Lettieri will speak on the state of entrepreneurship and economic dynamism in rural America
Washington, D.C. – Today, John Lettieri, co-founder and senior director for policy and strategy at the Economic Innovation Group (EIG), will testify before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship at its hearing entitled, “The Challenges and Opportunities of Running a Small Business in Rural America.” The hearing will take place at 10:00 a.m. in room 428A Russell Senate Office Building.
Additional witnesses include Jim Hobart, co-founder of Alpaca Direct, LLC, and Rob Riley, president of Northern Forest Center.
“The crisis isn’t that shops on Main Street are closing; they’re doing that at roughly the same rate they have for many years,” said Lettieri in his prepared testimony. “The problem is new businesses are no longer emerging quickly enough to take the place of those dying out through the natural course of competition and economic change.”
Lettieri also stated, “The true dichotomy today is not between urban and rural but rather between connected and isolated. Highly connected communities – ones linked to global markets, human capital, infrastructure, and knowledge centers – will be best positioned to thrive in the emerging economy.”
Lettieri’s full written testimony can be viewed here.
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About John W. Lettieri
John Lettieri is co-founder of the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) and serves as its senior director for policy and strategy. He leads EIG’s policy development, economic research, and legislative affairs efforts. Prior to joining EIG, John worked in both the public and private sectors, including as Vice President of Public Policy for the Organization for International Investment (OFII) and as aide to former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel. Lettieri is a graduate of Wake Forest University and serves on the Board of Regents at The Fund for American Studies, the Board of Directors for Lincoln Network, and the Board of Directors of Friends of National Zoo.
About the Economic Innovation Group (EIG)
The Economic Innovation Group (EIG) is an ideas laboratory and advocacy organization whose mission is to advance solutions that empower entrepreneurs and investors to forge a more dynamic American economy. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. and led by an experienced, bipartisan team, EIG convenes leading experts from the public and private sectors, develops original policy research, and works to advance creative legislative proposals that will bring new jobs, investment, and economic growth to communities across the nation. For more information, visit eig.org.
Media contact:
Amanda Byrd
