The Startup America Partnership has launched with the backing of the White House and big bucks from tech giants such as IBM and Intel.
Andrew Nusca on Smart Planet has the details. The gist:
Sounds great, but I have one nagging thought: What about the rest of the country? Let's face it. The population isn't all high-tech. The bulk of America is going to work for a large company that isn't a tech darling.
This effort may have more reach if it was about startup America for the Rest of Us. What about teaching people trades and giving them skills to start their own businesses? It's not as sexy as creating the next Facebook, but anyone who has tried to find a plumber, electrician or contractor knows the idea could be powerful.
Here's how this program would work:
The point: Entrepreneurs come in all sizes and fields. We shouldn't be so enamored with tech that we lose sight of the much larger job-producing picture.