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The Engine Team
Startup News Digest 04/26/24

Net neutrality revival set to ensure level startup playing field

Startup News Digest 04/26/24
#StartupsEverywhere
Imani Webb
#StartupsEverywhere: San Antonio, Texas

José Padilla has an established track record of providing efficient, low-cost legal services. With LegalMente AI, he’s able to provide that same quality of work to those in need, including early-stage startups. We sat down with him to talk about what policymakers need to know about the uses of AI, how to keep the U.S. innovation ecosystem the most competitive globally, and his motivation to provide the most efficient work possible. 

#StartupsEverywhere: San Antonio, Texas
#StartupsEverywhere
Imani Webb
#StartupsEverywhere: Brooklyn, N.Y.

After overcoming childhood shyness in the warmth of his local Caribbean-owned barbershop, Royon Jeffrey knows the power of the beauty industry firsthand. He set out to create ListedB, an online marketplace for beauty industry professionals. We spoke to him about the financial opportunity within the industry, navigating capital access and investors, and his desire to empower small businesses owners.

#StartupsEverywhere: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Blog, @Engine, Tax & Trade
Nathan Lindfors
For startups’ sake, Congress needs to reorient ...

Foreign nations are saddling U.S. companies — including startups — with discriminatory burdens.

For startups’ sake, Congress needs to reorient U.S. trade agency
#StartupsEverywhere
Imani Webb
#StartupsEverywhere: New York, N.Y.

MegaMinds was created out of a need to make learning more creative, fun, and hands-on for students. In our conversation with Co-Founder and CEO Eric Tao, we learned about the growing popularity of immersive learning, the tricky regulatory landscape for a product like MegaMinds, and what it’s like for many first-time entrepreneurs to build businesses. 

#StartupsEverywhere: New York, N.Y.
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Startup News Digest: 6/3/2016

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Startup News Digest: 6/3/2016

News from Across the Atlantic. We’ll start with the bad news: the future for the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield is looking grim. As a refresher, in February, U.S. and EU negotiators reached a draft agreement on a restored data transfer pact between the U.S. and EU. But the draft was dealt two blows over the past week: first, European Data Protection Supervisor Giovanni Buttarelli said the shield needs “robust improvements,” and then the European Parliament passed a resolution that the deal violates the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. 

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Veterans Sign Letter Supporting Greater Entrepreneur Training

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Veterans Sign Letter Supporting Greater Entrepreneur Training

Over the past year, Engine has teamed up with veterans working in the tech industry and several Veterans Service Organizations to understand how government can better support transitioning servicemembers interested in careers in technology. Whether as entrepreneurs, managers, or engineers, it’s clear that given the proper training and support, veterans have the talent, resolve, and discipline to thrive in the tech workforce.

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Startup News Digest: 5/20/2016

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Startup News Digest: 5/20/2016

Our weekly take on some of the biggest stories in startup and tech policy. In the wake of the Apple-FBI dispute, lawmakers have made encryption a top policy priority. Several Congressional working groups have now been established to determine the best approach to address regulation of encryption technologies, but very little of the public debate focuses on the detrimental impact any new rules could have on startups.

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An Opportunity to Fix Crowdfunding Before It Falters

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An Opportunity to Fix Crowdfunding Before It Falters

On May 16, 2016, regulation crowdfunding will go into effect, meaning for the first time ever,anyone can invest in a startup through an online platform. This is big. Until Congress passed the JOBS Act  in 2012, buying an equity stake in a company required being fairly wealthy or having a pre-existing relationship with the entrepreneurs raising capital. But the Internet has dramatically changed the way entrepreneurs share their ideas and connect with potential investors. With the JOBS Act, the law finally caught up as well – or it almost did.

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Calling All Accelerators: SBA Launches Growth Accelerator Fund Competition

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Calling All Accelerators: SBA Launches Growth Accelerator Fund Competition

Do you run a growth accelerator, incubator, co-working space, shared maker-space, or other entrepreneurial ecosystem organization? If so, you might be eligible to compete for a $50,000 prize from the government. Last week, the Small Business Administration (SBA) launched its Growth Accelerator Fund Competition for the third year in a row. Each year, the agency awards $50,000 prizes to selected organizations to help cover part of their operating budgets.

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Why Startups Need More Unlicensed Spectrum, and How They Can Get It

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Why Startups Need More Unlicensed Spectrum, and How They Can Get It

Startups across the country are building the next generation of Internet applications, connected devices, and innovative services—all of which rely on access to unlicensed spectrum. This week, Engine joined a diverse coalition of 23 organizations and companies in urging President Barack Obama to ensure that enough unlicensed spectrum is made available to meet growing demand.

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Engine Statement on House Passage of the HALOS Act

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Engine Statement on House Passage of the HALOS Act

Engine applauds the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. The bill, which was approved by a wide margin of 325-89, would clarify regulatory ambiguities around general solicitation, making it easier for startups to publicly showcase their ideas without unintentionally running afoul of securities laws.

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Engine Statement on House Passage of Email Privacy Act

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Engine Statement on House Passage of Email Privacy Act

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the widely supported, broadly bipartisan Email Privacy Act by a unanimous vote of 419-0. The bill would make long overdue updates to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) to bring our digital privacy laws into the 21st century. Specifically, the bill would clarify that law enforcement must obtain a warrant—except in certain clearly defined emergencies—before accessing individuals’ electronic communications.

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An Outdated Law Shouldn't Limit Demo Days

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An Outdated Law Shouldn't Limit Demo Days

The pitch competition has practically become a standard rite of passage for startups, especially early-stage firms seeking investment. Yet, many pitch events may violate decades-old securities law. Congress is now considering legislation to fix this: The HALOS Act. Sponsored by Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), this legislation clarifies the rules around pitch competitions, making it easier for startups to pitch their business plans and find potential investors. 

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One Way Stock Options Are Hurting Businesses – And How to Fix It

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One Way Stock Options Are Hurting Businesses – And How to Fix It

Among the many challenges entrepreneurs face in launching and scaling a startup, recruiting talented employees is one of the most difficult. There’s already a shortage of tech workers in this country (there are currently more than 600,000 open computing jobs nationwide, and last year, only 43,000 students graduated with computer science degrees), and it’s even more dire for startups that must compete with some of the most successful companies in the world to recruit these employees.

 

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