U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman has announced that the third annual Innovation Ecosystem Summit will take place on December 13-14. The virtual event aims to connect leaders from across the nation to foster innovative entrepreneurship ecosystems, providing equitable access to information, resources, and capital for innovators.
“The Innovation Ecosystem Summit convenes leaders from entrepreneurial and investment ecosystems with government, nonprofit, and philanthropic institutions to advance innovation in America,” said SBA Administrator Guzman. “This year’s Summit will facilitate the exchange of ideas and actions necessary to implement and scale best practices supporting our innovative, high-growth small businesses and startups.”
The Innovation Ecosystem Summit is a free two-day virtual event. It is backed by America’s Seed Fund, which includes the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These programs support next-generation research & development (R&D), providing over $4 billion each year in non-dilutive funding from 11 federal agencies.
The Summit’s agenda includes keynotes, panels, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities. Participants will learn best practices and initiatives to help gain access to government funding and other sources of capital to drive innovation. The summit will also focus on creative ways to build a network inclusive of underrepresented communities.
On December 13, the Summit will host a fireside chat titled “Small Businesses and the Semiconductor Industry.” Bailey DeVries, SBA Associate Administrator for the Office of Investment and Innovation, Arjun Gupta, Chief Believer at TeleSoft Partners, and Srujan Linga, Head of Financial Structuring with CHIPS for America, will discuss the implementation of the CHIPS Act and how to ensure small businesses are included in this significant investment in semiconductor manufacturing and R&D.
The following day, a special session focused on “Critical Technologies and Small Businesses” will be held. The discussion will center on the role of small businesses in developing technologies of importance to national security.
The Summit will convene representatives from various programs that support innovators, including accelerators and incubators, economic development organizations, entrepreneur support organizations, federal agencies, investors, state and local governments, and universities, colleges, and research institutions.
For more information about the Summit, visit the official event website at www.americasseedfund.us/innovation-ecosystem-summit.
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