Hello and welcome back to the case foundation facebook live studio at the American cities House at South by southwest. We have a real surprise and treat to here today I am joined by us, senator from Kansas, Jerry moran and senator rand. You just came straight off of a panel um with one of our Grant is actually the Center for American entrepreneurship, talking about the startup act and the work that you've done to be a champion of entrepreneurship across our country um. Why do we do you know a quick summary of what is the start up act and why are you committed to supporting entrepreneurs a sir thank you very much. I'm honored to be here with you and our Across facebook, entrepreneurship matters to this country and wear this point in time. In our history. In which we can't let uh the number of new businesses continue diminish the rate of growth to to be less than it should be and what that's really about is the American Dream. Everybody gets a chance to do something with their life and that's what country stands for and too often we too many barriers that get in the way of that girl that start-up activity case foundation and others have been so supportive so thank you very much. We appreciate the relationship we have with you, but none Five years ago, I teamed up with Mark Warner um. I would tell you that a report landed on my desk that outlined the problems with entrepreneurship, the lack of job growth, new businesses, the starts were diminishing and that document had some policy recommendations and we capture those um and and put them in the legislation work actively working to see the Congress passes something we now call start up three point. Oh. Our third version of this legislation designed to get rid of yours He's related regulations, the regulatory environment, access to capital, the tax code, um most probably perhaps the most important is access to local talent and so on. Entrepreneurs need um immigration changes such as a startup visa, uh entrepreneur, visas stem viscious trying to get people who have the ability the talent the capital the elect to come to the United States to be in United States and use their skill set their elect to create more jobs. It's also trying to get a federal research that Is funded by the taxpayer to get into the market to get you to a business more quickly, where they can use that research to commercialized them develop their products so it's really what I say some common sense things prep the most challenging. Maybe it's the most important but the most difficult relates immigration because your struggles with immigration issues and on a regular basis, so there's, a lot of different ways that you know this policy is supporting entrepreneurs um at the case foundation. You know where particularly committed to inclusive entrepreneurship and so looking at supporting women entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs of color and people who don't exist in kind of the typical entrepreneurship pubs in our country um how do you see the start up Act benefiting some of the under represented entrepreneurs in our country. Well, first of all, entrepreneurs and startups that create shipping starts create great opportunities for everyone and there's no geography. There's. No race, there's, no gender issues somebody who wants to start a business has that capability. We wanna reduce the barriers for everyone so that increases their chances of success uh. I would certainly agree with you about to try to make certain that it's broad based opportunity. I know, as a Coming from a real state that too often, we see the opportunities to police the belief is the opportunities are in a handful of places across the country and we wanna make certain that in Kansas world and suburban urban places have a chance for the success in a startup business and so the startup active certainly at neutral but and innocence of you could be an opportunity place in the country and have the benefits accrue, but if we can help level the playing field and part of this is just education, I notice when I visit with somebody High school student, what you wanna do when you grow up for a College student we're gonna do what's. What's next in your life almost no one says I wanna start a business or I wanna work for myself and so we need to change the mindset across the country uh in all categories of people that the answer is you know. I'm thinking what I really wanna do is start a new business that's the attitude we need across the country and part of startup three point oh the legislation shortly is about provisions in law, but it also gives me and other so The opportunity to promote entrepreneurship within our States that go out and visit with a high school class or visiting an entrepreneur and tell the story on social media. Uh there's, a story that needs to be told startup is a vehicle by which we can talk about the values of entrepreneurship and it can educate encourage, develop a skill set and people across the country um where they live that's amazing and we know that you know there. Entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs that exist in communities. All over the place and so love to have the opportunity to to lift them up and to be those those role models and inspiration points that you talked about for the next generation of entrepreneurs as well. I'm so my final question for you today is you know, we get asked a lot of times from both organizations and individual citizens about what is the All of policy in supporting entrepreneurship, ecosystems you know what can people do to try to help to make sure entrepreneurs are as supported as they possibly can be. Do you have any advice to people about ways they can get engaged well. I would say that you know that the people who have worked to influence policy makers decision in the nation's capital they're often much more advance along in their careers. They have more financial substance so there's lots of businesses, organizations who are uh encouraging to stay specific policy development, entrepreneurs don't necessarily have the money they certainly don't have the time and so the effort Of course, foundation and others on their behalf, but the best thing entrepreneur in my view, can do is contact there's. There United States representative, us senator invite them to come, see what takes place. What there what's going on in their mind, tell their story see their business and I will tell you that it's something that bridges the unfortunate gap that exist in our political system today between Republicans and Democrats, I don't know the member of Congress that if you got their attention and lot, let them Um see experience what entrepreneurship is to know what a start up is to meet a person. Nope of all politics in a sense is personal connect with somebody and tell your story and I don't have any doubt, but what that member of Congress than becomes an advocate for your success for a new business and it take the photograph get it on social media, tell the story elected officials want to be seen with critically young entrepreneurs and there's, a real political opportunity for people to take advantage of that capture. Our attention and let us spend time with you and will become your advocates well, wonderful Know that there are a lot of startups out there who are you know capturing our attention today here at South by southwest and it was really lovely to connect with you, senator and we wish you the best of luck in everything that you are doing to support entrepreneurs and hope you enjoy the rest of your time here at South myself. Sarah so good to be with you so good to be back at South by this is my sixth or seventh visit to South by so what is better and maybe we should be looking to you for advice no, I don't think there's a lot of people in a crowd and traffic is still a problem well, maybe we'll fix those next year. I'm a thank you so much for joining us and thank you to all of our facebook, live viewers. We will be back with you in about a half an hour um with our next round Interviews