On Wednesday, policymakers and entrepreneurs celebrated Congressional Startup Day — a day bringing both groups together to discuss new and small business needs, especially during a national pandemic.

We highlighted the critical nature of these conversations in yesterday’s blog post, and today want to amplify several communications from members of the Start Us Up coalition, both those engaged in dialogue with members of Congress and those affirming the importance of policymaker engagement:

Policymakers Use Congressional Startup Day to Connect with Local Entrepreneurs
Engine, the driving force behind Wednesday’s Congressional Startup Day, also wrote about the importance of dialogue with policymakers, writing “this event will generate greater federal support for startup activity and raise awareness about the important contributions of the country’s entrepreneurs.”

Advocating for Entrepreneurs as Part of Congressional Startup Day
Tiffany Henry, Director of Entrepreneurial Communities at Conductor, penned a guest post for Engine about her organization’s conversation with Rep. French Hill. She discussed the need for stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems and the lack of startup assistance for entrepreneurs, especially women, people of color, and those who live in rural areas.

Veteran Small Business Owner Gets Left Behind by Federal Relief Programs
As Congress debates new relief programs, Small Business Majority highlighted the story of John Hopson, a veteran small business owner whose Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application was denied. John’s story, common among many Black and Latinx business owners, highlights the need for reform in the next round of relief.

2020 Small Business Friendliness Survey
Finally, Thumbtack released its 2020 Small Business Friendliness Survey, exploring attitudes toward government from entrepreneurs across the country. Among the most notable findings: small business owners said they think the federal government did a poor job responding to the pandemic, giving federal policymakers an “F” for their overall response and a “D+” for supporting small businesses.