November 21, 2014
This
week, Secretary Pritzker joined Vice President Biden at the Global
Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Marrakesh, Morocco to discuss America’s
leadership in empowering entrepreneurs at home and abroad. She addressed the
importance of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE)
and emphasized how a strong entrepreneurial society can lead to greater
economic growth, increased stability, and a rising middle class. She also had
the opportunity to hold a roundtable with Ambassador Cathy Russell and women
entrepreneurs from the Middle East and tour the Innovation Village, a meeting
place for young African entrepreneurs.
Additionally,
Monday marked the one year anniversary of the Department of Commerce’s “Open
for Business Agenda.” In honor of the anniversary, Secretary Pritzker
participated in an armchair discussion with 1776 cofounder Evan Burfield to
talk about the U.S. economy, entrepreneurship, and the Commerce resources
available to help businesses.
Around
Commerce, the United States Patent and Trademark Office provided useful
guidance on protecting a brand and yesterday we announced the creation of a new
web search tool to help U.S. companies more easily comply with export laws.
Because
of the Thanksgiving holiday, Commerce Week at a Glance will take next week off.
Happy
Thanksgiving!
All
the best,
Wendy
Secretary
Pritzker Celebrates Female Entrepreneurs during Women’s Entrepreneurship Day-
Secretary Pritzker delivered the keynote address to approximately 300 women
entrepreneurs. She addressed the challenges that face women entrepreneurs today
including lack of access to capital, training in vocational and technical
skills, and access to information and technology.
Secretary Pritzker Marks One-Year Anniversary of “Open
for Business Agenda” Launch- Secretary Pritzker participated in an
armchair discussion with 1776 cofounder Evan Burfield and highlighted there is
still work to be done, but the Commerce Department is committed to working to
set the conditions for a vibrant, 21st century economy and the good jobs that
come with it, ensuring that the world knows that America is open for business.
Statement
from U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on President Obama's Executive
Actions on Immigration- Secretary Pritzker said that immigration reform is
both a moral responsibility and an economic opportunity for our nation.
Join Commerce’s Data Revolution: Innovation Leaders
Need Apply- Secretary Pritzker announced that the department-wide
Data Advisory Council has been officially established and is now accepting
applications. The Department of Commerce is looking for the best and brightest
data thought leaders in the private and public sectors to revolutionize Commerce’s
data
Secretary
Pritzker Answers Questions about Entrepreneurship During Twitter Chat- While
attending the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Marrakech, Morocco Secretary
Penny Pritzker took questions about entrepreneurship and innovation from Twitter
users.
Deputy
Secretary Bruce Andrews Addresses Global Opportunities for U.S. Businesses in
Minneapolis- Deputy Secretary Andrews provided the keynote address on the
Administration’s trade agenda and global opportunities for U.S. businesses in
the healthcare and life sciences sectors at the Discover Global Markets
Healthcare and Life Sciences Conference. He addressed the Administration’s
commitment to helping American businesses take advantage of new export
opportunities.
Paving
the Way for a New Legion of Entrepreneurs and Innovators- Deputy Secretary
Andrews spoke at the National Asian Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce
and Entrepreneurship Conference and reaffirmed the Administration’s commitment
to strengthening AAPI businesses in the U.S. and around the globe.
New Search Tool Driven by API Helps U.S. Companies
Comply with Export Laws- The Consolidated
Screening List (CSL) is available to developers through the International
Trade Administration Developer Portal. Now U.S. companies can use a simple tool
to search the federal government’s CSL. It is extremely important U.S.
businesses consult the CSL before doing business with a foreign entity to
ensure it is not flagged on any of the agency lists.
Fostering Economic Development in Tribal Communities
and Among Native-owned Enterprises- The Minority Business
Development Agency and the Economic Development Administration teamed up to
launch the Tribal Economic Development Webinar Series. This series is designed
to help tribal leaders, tribal administrators, Native American-owned
enterprises, and tribal advocacy organizations understand federal resources
available for tribal economic development.
PAGE Entrepreneurs in Their Own Words -- Nina Vaca-
Niva Vaca, Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) believes
that entrepreneurship and civic leadership go hand-in-hand. Since starting her award-winning IT services
firm in 1996, Vaca has continued that legacy both as an entrepreneur and a
visible leader and advocate in the business community.
PAGE
Entrepreneurs in Their Own Words – Rich Barton- Rich Barton, Presidential
Ambassador for Global Entrepreneur (PAGE) says that the key for a successful
business is giving people the power to make better-informed decisions. He considers
that capitalism and company creation can help bring people more freedom and
improve their lifestyles and bring more and more people out of poverty.
PAGE
Entrepreneurs in Their Own Words – Daphne Koller- Daphne Koller, Presidential
Ambassador for Global Entrepreneur (PAGE), considers entrepreneurship as the
basis for prosperity and stability, and sees the PAGE initiative as a way to
make this area available to everyone in the United States and other countries.
PAGE
Entrepreneurs in Their Own Words – Hamdi Ulukaya- Hamdi Ulukaya, Presidential
Ambassador for Global Entrepreneur (PAGE), wants to help more Americans and
people around the world believe in and gain access to their own dreams. From a
factory that has grown from five employees to two plants in the US, Chobani is
the #1 yogurt brand in the US with $1
billion in revenue.
Entrepreneurs: Driving the Innovation Economy in
Pennsylvania- Jay Williams, Assistant
Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, talks about how he kicked-off the Global
Entrepreneurship Week at the Science Center, the recipient of a $1 million EDA
grant in October 2014 to help grow and launch new technology companies and an
organization that has helped to create more than 15,000 jobs that contribute
more than $9 billion to the Philadelphia region’s economy.
Six Steps to Protect Your Brand- The United
States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) provides six steps to consider
before registering a trademark and during the application process: determine
whether a trademark is appropriate for you; select a mark using great care;
search USPTO database; file the application online; consider whether to hire a
trademark attorney; and monitor the process of the application.
Young Entrepreneurs Showcase Ideas at Collegiate
Inventors Competition- Competition finalists showcased their
inventions and interacted with thousands of USPTO patent and trademark
examiners, sponsors, media, and the public at the Competition Expo, bringing
together innovative minds from across the country.
New BEA Data Provide Entrepreneurs with a Fortune 500
Research Department- New BEA data on consumer spending broken out by
state – released in August – provide startups and entrepreneurs with crucial
insight into consumer behavior at the state level.
Census Bureau Economic Data Show Electric Power
Generation Using Renewable Energy Growing- According to the release,
revenues for electric power generation industries that use renewable energy
resources rose 49.0 percent from $6.6 billion in 2007 to $9.8 billion in 2012.
Public has new web access to NOAA hydro survey plans-
Coast Survey is posting its three-year survey plans and making them publicly
available at the Planned NOAA Hydrographic Survey Areas in ArcGIS Online. Other
features display the survey area information in a tabular format, and can
filter the information using metadata fields.
5 Ways to Prepare for Small Business Saturday-
The Minority Business Development Agency presents five steps business owners
can take to make November 29th a big day for small business: incorporate Small
Business Saturday into your bigger holiday marketing campaign; create a special
offer; market your business with free “Shop Small®” resources; rally your neighborhood;
and learn from businesses that previously took part.
Patent Pro Bono Program Expansion to Benefit Inventors
Nationwide- Michelle Lee, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for
Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO announced that USPTO is making
great strides towards bringing pro bono assistance to inventors across the
country.
Remembering
a Little Known Oil Spill with Out-Sized Impacts- On November 26, 2004, an
oil tanker ripped its hull on an 18,000 pound anchor hidden on the river
bottom. That accident set into motion a coordinated federal, state and local
response with NOAA playing a significant role providing scientific support to
the responding agencies and the eventual restoration of the damaged coastline.
NIST Study Suggests Light May Be Skewing Lab Tests on
Nanoparticles' Health Effects- The NIST team exposed samples of DNA
to titanium dioxide nanoparticles under three different conditions. The results
suggest that titanium dioxide nanoparticles do not damage DNA when kept in the
dark.
NTIA Training Helps Federal Spectrum Managers-
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s training
provides participants with information on the fundamentals of spectrum
management, a basic technical overview of spectrum principles and terminology.
Lessons Learned from 2014 Test Will Improve 2020
Census Operations- Census Bureau Director John Thompson blogs that
from April through September, the Census Bureau tested several key aspects of
census operations, including ways to maximize Internet response by the public,
changes to the way its manages field operations, and new uses of technology.
The
Bureau of Economic Analysis wrote that Local Area Personal Income: 2013; Guam’s Economy Grew 0.6 Percent in 2013; Northern Mariana Islands’ Economy Grew 4.4
Percent in 2013; and Widespread Industry Growth Drives Upturn in
GDP in Second Quarter on their blog this week.
Privately
owned housing units authorized by building permits in October were at a
seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,080,000. This is 4.8 percent above the
revised September rate of 1,031,000 and is 1.2 percent above the October 2013
estimate of 1,067,000.
Commerce
Data in the News: The Wall Street Journal cites a Census
Bureau report on computer and Internet use to write that New Hampshire has the
highest access to high-speed Internet at 86 percent and Mississippi the lowest
at 62 percent in the article, Most Americans Have High-Speed Internet, But That
Masks Vast Divides.
The Washington Post uses Census
Bureau statistics from the American Community Survey to show a U.S. map that
reveals The Languages We Speak at Home, Mapped by County.
New
Bureau of Economic Analysis data
on county personal income was cited in an article from the Des Moines
Register: Most
Iowa counties see personal incomes rise in 2013.
NOAA's
National Climatic Data Center
was cited in an article from The
Associated Press: With
5th record hot month, NOAA says 2014 likely to be globe's hottest year despite
US cold.
Data Releases Next
Week: Gross Domestic Product (Prelim):
2014 Q3 (BEA); Advance Report on Durable Goods: October (Census); Person
Income: October (BEA); New Residential Sales: October (Census).
On Saturday, Census Bureau Director John
Thompson will address attendees at the Arab American Institute Annual Fall
Leadership Conference in Washington, DC. Thompson will provide an update on the
testing of a Middle Eastern and North African descent category in preparation
for the 2020 Census.
On Thursday, the Department of Commerce
will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Secretary
Pritzker discussed America’s leadership in empowering entrepreneurs at home
and abroad
Secretary Pritzker highlighted the
Department’s focus on entrepreneurship as an important tool for economic growth
during armchair discussion with 1776 cofounder, Evan Burfield
PAGE
Entrepreneurs explain what entrepreneurship means for them.
Secretary
Pritzker explains the value of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES)
Renewable Energy Revenue — The Census
Bureau posted a graphic that shows revenues for electric power generation industries that use renewable energy
resources — water, wind, geothermal, biomass and solar— rose 49 percent.
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