President Obama believes that change starts with you

The President has always believed that the best ideas don’t just come from Washington. They come from individuals and communities all across the country. They come from people like you. To bring about real, lasting change the President needs you to stay engaged, share your stories, and add your voice to help address the challenges of the 21st century so we can win the future.

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  • Meeting with Entrepreneurs in the “Magic City”

    Posted by Ari Matusiak on March 5, 2012 at 10:01 AM EDT

    Today in Birmingham, the White House Business Council is hosting its second Urban Economic Forum in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).  300 local entrepreneurs are expected to participate in a full day of discussion, networking, mentoring and idea exchange about how to fuel more successful businesses in the city.  You can watch the Urban Economic Forum online at WhiteHouse.gov/live and join the conversation on Twitter using #UrbanEconForum.

    We kicked off the Urban Economic Forum series with an event focused on women entrepreneurs at Barnard College in New York City on February 3. The energy in the room that day was remarkable. In addition to the plenary sessions, over 250 women entrepreneurs partook in speed mentoring sessions with experienced advisors and entrepreneurs from Startup America Partnership, Council of Urban Professionals, SBA and others.  They also participated in a resource expo where over 20 public and private sector partners set up shop to connect these entrepreneurs to resources that can help them scale their ideas and firms.

    The entrepreneurs here in Birmingham will have a similar opportunity and we are excited to see what transpires here today.  Valerie Jarrett is starting the day speaking with a local television reporter about the President’s Blueprint for an America Built to Last and his commitment to entrepreneurs and small business.  The mentors are already in Birmingham for their sessions and the resource expo is just waiting for local entrepreneurs to arrive. 

    The purpose of these forums is two-fold: 1) to shine a spotlight on the success and positive impact entrepreneurs and small business owners are having in cities across the country; and 2) to connect these entrepreneurs to the resources that can help them grow their firms and scale their ideas.  From Birmingham, we will be heading to Los Angeles and then Las Vegas, and across the country over the next several months. 

    At the White House Business Council , we know these meetings matter.  As one of the participants in New York City put it: “I could not agree more about the energy in the room, which just confirms what we all know -- that there is a hunger for information and advice among [entrepreneurs] trying to start or grow their own businesses.” 

    So join us in the Magic City today. Visit: WhiteHouse.gov/live.

    Ari Matusiak is Executive Director of the White House Business Council.

    Learn more about Economy

  • Creating A Better Life for All

    Posted by Julie Chavez Rodriguez on February 28, 2012 at 9:03 PM EDT

    Last week I had the honor of watching one of the best films I have seen in years. Thanks to the leadership of Secretary Hilda Solis, the Department of Labor (DOL) hosted a screening of A Better Life for students and Administration employees. The film follows Carlos Galindo, a father with the strength and determination to ensure a better life for his son Luis, while living in the shadows of Los Angeles, a place I called home for 9 years.

    In front of an audience of nearly 300 stakeholders and guests, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis introduces and holds a discussion with film director Chris Weitz, Diane Cortez, OSHA Investigator; and Lucia Garcia, Wage & Hour Investigator before screening the 'A Better Life' on the evening of Thursday, February 16, 2012. (Photo Credit: Department of Labor)

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    Learn more about Immigration

  • Strengthening Immigrant Pathways for Job-Creating Entrepreneurs

    Posted by Felicia Escobar and Doug Rand on February 28, 2012 at 8:12 PM EDT

    Our nation has always attracted individuals with great drive and entrepreneurial spirit.  To continue being a great global leader, we must continue to attract and retain the next generation of immigrant entrepreneurs who will start new businesses and create new jobs here in America.  Taking action on this front, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) kicked off its Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) initiative last week with a stakeholder summit in Silicon Valley.  The host location was fitting, as NASA Ames Research Center Director Simon Worden pointed out, since NASA programs have historically benefited from breakthroughs by foreign-born scientists and engineers.

    Vivek Wadhwa, the academic, researcher, writer, and entrepreneur, (far right) speaks on the “How Immigration Helps America Attract Entrepreneurial Talent Today” panel at the USCIS Entrepreneurs in Residence summit in Silicon Valley. He was joined by Ping Fu, President & CEO, Geomagic, Michael Moritz, Partner, Sequoia Capital, and Shervin Pishevar, Managing Director, Menlo Ventures (from left to right).(Photo Courtesy of USCIS)

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    Learn more about Immigration

  • Payroll Tax Cut, American-Made Energy, and Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights: Deputies' Download

    Posted by Anne Filipic and Stephanie Valencia on February 27, 2012 at 9:31 AM EDT

    Just last week, the President called on Americans from across the country to add their voices to the debate and let us know how losing $40 in their paychecks would impact them. Thousands of individuals did exactly that, and it made all the difference: on Wednesday, President Obama signed the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 -- extending the payroll tax cut and emergency jobless benefits through the end of the year.

    President Obama was at the University of Miami last Thursday to talk about securing a future for America built on home-grown energy -- and his blueprint to help us get there. President Obama emphasized the need for a sustained, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy, from oil and gas to wind and solar to take control of our energy future and protect ourselves from fuel price spikes. As evidence of what his Administration has done on this front, President Obama pointed out that foreign oil reliance in 2011 was the lowest in 16 years and that because of the investments made, the use of clean, renewable energy in this country has nearly doubled – and thousands of American jobs have been created.

    President Obama signs the payroll tax cut (February 22, 2012)

    President Barack Obama signs H.R. 3630 - Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 in the Oval Office, Feb. 22, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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  • A Big Surprise: The Arc Visits the White House

    Posted by Peter V. Berns on February 23, 2012 at 8:11 PM EDT

    Ed Note: This is a guest post from Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc.
     
    President Barack Obama drops by The Arc community leaders briefing (February 10, 2012)

    President Barack Obama drops by The Arc community leaders briefing in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, Feb. 10, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

    One thing I have learned in my 3 ½ years as CEO of The Arc is that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), their parents, siblings and family members are a passionate lot.   So when the White House invited us to bring in 150 of The Arc’s chapter leaders, including people with I/DD, I knew we would have an enthusiastic response.  Yet little did I expect the extraordinary energy that erupted when President Obama entered the room to speak to the group.  Our leaders from throughout the country were quick to their feet with a rousing welcome, rising again when the President concluded his remarks telling the disability community “I’ve got your back.”

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    Learn more about Disabilities

  • USAID Counter-Trafficking in Persons Policy Launch

    Posted by Karen Richardson on February 21, 2012 at 6:29 PM EDT

    On Thursday, February 23rd at 10:00 a.m. EST, the White House, in conjunction with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will host the launch of USAID’s Counter-Trafficking in Persons policy. This new policy will enable USAID to reinvigorate and focus the agency’s efforts to pursue more effective, efficient, and evidence-based approaches in counter-trafficking.

    Administration officials participating in the event include:

    • Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
    • Ambassador Donald Steinberg, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
    • Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State
    • Samantha Power, Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs, White House National Security Council
    • Carla Koppell, Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, U.S. Agency for International Development
    • Sarah Mendelson, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict & Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development

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  • Looking Back to Prohibition to Understand the Unique American Story

    Posted by Jim Leach on February 21, 2012 at 2:00 PM EDT

    Washington-area law students, experts on Constitutional law, and others will gather at the White House on Wednesday, February 22, for a screening of Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s documentary Prohibition and a panel discussion about the importance of Constitutional law. The screening is part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ (NEH) “Bridging Cultures through Law” film series, which uses NEH-funded films to enrich legal education.

    NEH is proud to have funded Prohibition, one of many exceptional explorations of unique American history from Burns and Novick. The film chronicles early Americans’ relationship with alcohol, the impetus behind the temperance movement, the passage of the 18th Amendment, the manifold legal issues during Prohibition, and its repeal with the 21st Amendment to the Constitution. This film transcends history by asking important questions about the function of the U.S. Constitution and the role American government plays in the lives of individual citizens. The three-part film premiered on PBS during the first week of October; the full film is now available on DVD and through iTunes download, with highlight clips available on PBS’ website and iPhone/iPad app.

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  • Communities Coming Together

    Posted by Martha Johnson on February 16, 2012 at 8:05 PM EDT

    Watching communities come together is powerful and inspiring. Last Friday, I joined the White House Office of Public Engagement Director Jon Carson in Atlanta for the first White House Community Partnership Summit.  The event brought together over 400 people from the community who shared their stories with Administration officials and each other.

    Martha Johnson Speaks at White House Community Partnership Summit, Atlanta

    Martha Johnson, Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration, speaks to participants at the White House Community Partnership Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. February 10, 2012. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. General Services Administration)

    The White House Community Partnership Summits use an innovative process called the “Open Space” to allow community leaders to set the agenda for open dialogues. Attendees at the Atlanta summit talked about a variety of issues affecting their neighborhoods including job creation, health programs, improving schools, immigration, preserving the environment, providing skills to workers, LGBT issues, and government contracting. The issues ran the gamut, but two things were consistent throughout – participants wanted to connect to the federal government to voice these important concerns, and they also wanted the opportunity to connect with each other as fellow leaders in their community to solve tough problems.

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