ transformation into a global, entrepreneurial and knowledge- and innovation-based New Economy. The reports was released by the Kauffman Foundation and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) during Global Entrepreneurship Week, an initiative to inspire young people around the world to embrace imagination, innovation and creativity.
2013 State of Entrepreneurship Address: Financing Entrepreneurial Growth
The Kauffman Foundation addresses challenges and opportunities in financing new and young companies at its fourth annual State of Entrepreneurship Address at the National Press Club in Washington.
A conversation with Desh Despande
In this video conversation, Desh Deshpande, co-founder and chairman of
Sycamore Networks Inc., talks about his life as an entrepreneur, the
multi-disciplinary approach of the Deshpande Center for Technological
Innovation at MIT, and how innovative philanthropy is making the world
better
A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs: New Kauffman Paper Highlights Different Types and Their Roles in Economy
The distinctive differences between innovation-driven enterprises (IDEs) and traditional small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – and their importance for governments and policymakers wanting to support long-term economic growth – is the subject of "A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs: Understanding Differences in the Types of Entrepreneurship in the Economy," which examines IDEs and SMEs, their roles in local, regional and global economies, and their differing needs in terms of financial and policy support.
Advancing Innovation
The Kauffman Foundation has begun working with several universities and other partners to better understand the complexities of innovation in entrepreneurship.
After Inception: How Enduring is Job Creation by Startups?
Startup companies, the nation's most promising source of new jobs, are critical to reducing the current 9.5 percent unemployment rate. Not only are startups responsible for net new job growth in the U.S. economy, but this study shows that the majority of the employment they generate remains as new firms age, creating a lasting impact on the economy.
America's Loss is the World's Gain: America's New Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Part IV
Since even before the 2008 financial and economic crisis, observers have noted that a substantial number of highly skilled immigrants have started returning to their home countries. Who are these returnees? What motivated their decision to leave the
United States? How have they fared since returning? This paper attempts
to answer these questions through a survey of 1,203 Indian and Chinese
immigrants who had worked or received their education in the United
States and returned to their home country.
Black-owned Startup Firms Constrained in Access to Capital in Early Years of Operation
While previous research shows that nearly three-quarters of all new
U.S. firms inject capital in their second or third year of existence,
detailed information from a recently-released Kauffman Firm Survey
(KFS) is the first to outline dramatic differences in the capital
injections of black-owned firms compared to white-owned firms in the
early, formative years after the business begins.
Business 'Churning' Good for Nation's Economic Growth and Productivity, According to Kauffman Foundation Report
According to Turmoil and Growth: Young Businesses, Economic Churning and Productivity Gains,
new and growing businesses create millions of jobs each year. At the
same time, exiting and declining businesses destroy millions of jobs.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Chicago,
University of Maryland and the U.S. Bureau of Census, points out that
the contribution of new businesses extends beyond initial entry, with
surviving businesses having very rapid employment growth in their early
years.
Business Dynamics Statistics
The Business Dynamics
Statistics is a data series that tracks the annual
changes in employment for growing and shrinking businesses.
Business Dynamics Statistics Briefing: Entrepreneurship Across States
The average share of employment accounted for by firms less than three
years old varies widely by state, according to analysis of newly
released U.S. Census Bureau data. The Business Dynamics Statistics
(BDS), funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, found that young
firms account for as much as 12 percent of employment in Southwestern
and Western states. In states with a lower-ranking of the share of
young firms, primarily those in the East and Midwest regions, only
about 6 percent of employment is accounted for by young firms.
Business Dynamics Statistics Briefing: Jobs Created from Business Startups in the United States
Newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau—the Business
Dynamics Statistics—show that employment accounted for by U.S.
private-sector business startups over the 1980-2005 period is about 3
percent per year. While
this is a small fraction of overall employment, all of this employment
from startups reflects new jobs.
Business Dynamics Statistics: An Overview
The Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) includes measures of
establishment openings and closings, firm startups, job creation and
destruction by firm size, age, and industrial sector, and several other
statistics on business dynamics.
Call for Applications: Kauffman Life Science Ventures Summit
Life science startups face more complex and daunting hurdles than new enterprises in non-regulated industries do. To help aspiring and early-stage life science entrepreneurs address these challenges, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation will hold a Kauffman Life Science Ventures Summit June 22-23, 2012.
Canadian Student and Music Megabusiness Owner Crowned Champion 2009 Global Student Entrepreneur
Simon Fraser University student Milun Tesovic, founder of MetroLyrics.com, has been named champion of the
2009 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards and the recipient of $150,000
in cash and donated services that will help support his company and
development as an entrepreneur.
Casting a Wide Net Factsheet: Online Activities of Small and New Businesses in the United States
The Internet's profound effect on how U.S. businesses operate is even more pronounced among young companies, according to a research report released today by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The study, "Casting a Wide Net: Online Activities of Small and New Businesses in the United States," reveals that new businesses have a higher propensity to use websites, email, and to sell online, and that these inclinations have an impact on capitalization and longevity.
Casting A Wide Net: Online Activities of Small and New Businesses in the United States
The Internet's profound effect on how U.S. businesses operate is even more pronounced among young companies, according to a research report released by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The study, "Casting a Wide Net: Online Activities of Small and New Businesses in the United States," reveals that new businesses have a higher propensity to use websites, email, and to sell online, and that these inclinations have an impact on capitalization and longevity.
Causes for Firm Formation and Job Creation Reveal Keys to Growing Economy, According to New Kauffman Study
Startups and young companies dominate net job creation in the United States – and have done so for the last 30 years. This economic phenomenon occurs because of the patterns of firm formation and survival, according to a report released today by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Census Bureau Announces a New Product for Tracking Business Activity
The U.S. Census Bureau announces the release of the Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS), a data series that allows users to track annual changes in employment for growing and shrinking businesses at the establishment level.
Chicago Startup Bus Stops at Kauffman En Route to SXSW
One day into their trek from Chicago to Austin, Tex., a couple dozen innovative entrepreneurs on a bus stopped by the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., to talk startups with other founders and the Foundation's entrepreneurship experts. The destination: the interactive conference South by Southwest (SXSWi); the goal: to build and launch a startup during the two-day road trip to pitch to a group of investors at the conference.
Closing the Transition Gap: The Rule of Law Imperative to Stabilization Environments
It goes without saying that a breakdown in rule of law prohibits economic growth and disincentivizes entrepreneurs. In the paper the Kauffman Foundation released, the fourth in the Expeditionary Economics Research Series, "Closing the Transition Gap: The Rule of Law Imperative in Stabilization Environments", author Brock Dahl examines the strategic, moral and legal arguments that creating and sustaining rule of law institutions is an imperative from the very first day of an intervention or regime change.
Despite Economy, Kauffman FastTrac Entrepreneurs Started and Grew New Businesses in 2011, According to Survey
Kauffman FastTrac entrepreneur courses have been helping business owners launch and grow companies since 1993. After surveying recent FastTrac graduates via email, data indicate that, despite the current economic environment, the programs remain applicable and are integral in helping entrepreneurs achieve success with their businesses.
Despite Recession, U.S. Entrepreneurial Activity Rises in 2009 to Highest Rate in 14 Years, Kauffman Study Shows
Rather than making history for its deep recession and record unemployment, 2009 might instead be remembered as the year business startups reached their highest level in 14 years – even exceeding the number of startups during the peak 1999-2000 technology boom. According to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, a leading indicator of new-business creation in the United States, the number of new businesses created during the 2007–2009 recession years increased steadily year to year. In 2009, the 340 out of 100,000 adults who started businesses each month represent a 4 percent increase over 2008, or 27,000 more starts per month than in 2008 and 60,000 more starts per month than in 2007.
Education, Funding and Experience Explain Disparities in Minority Entrepreneurship Success, Says New Book
Education, prior work experience and financial backing are crucial factors in the success of entrepreneurs, according to a new book by Robert W. Fairlie and Alicia M. Robb and funded in part by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The book examines why Asian American-owned businesses do well in comparison to white-owned businesses, and African American-owned firms do poorly in relation to both. The book also explores the broader question of why some small businesses succeed and others fail.
Entrepreneur Postdoctoral Fellows Program
With the aim of cultivating entrepreneurs from among the postdoctoral community, the Kauffman Foundation’s Entrepreneur Postdoctoral Fellows program educates and trains scientist-founders who will create the high-growth technology companies of tomorrow.
Entrepreneurial Activity Declines as Jobs Rise in 2012, according to Kauffman Report
According to the annual Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, the 2012 rate declined slightly from 0.32 percent of American adults per month starting businesses in 2011 to 0.30 percent in 2012.
Entrepreneurial Spirit Awarded on eBay
A group of aspiring online entrepreneurs are now benefitting
from $120,000 in grants from eBay to invest in their businesses. eBay,
the world’s largest online marketplace, announced the four
entrepreneurs—each of whom will receive $25,000, as well as marketing
advice and assistance from eBay—who were selected as winners of the
eBay Sellers Challenge, a business contest designed to spark the
entrepreneurial spirit among eBay sellers.
Entrepreneurial Startups Find Financing Through External Debt Sources, Not Family and Friends
Contrary to widely held beliefs that startup companies rely heavily on
funding from family and friends, a Kauffman Foundation research paper
released today reported that external debt financing such as bank loans
are the more common sources of funding for many companies during their
first year of operation.
Entrepreneurs and Recessions: Do Downturns Matter?
In this study, titled “Entrepreneurs and Recessions: Do Downturns Matter?,” Kauffman Foundation Senior Fellow Paul S. Kedrosky presents findings from collecting and analyzing data to find out how economic conditions impact startup success.
Entrepreneurs’ Movement featured in Huffington Post op-ed
Calling it "a cause for our economy," Kauffman Foundation President and
CEO Carl Schramm posted an opinion piece on the Huffington Post weblog
about the newly launched Entrepreneurs' Movement.
Entrepreneurship Remains Strong in 2008 with Increasing Business Startups, According to Kauffman Foundation
New business formation increased in 2008 but, in what may be a
potential harbinger of the current economic recession, U.S.
entrepreneurship rates increased for the lowest-income-potential and
middle-income-potential types of businesses from 2007 to 2008; it
decreased for the highest-income-potential types of businesses. This is
one of the shifts in firm formation trends found in the annual Kauffman
Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, a leading indicator of new business
activity that provides the earliest documentation of new business
development across the United States.
ETFs and the Present Danger to Capital Formation
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify today about ETFs and the public policy challenges they pose. I have prepared this written testimony with my colleague at the Kauffman Foundation, Robert Litan, who is Vice President for Research and Policy. I am Chief Investment Officer of the Foundation. Both of us draw in this testimony on prior studies we have done on the growing ETF market, by ourselves and with experts in securities settlements. But we offer here supplemental information, which we hope will be of use to this Committee. I will be delivering an oral summary of this testimony at the hearing.
Eureka! Ranch
Eureka! Ranch applies scientific methods to address the
challenges of achieving meaningful uniqueness and help business owners find, filter, and fast-track their
innovations.
Experience, Management and Luck are Keys to Entrepreneurial Success, Say Company Founders
In the years immediately following the 1990-1991 and 2001 recessions,
net job creation came from small, entrepreneurial companies, according
to the U.S. Small Business Administration. While fostering new business
creation could again help the United States move more swiftly toward
ending the current recession, little has been known about the factors
that cultivate and support entrepreneurialism.
Experience, Professional Networks, Encouragement, Support are Keys to Success for High-Growth Women Entrepreneurs, Kauffman Study Finds
Despite their majority representation at U.S. colleges and universities and increased participation in science and engineering, women still are under-represented among business founders, particularly in high-tech and other high-growth fields.
Exploring Firm Formation: Why is the Number of New Firms Constant?
Recent entrepreneurship research has shed new light on how important new companies—firms less than five years old—are to economic growth, so the next question raised by economists and policymakers might be: How do we increase the number of firm formations? In a review of research into entrepreneurial orientation to help find answers, another important question has arisen: Why does the level of firm formation remain virtually consistent from year to year?
External Debt Markets Critical in Entrepreneurial Firms' Early Years, the Latest Kauffman Firm Survey Report Shows
Now in its fourth year of data collection, the world's largest
longitudinal survey of new businesses shows that external debt markets
become increasingly important during startup companies' early growth
years. In 2007, the 2,915 entrepreneurial firms surveyed injected an
average of $53,000 into their businesses, with 62 percent of that
capital coming from outside debt markets. By comparison, external debt
markets provided 40 percent of financing in these companies' first year
of operation.
Fortune Small Business and the Kauffman Foundation Announce the 50 Best Places to Launch a Business
FORTUNE Small Business magazine and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation announced today the 2009 list of the 50 best places in the United States to launch a business.
Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009 Celebrates the Vital Role Entrepreneurs Play in Innovation, Job Creation and Economic Recovery
This November, young people around the globe will get together to
change the world. That’s when hundreds of organizations worldwide will
be holding events to inspire, connect, mentor and engage young people
and encourage them to pursue entrepreneurial ideas and opportunities.
Global Entrepreneurship Week, the worldwide celebration of creativity
and innovation, will be held Nov. 16 – 22, 2009.
Grow New Firms. Grow New Jobs.
The economic importance of new firm formation in the United States cannot be overstated. Startups and young companies dominate net job creation in the United States—and have done so for the last thirty years.
Growthology.org
The Growthology.org blog features thoughts on entrepreneurship and its
implications for faster economic growth, greater individual
opportunity, smart government policy, and the expansion of human
welfare.
High-Growth Firms Account for Disproportionate Share of Job Creation, According to Kauffman Foundation Study
According to a new study released today by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the current national conversation on economic recovery would be more productively focused on creating a favorable environment for entrepreneurship—and particularly high-growth entrepreneurship—because top-performing companies are the most fertile source of new jobs.
High-Growth Firms and the Future of the American Economy
Into early 2010, more than two years after the recession began, the American economy continues to send out mixed signals with respect to economic recovery: GDP growth looks set to recover, while unemployment is projected to remain high for many more years. The most important economic matter facing the country is job creation, not only in terms of employment itself but also for boosting sectors such as housing, which will not fully recover until job creation recovers.
Historically Large Decline in Job Creation from Startup and Existing Firms in the 2008–2009 Recession
The Census Bureau's Business Dynamics Statistics show a very large decline in gross job creation from existing firms as well as startups in the recession.
How Do We Make More Entrepreneurs More Successful?
If the best indicator of a country’s growth is the number of new firms started every year, as Kauffman Foundation research indicates, how do we get more companies to start and grow? What’s the magic sauce
How to Take a Company from Concept to Creation in 54 Hours
Startup Weekend™—the organization behind 54-hour events where developers, designers, marketers and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, form teams, build products and create startups—has spawned both a global initiative in entrepreneurship as well as numerous successful startups. It quickly became a nexus for early-stage startup activity in communities across the globe, and by the end of 2010, Startup Weekend had built a network of over 25,000 alumni, 150 volunteer organizers and 60 trained facilitators spread across more than 100 cities in 30 countries.
Inaugural Class of Kauffman Labs Education Ventures Program Unveils Innovative Companies
Showcasing the best in educational startups, the Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation Education Ventures program today hosted presentations by 23 aspiring entrepreneurs starting powerful and innovative businesses.
Innovation Measurement: Tracking the State of Innovation in the American Economy
In its report, the Advisory Committee outlines its recommendations to
the Secretary of Commerce for steps to be taken by the government, the
business community, and government and private sector researchers to
foster and improve the measurement of innovation in the economy.
Inventive Billion Dollar Firms
A series of recent studies establishes clearly that growth in output and employment is driven strongly by the creation and growth of new firms.
iStart Business Idea Competition Site Collects More Than 1,200 Business Ideas Worldwide
iStart, a customizable Web-based platform that simplifies how organizations market and administer business competitions worldwide, is picking up speed as students access the site to fulfill their dreams of becoming successful entrepreneurs.
Job Creation in the U.S. Hits 29-Year Low at Peak of Great Recession, According to New Census Bureau Data
In 2009, at the height of the Great Recession, the economy saw historically large declines in job creation rates from startup and existing firms—the lowest rates in nearly 30 years—while job losses also increased. From 2006 to 2009, the overall job creation rate fell 4 points (from 16.5 percent), and among startups the job creation rate fell by 1 point (from 3 percent). However, compared to 2006 rates this represents a 25 percent decrease in overall job creation and a 34 percent decline among startups. Despite this grim reality, new and expanding firms still created more than 14 million new jobs.
Job Growth in U.S. Driven Entirely by Startups, According to Kauffman Foundation Study
When it comes to U.S. job growth, startup companies aren’t
everything. They’re the only thing. "The Importance of Startups in Job Creation
and Job Destruction," a study released by the
Kauffman Foundation, reveals that net job growth occurs in the U.S. economy only through startup
firms.
Jobs Created by Startup Companies Have Long-Lasting Economic Impact
Startup companies, the nation's most promising source of new jobs, are critical to reducing the current 9.5 percent unemployment rate. Not only are startups responsible for net new job growth in the U.S. economy, but recent research from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation shows that the majority of the employment they generate remains as new firms age, creating a lasting impact on the economy.
Kaplan University Partners With Kauffman Fasttrac to Offer Fasttrac Courses in Entrepreneurship Specializations
Kaplan University, a leader in higher education innovation, today announced that it has teamed up with Kauffman FastTrac®, a premier provider of learning curricula for entrepreneurs, to integrate FastTrac courses into two online master's degree specializations—the new Entrepreneurship specialization within the Master of Science in Information Technology program and the Entrepreneurship specialization within the Master of Business Administration.
Kaplan University Teams Up With Kauffman FastTrac to Offer Two Graduate Certificates in Entrepreneurship
Kaplan University, a leader in higher education innovation, has teamed up with Kauffman FastTrac®, a premier provider of learning curricula for entrepreneurs, to offer two new online graduate certificates specifically designed to prepare students for careers as business people.
Kauffman Entrepreneur Postdoctoral Fellows' Inaugural Class Embarks on Intensive Training Program
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation today welcomed its inaugural class
of Entrepreneur Postdoctoral Fellows for its fall program workshop, the
first in a series of workshops planned over the next year. As part of
the new Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation initiative, the Fellows
program will tap the entrepreneurial potential of 13 brilliant
postdoctoral researchers.
Kauffman FastTrac
Kauffman FastTrac™ is a practical, hands-on business development program designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage and grow a successful business.
Kauffman Foundation Announces Challenge Grant to Expand PIPELINE Program for High-Growth Entrepreneurs
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation today announced a challenge grant of up to $800,000 to initiate a regional expansion of PIPELINE, the nationally acclaimed entrepreneurial "immersion" program for innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs. The grant follows on a close relationship between the two organizations since PIPELINE's inception and will foster increased collaboration between the Foundation's Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation initiative and the PIPELINE program, also headquartered in Kansas City.
