I support Hillary because she supports entrepreneurs
At age 10, my family migrated from India to America — the land of opportunity. While the tech entrepreneurs in my family quickly jumped into work, fueling Connecticut’s “Silicon Corridor”, I struggled with the cultural transition from the bustling metropolis of Delhi to suburban Connecticut. I was called racist slurs and my classmates thought that I came from a dusty village in India. My family told me to keep my head down and taught me to let the quality of my work speak for itself.
It wasn’t until years later, however, during a graduate school class with CK Prahalad, author of Fortune at the Base of Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through Profits, that I finally felt like someone spoke my language of entrepreneurship — treating the poor like clients and customers instead of people looking for a handout. I have spent the last 15 years devoted to encouraging this worldview by promoting entrepreneurship in underserved markets across the United States and abroad.
Today, we live in an era of subdued global growth, rising inequality, and declining social mobility. This environment creates an urgent need to create policies and programs that drive quality job creation around the world. Entrepreneurship and innovation are two ingredients that help make up the “secret sauce” of Silicon Valley, and they are forces that can be used to fuel new jobs and economic growth. Statistics show that small-and-growing firms are key engines of job creation and growth in developing countries, particularly following the global financial crisis. If we want to turn the tide, see global growth rise and inequality decline, our next president must be a leader for advancing entrepreneurship and quality job creation.
Hillary Clinton’s record as Secretary of State and her plan to advance good jobs in the United States as president are emblematic of her dedication to inclusive growth for all. And it’s why she has my vote this November.
As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton promoted entrepreneurship and innovation and made the United States a leading backer of enterprises that are creating jobs and raising living standards globally. She launched the Global Entrepreneurship Program and Office of Global Partnerships at the State Department, which elevated entrepreneurship and partnerships in her foreign policy toolkit.
She introduced new investment tools at USAID like Development Innovation Ventures and the Global Development Lab that have unlocked millions of dollars for entrepreneurs and mobilized students, inventors, and entrepreneurs to end extreme poverty through scalable, replicable, cost-effective solutions. Her efforts have led to hundreds of new social enterprises that are not only making products and services more affordable to poor households worldwide, but also delivering health, education, and economic opportunities to millions of people who are living in extreme poverty.
As president, Hillary will dedicate energies to creating inclusive and good jobs at home and to keeping America competitive. She’s committed to supporting incubators, accelerators, mentoring, and training for 50,000 entrepreneurs in underserved areas. And she’s committed to investing new resources in the growth of small businesses and building public-private partnerships that will invest in local business innovations. Hillary believes that by supporting entrepreneurs in all communities, regardless of their zip code, we can catalyze innovation hubs across the country, encourage talent and capital to invest in their communities, and build thriving local economies.
I believe in Hillary’s vision to be a president for small business, and to keep America open for business — with liberty, justice, and opportunity for all. As the middle-class daughter of a small business owner — like myself — Hillary understands these issues intimately, for both the business owners and their families, and I am confident that she will do what it takes to improve their lives and our nation inclusively.
Hillary will ensure that America remains the country that can claim “America — Innovation and Opportunity Start Here”.
Idealists4Hillary is a grassroots group of volunteers who believe that Secretary Clinton’s strategy for global engagement, development and humanitarian relief reflects American values and will make us safer and stronger. We engage people who care about these issues, including students, faith communities, diaspora groups, and foreign policy and global development practitioners, among others.
JOIN US HERE and help us amplify messages, support field offices, organize GOTV activities, and energize voters by connecting with them on the impact of global development.
