Washington – Today, U.S. Representative Gary Peters, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, released the following statement on the President’s upcoming State of the Union address which will be delivered before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, January 28, 2014:

“I am honored to be joined by Brian Hermelin of Detroit Venture Partners at this years’ State of the Union address. Brian believes, as I do, that investment in small business, local entrepreneurs and technology companies is critical to growth in our region and state. That is why he joined with his partners Dan Gilbert and Josh Linkner and founded Detroit Venture Partners in 2010. Michigan has built its reputation as a leader in innovation and engineering, and through smart investments we can continue to lead the nation in start-ups and cutting edge technology ”

Peters is an outspoken champion for Michigan small businesses in Washington. He 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 create thousands of jobs in Michigan. Most recently, he has been leading efforts to stop an unfair innovation tax on Michigan entrepreneurs, gathering support to petition the Office of Management to exempt the U.S. Patent Office from sequester cuts.

“The President has a tremendous opportunity, in front of the Congress and the nation, to address ways to continue growing our economy. It is my hope that the administration, in coordination with Republicans and Democrats in Congress, can do as Detroit Venture Partners has been doing, and work together to invest in small businesses and start-ups, innovation, and U.S. manufacturing and infrastructure to continue creating good paying, middle class jobs in Michigan and across the country.”

Brian Hermelin is also a founding Partner of Detroit-based Rockbridge Growth Equity and serves on the board of directors at numerous companies and institutions. Detroit Venture Partners, based in downtown Detroit’s M@dison Building at the epicenter of the city’s growing tech corridor, invests in talented individuals and technology companies in Greater Detroit that are under-served from a venture capital standpoint. They have invested in 22companies including Detroit Labs, UpTo, and LevelEleven.

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