The Pandemic Has Prompted A Surge In Entrepreneurship

The pandemic has prompted a surge in entrepreneurship, voluntary and involuntary. How do we leverage this moment to ensure that everyone who wants to pursue the American Dream can do so? The United States’ first female, Black and Asian-American vice president weighs in on this opportunity.

- Kamala Harris

I was in Oakland, California, when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit in October 1989 and brought a section of the Bay Bridge crashing down. Leaders then had a choice: to restore the bridge to how it was, or to re-evaluate and strengthen its support system to withstand future shocks. They chose the latter.

As we emerge from the pandemic, our nation has the same choice to make — for our economy and our businesses, specifically small businesses and startups.

The pandemic has exposed the flaws and the fissures in our economy. One in three small businesses has closed. Nearly two million women have been forced out of the workforce.

And millions of families have struggled to buy groceries and cover rent.

In this moment, more than repair, we must reimagine. And after providing $60 billion in relief to small businesses, we must work to broaden access to capital and remove other barriers to success for entrepreneurs across the country.