The Trump administration is reportedly exploring a new framework for patent fees and valuation.
Born to immigrant parents, Aidan Chau grew up around restaurants and saw firsthand the operational challenges they face. He built Maple, an Al phone answering service that handles orders and reservations so restaurant teams can stop missing phone calls and operate with greater efficiency. We sat down with Aidan to discuss building Maple, the potential implications of the New York RAISE Act, and how the right Al tools create jobs rather than replace them.
While Congress weighs proposals to reform federal broadband programs aimed at closing the digital divide, policymakers must carefully evaluate how imposing new fees on startups could impact the innovation ecosystem.
Deliveri is a logistics platform that helps customers lower costs and manage their shipping needs. Founded by Jason Brown and based in Cary, North Carolina, the company offers a multi-carrier shipping solution for e-commerce businesses in the U.S., with plans to expand this service into Latin America. We sat down with Jason to discuss his business, how recent changes to trade policies are impacting small businesses, the importance of the Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) exemption, and his future goals for Deliveri.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Jonathan Gonzalez saw firsthand the failures of both disaster response systems and the traditional insurance industry. After spending over a year and a half navigating an ultimately unsuccessful insurance claim for his mother, he decided to take action. That experience led him to found Raincoat, a company building the technology to power faster, smarter, and better insurance for disaster recovery. We sat down with Jonathan to talk about his journey, the role of AI in transforming disaster insurance, and the unique challenges of building a startup from Puerto Rico.
The Big Story: SCOTUS pick’s tech record. President Donald Trump announced this week that he is nominating Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court left by the departing Justice Anthony Kennedy. As a current judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Kavanaugh has a record on several hot-button tech issues, including privacy and net neutrality.
June is dedicated as Pride Month, but it’s important to celebrate the ideals of Pride every month. Andrew Lowenthal, Executive Director of Out in Tech, seeks to do this everyday within the tech community. Out in Tech, a global non-profit startup based in New York, works to unite the LGBTQ+ tech community through regular events in 10 cities.
The Big Story: California’s new privacy law. This week, California lawmakers passed—and Governor Jerry Brown signed into law—a sweeping new online privacy law that will dramatically increase burdens and legal risks for startups with users in California.
We met with Shelly Bell, founder of Black Girl Ventures (BGV), to discuss how she is working to change ecosystems across the US. Shelly and her team are working to find creative place-based solutions to dissolve the race and gender gap in access to capital. Policy makers have looked at crowdfunding a solution to this issue, but more work has to be done.
The Big Story: A big week for patent milestones. It’s been a big week in the patent world, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issuing it’s 10 millionth utility patent just three years after granting patent the 9 millionth.
The “First in the Nation” state is not always first when thinking of startups and innovation. However, Joshua Cyr at Alpha Loft is working to change that narrative and improve entrepreneurs prospects for successfully launching and scaling innovation-based startups in New Hampshire.
A year after the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Food Group Brands LLC, however, Marshall may be returning to the normalcy of tumbleweeds and prairie, as NPEs who once filed there flock instead to other jurisdictions.
We headed to the Cornhusker State to meet with Grant Stanley, CEO of Bric. As a native Nebraskan, Grant is familiar with starting and growing companies in the state. However, as Bric continues to grow, Grant is looking to new ecosystems to provide opportunities and networks not currently available in Omaha.
This week, the California Senate voted 23-12 to approve a bill to reinstate strong net neutrality protections in the state.
The Trump Administration’s decision to rescind the International Entrepreneur Rule (IER) is deeply disappointing for startups across the country. The rule was enacted to create a pathway for immigrant entrepreneurs to build companies and create jobs in the United States. For an Administration that has promised to spur job growth, this decision is incredibly short-sighted and detrimental to our long-term economic prosperity.
I’m Jen Fox, Engine’s Manager of External Affairs. I am excited to work with America’s startups across the country, and I want to get to know what issues matter most to you and your startup. Can you fill out this survey?
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