WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Gary Peters (MI-14) hosted two roundtable discussions with entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners at the M@dison Building and Ponyride as part of the second annual “Startup Day Across America.” Startup Day is a national event created by the bipartisan House Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which Rep. Peters co-chairs.

“Startups and small businesses are the engines of job creation and economic growth in Michigan, and when they thrive, so does our economy” said Rep. Peters. “Based on the companies represented here today, we have what it takes to make Michigan the startup capital of the Midwest. I am committed to cultivating Michigan’s talented workforce, bringing new talent and entrepreneurship to the region and supporting smart policies that foster innovation to create 21^st century jobs in Michigan.”

PHOTO: Rep. Gary Peters discusses how to grow Michigan’s economy through startups with entrepreneurs and small business owners at the M@dison Building.

Rep. Peters visited the M@dison Building, an incubator for tech startups, and Ponyride, a coworking space, where he met with entrepreneurs, startup founders and small business owners to discuss how to help startups grow and thrive. Startups are responsible for creating the majority of net new jobs in the United States, and since 2008, they have created more than 2 million new jobs.

PHOTO: Rep. Peters visits with small business owners and manufacturers at Ponyride in Detroit.

Startup Day connects Members of Congress with local startups and entrepreneurs to highlight the work startup companies in their home states and districts are doing and the impact entrepreneurship has on their communities.

Rep. Peters is an outspoken champion for small businesses, Michigan’s startup culture and reinvigorated wave of entrepreneurship and innovation He is co-chair of the bipartisan House Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and has helped create two successful small business programs, the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF), which have been credited with helping to leverage millions in private investment, spurring small business growth and creating thousands of jobs in Michigan. He is also a member of the House Committee on Financial Services where he promotes policies that help spur growth for small businesses and startups.

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