Mike Green was invited by Ollie Garrett, the executive director of Tabor 100 in Seattle, to give the keynote address at its annual gala fundraiser. The elite of Seattle's political landscape attended the sold-out venue at the Washington State Convention Center on Sept. 15, 2012. A standing ovation followed Mike's 27-min speech. See Mike's presentation and video of his speech at http://blackinnovation.org.

America21 has introduced a new ScaleUp Campaign in partnership with the Next Economy Partnership Project. Visit ScaleupCampaign.org and tell us about innovative efforts ongoing in your local region that create jobs and economic opportunity.

March 5, 2013 marks an unprecedented moment in American history when a group of concerned stakeholders from around the nation will gather in Austin, Texas at the George Washington Carver Museum to address the issue of investing in cultivating the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of America’s Black boys.

Holifield holds that distinction at Nortech, a tech-based economic development powerhouse covering 21 counties in Northeast Ohio. Nortech is leading the nation in establishing models for technology and economic inclusion frameworks that discover, invest in and cultivate all of the region's assets to boost the overall economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio. Holifield, a co-founder of The America21 Project, will sit on a panel on March4 at SXSWedu in Austin, Texas, organized by fellow America21 co-founder Mike Green. Chad Womack, PhD, rounds out the trio of America21 co-founders setting the stage at SXSWedu for an introduction into 21st century inclusive competitiveness ideals that underscore the focus of the panel session, Saving America's Black Boys (SABB).

South by Southwest (SXSW) is a massive conference where collaboration is king, and big ideas emerge. It is the innovation and technology platform where Twitter and Foursquare were launched. Starting in early March, more than 3,000 reporters from around the globe will descend upon Austin, Texas, America’s fastest growing city and one of the nation’s major hubs of tech innovation. Many journalists are hoping to find and report on the next big idea. They won’t have long to wait.

So, you have a good idea. No, you have a great idea, right? You've built your product, received great feedback from customers, gained a little traction in the market, and you need to raise money to scale your operation. Here's a short lesson. Anatomy of a seed round:

State Representatives Marlene Anielski (R-Independence) and Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) announced the acceptance of their amendment to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Ohio. "Innovation and entrepreneurship are cornerstones of Ohio's economy," said Dovilla. "Increasing our investment in and emphasis on STEM will enhance students' preparation for higher education, lead to greater career opportunities in growing fields, and ensure a brighter future for our state. I am pleased the Finance Committee has included this important provision in the state budget." Johnathan M. Holifield, NorTech's Vice President of Inclusive Competitiveness affirmed, "This potential game-changer for Ohio is an economic competitiveness imperative. Ohio must cultivate a larger, more diverse and inclusive STEM pipeline to produce more job-creating entrepreneurs. This program will accelerate those efforts." read more ...

Inclusive Competitiveness is the No. 1 economic concern of the American people. The Census is predicting a mid-century shift in the racial demographics of the nation that will result in a non-white majority of the population. This demographic shift has significant political and economic ramifications. The Republican and Democratic Parties are both gearing up now for a battle over the White House in 2016.