Highlights from the State of Entrepreneurship Panel Discussion
The Economic Impact of Entrepreneurs
"Most economists of consequential power in the United States today grew up when we didn't think about entrepreneurs. They don't know about entrepreneurs. They sometimes pay lip service, but it's astounding how very few consequential economists even talk about entrepreneurs."
-- Carl Schramm, president and CEO, Kauffman Foundation
"If you want to solve a problem, you have to go to the source. The investment in small companies that are transferring ideas … into commercial entities which create jobs (and) speak to need that people have, that's the way to stimulate the economy."
-- Frank L. Douglas, president and CEO, Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron
Teaching Students to be Entrepreneurs
"When students see the context of what they're learning they not only begin to learn rapidly, but they begin to innovate. … When you give them a practical problem they have no boundaries to innovate."
-- Frank L. Douglas, president and CEO, Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron
Immigrant Entrepreneurs
"We're not investing enough in technology, especially if we start cutting off immigration and visas because that's what driving (technology). Despite the recession we cannot find enough technology people."
-- Reggie Aggarwal, founder and CEO, Cvent
"Many of those who came abroad tend to be entrepreneurial by nature. You have to take a big leap into the unknown, and when you get here you've got to navigate in a world you're not accustomed to."
-- Frank L. Douglas, president and CEO, Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron
The Entrepreneurs' Movement
"In terms of the recession, you can look at it as a glass half empty or half full. A true entrepreneur will look at it as an opportunity."
-- Reggie Aggarwal, founder and CEO, Cvent
"(We are) bringing to the general public awareness the power and positive impact that entrepreneurship can have on the economy to help us grow out of this crisis."
-- Mary Naylor, founder and CEO, VIPdesk
