Humans don’t make very good multitaskers, but the same isn’t true for AI
Court hears arguments on net neutrality
Executive coaching should be accessible to anyone who is interested, but oftentimes scaling the education is not practical. With her company Zella Life, co-founder Remy Meraz is democratizing professional development using AI. We sat down with her to discuss AI, independent contractors, and more.
After working in the financial sector for over 20 years, Mical Jeanlys-White founded her own company, WealthMore, a wealth tech with a focus on tackling a key financial barrier—wealth building and management. Her company leverages technology to connect everyday Americans with accessible wealth management services, aiming to provide wealth creation for all. We sat down with her to discuss her journey in raising capital, navigating tax policy, the evolving role of AI, and more.
Vance Reavie is no stranger to entrepreneurship. Using his knowledge from previous ventures, he created an AI platform that intelligently automates manual marketing and merchandising workflows and content generation processes for brands and retailers. We sat down with Vance to discuss the startup ecosystem in Arkansas, AI policy and regulation, grant opportunities, and more.
Data privacy has long been top of mind for policymakers, but in the absence of a comprehensive federal privacy framework, states have been passing their own unique privacy laws. That’s created pressure on policymakers in Washington to create national rules. When policymakers think about writing new rules for how companies can interact with consumer data, they often have only the practices of bad actors or the largest Internet companies in mind.
We’ve worked with Copia and Leveraged Play to launch Moderator Mayhem, a video game that has players navigate the inherent tradeoffs around content moderation.
The Big Story: States continue adding to tech regulatory landscape risking additional burdens for startups. State legislative sessions are in high gear this spring, advancing tech legislation and threatening to grow a patchwork of varying rules startups must navigate as they grow. This week, for example, the Washington Senate passed a bill governing health information and other personal data. Their effort joins several other states putting forward proposals aimed at privacy and data security, online safety, and content moderation—that each will have noticeable ripple effects for startups.
The Big Story: R&D tax credit changes create tax bill for startups. Startups and other companies are facing higher taxes this year after a provision from a 2017 tax law went into effect recently. The law, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), triggers a change to how the research and development (R&D) tax credit operates. Unless policymakers step in, startups and small businesses will have to weather the blow to their cash flow and may consider limiting future R&D costs. This could ultimately result in an overall reduction in innovation in the U.S., slowed economic growth, and decreased ability for our innovation ecosystem to compete with other countries.
The Big Story: New research shows state privacy patchwork costs startups hundreds of thousands. Startups spend hundreds of thousands of their limited resources on privacy compliance, much of which goes to duplicative activities that don't further users' privacy, according to a report Engine is releasing today. The report, Privacy Patchwork Problem, chronicles the steps startups are taking to protect the data of their users and enumerates the costs, burdens, and barriers startups encounter—which reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. It underscores the need to give for a federal privacy framework that creates uniformity, promotes clarity, and accounts for the resources of startups, while creating consistent rights for their users located in every state across the country.
The Big Story: SVB fallout puts startup banking needs in the spotlight. In the wake of last week’s collapse of a key startup-facing bank, many in the startup ecosystem are concerned about the banking options and funding landscape for startups across the country. Last week, California regulators and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) shuttered and placed into receivership Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a mainstay bank for the global startup ecosystem. At the same time, startups scrambled to move funds and were unsure if they’d have the capital to pay their employees this week.
Earlier this month, Engine held its first briefing of the year: a conversation around the ways that startups are harnessing big data to drive innovation and develop targeted solutions for some of society’s greatest challenges. The event was headlined by Reps. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA), who were joined by a distinguished panel of startup leaders and policy analysts.
It may seem early to be thinking about next year’s SXSW, but the panel picking process is already getting started. From now until September 4, the public can vote on over 4,000 potential panels for next year’s SXSW agenda. The team at Engine has submitted several proposals that we think will make for fascinating and informative conversation at the intersection of technology, startups, and policy. Plus, we’ve proposed a panel on how to launch a nonprofit organization like Engine. Help us make sure these panels get picked by voting for them today. You’ll need a SXSW account, and then you can vote for other great panels you’d like to see as well.
Last year, Engine discussed the “Politics of Innovation” with Techstars, Senator Jerry Moran, and Representative Kyrsten Sinema.
We hope to see you again in 2016!
Engine's Panels:
Tech at Issue in 2016 Election
Featuring Julie Samuels (Engine), Ron Klain (Revolution), Tod Ullyot (Andreessen Horowitz), Tony Romm (Politico)
Crowdfunding: Possibilities and Policy Challenges
Featring Evan Engstrom (Engine), Ryan Feit (SeedInvest), Sara Hanks (CrowdCheck), Michal Rosenn (Kickstarter)
Startups & Diversity: Can Public Policy Help?
Featuring Julie Samuels (Engine), Robin Kelly (House of Representatives), Robin Hauser Reynolds (Finish Line Features, LLC), Charlie Hale (Pinterest)
Interactive: Start a Nonprofit Without Tearing Your Hair Out
Featuring Chhaya Kapadia (New America's Open Technology Institute), Brooke Hunter (Engine)
Music: Start a Nonprofit Without Tearing Your Hair Out
Featuring Chhaya Kapadia (New America's Open Technology Institute), Brooke Hunter (Engine), Jesse von Doom (CASH Music)
More tech policy panels from Engine's friends:
Can Congress Tackle the Internet of Things?
Featuring: Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.; Elizabeth Frazee, TwinLogic; Paul Daugherty, Accenture; Nicole Gustafson, National Football League.
Decrypting the Cyber Security Debate in Washington
Featuring: Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas; Chani Wiggins, TwinLogic; Sonny Sinha, Department of Homeland Security; Denise Zheng, Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Are We Giving China the Internet? ICANN Explained
Featuring: Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash.; Christian Dawson, i2 Coalition; Michele Neylon, Blacknight Internet Solutions; Tiffany Moore, TwinLogic.
Elise’s Data-Plan: Connecting Rural America
Featuring: Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; Rebecca Thompson, Competitive Carriers Association; Kristi Henderson, University of Mississippi Medical Center; Eric Woody, Union Wireless.
Following the Stream: Congress & Music Royalties
Featuring: Casey Rae, Future of Music Coalition; Rep. Mimi Walters, R-Calif.; Katie Peters, Pandora; Rachel Wolbers, TwinLogic.
Winter is Coming: Copyright Chill on Security
Featuring: Corynne McSherry, Electronic Frontier Foundation; Laura Moy, New America Foundation; Kyle Wiens, iFixit; Karen Sandler, Software Freedom Conservancy.
Pixelated & Political: The Internet in Washington
Featuring: Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas; Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.; Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C.; Michael Beckerman, Internet Association.
Internet Economy: In the U.S. & Abroad
Featuring: Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.; Michael Beckerman, Internet Association.
Embedding Human Rights in the Internet
Featuring: Joseph Hall, Center for Democracy & Technology; Karen Reilly, Independent; Eric Sears, MacArthur Foundation; Lindsay Beck, Open Technology Fund.
How to Fight ISIS without Breaking the Internet
Featuring: Rebecca MacKinnon, New America Foundation; Judith Lichtenberg, Global Network Initiative; Shahed Amanullah, LaunchPosse; Andrew McLaughlin, Betaworks.
The End of Online Free Expression?
Featuring: Gautam Hans, Center for Democracy & Technology; Dorothy Chou, Dropbox.
CDT/Fitbit: Ethics & Privacy in Wearable Research
Featuring: Michelle De Mooy, Center for Democracy & Technology; Shelten Yuen, Fitbit.
Everybody Dies: What is your Digital Legacy?
Featuring: Alethea Lange, Center for Democracy & Technology; Megan Yip, Law Office of Megan Yip; John Troyer, Centre for Death and Society; Vanessa Callison-Burch, Facebook.
Featuring: Nuala O’Connor, Center for Democracy & Technology
Euro vs. American Privacy: Clash of Civilizations?
Featuring: Jillian York, EFF; Ulf Buermeyer, Netzpolitik; Raegan MacDonald, Access; Chris Soghoian, American Civil Liberties Union.
Every City is an Internet City
Featuring: Nika Nour, Internet Association; Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.; Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich.
The Killer Congressional Office
Featuring: Seamus Kraft, Open Gov Foundation; Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
Internet of Things: Just Someone Else’s Computer?
Featuring: Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas; Sherwin Siy, Public Knowledge; Jen Ellis, Rapid7; Sara Watson, Berkman Center.
Using data to power criminal justice reform
Featuring: Emily Shaw, Sunlight Foundation; Wesley Lowery, Washington Post; Tracy Siska, Chicago Justice Project; Clarence Wardell, Presidential Innovation Fellows Program.
The New Battle Over Encryption & How to Survive It
Featuring: Kevin Bankston, New America Foundation; Moxie Marlinspike, Open Whisper Systems; Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Wall Street Journal; Heather West, CloudFlare.
No Encryption Backdoors, Please. Myths Debunked.
Featuring: Sunday Yokubaitis, Golden Frog.
Cryptowars 2.0: Silicon Valley vs. Washington
Featuring: Sara Sorcher, CS Monitor; Matt Blaze, University of Pennsylvania; Amit Yorak, RSA; Stewart Baker, Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
Smart Cars, Smarter Cities: New Transit Tech
Featuring: Michael Petricone, Consumer Electronics Association; Susan Zielinski, SMART; Andrew Collinge, Greater London Authority; Ashwini Chhabra, Uber.
Get your Goods: Unmanned Systems and 3D Printing
Featuring: Doug Johnson, Consumer Electronics Association; Gur Kimchi, Amazon; Ping Fu, 3D Systems; Richard Pelletier, Ford Motor Co.
Building better cities with better data
Featuring: Chris Gates, Sunlight Foundation; Tony Yarber, City of Jackson; Jennifer Pahlka, Code for America; Daniel X O’Neil, Smart Chicago Collaborative.
Featuring: Mike Geersten, TandemNSI; Gary Shapiro, Consumer Electronics Association; Christina Winn, Arlington Economic Development; Brad Tousley, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
5 Best Startup Ideas in VR / AR
Featuring: Robert Scoble, RackSpace; Nonny De La Pena, Emblematic Group; Shawn Dubravac, Consumer Electronics Association.
High Res Audio in Every Earbud
Featuring: Jeff Joseph, Consumer Electronics Association; Maureen Droney, The Recording Academy; Aaron Levine, Sony; Pal Bratelund, TIDAL.
Online Privacy and the Price of Free
Featuring: Sunday Yokubaitis, Golden Frog; Alan Fairless, SpiderOak; Alex Bradshaw, Center for Democracy & Technology.
Zombie SOPA—A New Threat to the Open Internet
Featuring: Charles Duan, Public Knowledge; Mike Godwin, R Street; Abigail Slater, Internet Association; Ellen Schrantz, Office of Rep. Darrell Issa.
Autonomous Vehicles Are Here. But Are We Ready?
Featuring: Ian Adams, R Street; former National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland; Jim Chen, Tesla; Jennifer Haroon, Google[x].
Disintermediation in Digital Content Markets
Featuring: Katie Oyama, Google; Casey Hastings, Pandora; Sasha Moss, R Street; Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo.
Regulate All the (Internet of) Things!
Featuring: R.J. Lehmann, R Street; John Godfrey, Samsung; Eli Dourado, Mercatus Center; Lauren Soltani, Office of Rep. Suzan DelBene.
Disrupt the Grid! The Politics of “Homebrew” Power
Featuring: Catrina Rorke, R Street; Lynne Kiesling, Northwestern University; Tom Tanton, Reason Foundation; Doug Lewin, SPEER.
Ride the Wave: Data as Movement Builder
Featuring: Greg Fischer, City of Louisville; Dewey F. Bartlett, City of Tulsa; Michele Jolin, Results for America; Lori Sanders, R Street Institute.
Wi-Fi in Jeopardy: Losing the Signal
Featuring: Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Communications Commission; Michael O'Rielly, Federal Communications Commission; Maura Corbett Glen Echo Group
Unlocking the Future of Music with Transparency
Featuring: Hank Shocklee, Shocklee Entertainment; Anthony Ray Sir Mix-A-Lot; Panos Panay, Berklee Institute for Creative Entreprenuership; Maura Corbett, Glen Echo Group
In the three years we’ve been building Engine, growth in entrepreneurism and startups has increased at a breakneck pace, with new opportunities for growth popping up in cities and towns all across America. That growth has also been a political focus point, with supporters across the political aisle lining up to support new technologies and innovations. In this political climate hungry for opportunity to promote success, it’s not surprising that we have seen rapid growth in tech entrepreneurship in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC.
With organizations like our friends at 1776 supporting the local ecosystem and a renewed focus on innovating right in the heart of government, DC has quickly become a hotbed of entrepreneurship, attracting local startups and as well as transplants, like the Austin-bred RideScout. The best way to sustain and increase this growth is through lasting connections made through a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Enter DC TechDay. A “science fair for startups,” TechDay started in New York and will have their first DC event on October 2 that will bring emerging, high growth companies together with sponsors to learn about what’s being built in their own community. More than 150 exhibitors will gather with over 3,000 attendees to talk about their products, growing their businesses, and why they’re building in DC.
It’s also a great opportunity, as we have done with our Startup Day on the Hill events, to bring together policymakers and entrepreneurs to talk about what’s driving success and what both sides do to turn connection into growth. But with DC TechDay, that opportunity is all the more powerful with these entrepreneurs working just blocks away from Congress, the White House and regulatory agencies.
We’re proud to support efforts like DC TechDay. Contact us if you’re a DC-based entrepreneur or a policymaker looking to learn more about growth happening in your community, and get more information at dctechday.com.
The story of startups isn’t just happening in the Bay Area or New York City. It’s happening all over the country, as we’ve learned through our growing “Startup Cities” initiative, our recent road trip with Steve Case highlighting the “Rise of the Rest,” the labor economic research we’ve done to highlight the growing impact young companies have on communities, our political work in Washington and around the country urging policymakers to support and create better conditions for startup growth.
At Engine, we’re committed to fighting from and for the startup community to grow opportunity and strengthen communities. And that’s why, for the second year running, we’re working with the Congressional Innovation Caucus and friends in our own community like 1776 and the National Venture Capital Association to come together and celebrate startups with Startup Day Across America. Startup Day is an opportunity for Members of Congress, their staff and other policymakers to meet with entrepreneurs, tour their businesses, and get a sense for how they are creating economic opportunity, right at home.
Last year’s Startup Day gave more than 100 members of Congress the opportunity to meet with startups in their home districts. This year, with events starting today, we’re hoping for even more participation from new places and new faces. We’ve got events on tap throughout the country, from Kansas City to Columbus, Brooklyn to Seattle and everywhere in between, with more being announced each day.
We’ll be pulling together highlights from these events throughout August both here and on our social channels. Make sure to follow #StartupDay on Twitter to watch startups and government coming together to learn from each other.
And, if you’re interested in hosting a Startup Day event in your hometown this August, let us know and we can connect you with your local Congressional office. (And if you call and do it on your own, let us know and post on #StartupDay!)
For four days in June, we’ll be joining Steve Case, Revolution, and Up Global to celebrate entrepreneurship across the country, showcasing startups and entrepreneurs in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Nashville.
From our recent research, we know that the growth in high-tech startups is not simply a “tech center” phenomenon. In fact, high-tech startups are being founded across the country, fueling local and national economic growth.
“I have always believed in the power of entrepreneurship to change the world,” said Steve Case. “This four-day journey will shine a spotlight America’s best and brightest, wherever they reside, to demonstrate that great ideas and great companies can come from anywhere.”
“We’re so excited to hit the road and report back on a story that demands more attention: some of the most exciting things happening in tech are happening far from San Francisco and New York City,” said Julie Samuels, Executive Director of Engine. “And it’s these young startups -- growing in these cities across the country -- that will create the jobs the next generation relies on.”
We will be joined along the way by nationally recognized entrepreneurs and civic leaders to celebrate the progress of the startup economy. Steve will also personally invest in each city’s startup community by hosting a series of pitch competitions - one winner in each city will earn a $100,000 investment in their company.
Each stop along the route will feature:
We hope to see you on the road!
More information on the Rise of the Rest road tour, including times and locations for specific events in each city, is available at www.riseoftherest.com and by following #riseofrest on Twitter and Instagram.
This morning, we -- and 5600 other people -- sent a letter to the Senate urging real patent reform. Those people include 1507 entrepreneurs, 758 investors, and 1006 inventors -- at least 150 of whom own their own patents. This should serve as yet another reminder of the critical mass of job-creating entrepreneurs and businesses that support patent reform; the Senate should take note and act swiftly.
This letter is in addition to a letter the Senate Judiciary Committee received from U.S. Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and 15 others late last week. Signed by a broad coalition of Democratic and Republican senators, the letter cites widespread support across the county and in Congress for reforming the U.S. patent system to protect America's most innovative industries, as well as Main Street businesses and entrepreneurs across the nation, from abusive lawsuits and costly settlements.
As the Senate receives this letter, over 100 people will meet at Stripe’s office space tonight to talk about patent reform, listen to a panel of experts -- including former USPTO Chief of Staff and Engine Fellow Peter Pappas -- and formulate a plan of action for passing meaningful reform this year.
With the majority of patent troll targets making under $10 million in revenue, this is an issue so important to our community, and the economy as a whole, that we cannot afford to wait for action. When small businesses face dubious multimillion dollar lawsuits, our innovation economy suffers.
With the Senate poised to take up this debate in earnest early next month, we are entering the final, and most important, stretch of this battle. And we need you more than ever.
If you signed today’s letter and want to do more, or if you're just joining this coalition, stay tuned for the launch of fixpatents.org, a site that will help you call your Senators directly. A number of Senators and Representatives in Austin last week confirmed that making a phone call is the single most influential action you can take to encourage action in return, so we hope you’ll join us.
As we celebrate today’s actions, we also know there is still a lot more to do. Don’t stop here. Help us see this through.
Last week was Startup Week in Austin, Texas and as I was sitting, meeting and writing on Congress Street I was reminded of Austin’s special place in the lineup of growing entrepreneurial communities across America, from New York to San Francisco. In addition to being proudly weird, Austin is providing a blueprint for other communities that want to strengthen their local economies by incubating the growth of young high-tech companies.
Ensuring compliance with myriad layers of government regulations in one country, let only globally, can be a daunting task. Take Square's recent run in with the State of Illinois, for example. Though market demand may be similar around the nation, and around the world, the regulations that guide markets vary from one region to another, much to the woe of startups.
That’s why Engine attended the first-ever international Startup Advocacy Summit in East London, organized by UK-based organization COADEC. The aim was to bring together policy groups representing tech startups, share our experiences, and devise a clear path forward to affect change on the way politicians create laws that impact startups. Alongside startup advocates from France, Italy, Spain, Slovakia, Greece, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Denmark, and the UK, Engine
delved into the issues that impact startups worldwide.
After hearing from different speakers on the first day, it was clear that despite location, all startups want to innovate freely. With that in mind, we worked to create an ideal startup ecosystem focusing on the issues that impact startups the most: immigration, patents, and data security.
After hours of healthy debate, we reached an agreement relatively painlessly -- confirming our shared ground, and affirming our policy views as reasonable.
Here’s how we answered three key questions:
1. How do we solve the visa problem?
Visa policies should be clear and flexible, allowing startups to find the talent they need, when they need it. We think the Senate Gang of Eight proposal will help startups in the U.S., so we're fighting for the change it promises.
2. What would the ideal Intellectual Property system look like?
Patent systems should promote and incentivize innovation by having clear and easy to understand frameworks. It's clear that we need comprehensive reform here in America, and startups need to be at the table when lawmakers discuss what that looks like.
3. How do we secure the open Internet?
Data regulation should be simple, giving industry room to innovate.
Of course, things get a lot messier off the island, but there’s hope that these reasonable voices will be heard more loudly when smaller organizations band together. We’re not exactly sure what the collaboration will look like in the future, but we’re looking forward to working closely with many of the folks we met, and others we haven’t, to advocate for better conditions for startups globally.
We welcome your thoughts on how this can best be achieved.
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