[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9359 of October 29, 2015

National Entrepreneurship Month, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Since our Nation's founding, our progress has been fueled by an inherent
sense of purpose and ingenuity in our people. Americans have more
opportunities now than ever before to carry forward this legacy--to
create something, to raise capital in creative ways, and to pursue
aspirations. During National Entrepreneurship Month, we revisit our
roots as a country of dreamers and doers, and we celebrate and support
the next generation of American entrepreneurs.
Bold ideas demand bold progress, and my Administration is committed to
ensuring ours is a country that encourages and supports those willing to
take risks and pioneer innovation. The Affordable Care Act is opening
doors of opportunity for America's aspiring entrepreneurs, enabling them
to find affordable health insurance through the marketplace and
providing them the flexibility they need to steer their own journey
forward. To further provide economic security for those seeking to start
a business or market their invention, I have signed 18 tax cuts for
small businesses since taking office. I also remain committed to net
neutrality, because we do not want to lose the Internet's poten

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tial to empower innovative startups and unleash the breakthroughs of
tomorrow.
In keeping with our goal of fostering economic growth through private-
sector collaboration, the Federal Government is accelerating the
movement of new technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace,
increasing access to research awards for small businesses, making more
data open to the public, and catalyzing new industry partnerships in
critical fields such as advanced manufacturing and clean energy. And
earlier this year, I signed an Executive Order to make the Presidential
Innovation Fellows program a permanent component of the Federal
Government. This program will bring entrepreneurs, executives,
technologists, and other innovators to Washington and help reinvigorate
how our Government serves our citizenry.
My Administration is also continuing to expand access to capital,
connect mentors, cut red tape, and accelerate innovation through the
Startup America initiative. This summer, we hosted the first-ever White
House Demo Day, where startup founders of many backgrounds and from many
corners of our country came together to showcase their innovations and
where we announced major new commitments from investors, companies,
universities, and cities to promote inclusive entrepreneurship. And
because we understand that jobs in technology that go unfilled are
missed opportunities for American workers to find better, higher-earning
jobs and for businesses to recruit the talent needed to start and expand
in the United States, we launched TechHire. This initiative works with
communities and employers on innovative training and placement programs
to connect trained workers with entrepreneurial opportunities and well-
paying jobs. As we work to secure America's status as the best place on
the planet to generate sweeping innovation, we must continue to make it
easier for startup hotbeds to emerge across our Nation and for those
underrepresented in entrepreneurship to contribute their individual
ideas and talents to our collective success.
Fostering a spirit of innovation is important not just for entrepreneurs
in the United States, but for consumers and people hoping to start their
own businesses around the world. Entrepreneurship builds stronger and
more secure communities, empowering people of every gender, race, and
background. That is why, this summer, we hosted the 6th annual Global
Entrepreneurship Summit in Kenya, a gathering that brought attention to
the extraordinary potential and dynamism of Africa, and where we
expanded our commitment to supporting entrepreneurs--including young
people and women. To spur greater economic growth and set higher
standards for trade and investment across the globe, we continue to work
toward ensuring the success of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade
pact that opens doors to new markets for American entrepreneurs and
allows them to compete in more economies.
I have also taken action to fix our Nation's broken immigration system,
including measures to encourage more immigrant entrepreneurs to come to
America, create jobs, contribute to our economy, and use their talents
to help drive our country's progress. The White House Task Force on New
Americans is working to highlight the contributions of immigrants and
refugees who start a business, and because immigrants are more likely
than non-immigrants to start a business, the Task Force

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is engaging communities to provide these new American entrepreneurs with
the tools they need to grow and expand their enterprises.
Ensuring our economy works better for everyone means enabling all our
people to make of their lives what they will. By supporting
entrepreneurs, we can help ensure our daughters and sons are able to do
whatever they set out to accomplish and achieve their highest
aspirations. As we celebrate National Entrepreneurship Month and Global
Entrepreneurship Week, let us recommit to upholding our founding
promise: that no matter who you are or where you come from, with talent,
hard work, and dedication, you can make it if you try.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2015 as
National Entrepreneurship Month. I call upon all Americans to
commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities, and to
celebrate November 17, 2015, as National Entrepreneurs' Day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA