Dane Stangler
Overland Park
Bipartisan Policy Center. Global Entrepreneurship Network. Shuttlecock Consulting. Father. Baseball fan.
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Articles by Dane Stangler
AI’s Impact on the Direct Care Workforce
Executive Summary Direct care workers assist older adults and individuals with disabilities with activities of daily living, as well as provide social and emotional support. With the number of older adults increasing rapidly and a persistent direct care workforce shortage, demand is outpacing the supply of workers.
Navigating Skills Trends: Data Dashboard Analysis, September 2026
In April 2026, the Bipartisan Policy Center released the AI and Workforce Navigator, an online resource providing information for policymakers about how artificial intelligence is affecting American workers and jobs. One component of the Navigator, the Skills Data Dashboard, includes data from employment analytics firm Lightcast about the changing demand for AI skills in online job postings.
Loper Bright Two Years Later: What It Means for Congress
In a series of briefings with the Congressional Management Foundation, BPC has responded to questions from members and staff about Loper Bright and what it means for Congress. These briefings build on BPC’s Working Group on Congress, Courts, and Administrative Law and our ongoing efforts to support congressional modernization.
Congress after Loper Bright: Prioritize Modernization and Learning, by Dane Stangler, Michael Thorning, & J.D. Rackey
This post is part of Notice & Comment’s symposium on the Senate Post-Chevron Working Group Report. For other posts in the series, click here. We agree with Sen. Eric Schmitt that “Congress must reclaim the habit of legislating.” While much of the senator’s report and commentary addresses the challenges posed by the administrative state, we hope he and his colleagues use Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo as an opportunity to pursue two important objectives.
Are Small Businesses Growing?
It depends. The dataset used, how “small businesses” are defined, what part of the country is measured, what sector of the economy is tracked, seasonal variations—these and many other factors determine what answer, at any given moment, can be provided to that question. We know with some certainty that new business creation remains strong. Through its Business Formation Statistics (BFS), the Census Bureau tracks monthly business applications filed with the IRS.
What Do New & Recent Data Tell Us About Small Business Fortunes?
Inflation hurts—but business growth is expected. We’re hiring—but still having trouble filling job openings. Last year was tough—2024 will be the year for us. Those, at least at a high level, are some takeaways from a recent batch of small business data from a variety of surveys and other sources.
#GEC2023 Day 3: Research, Reform, Bad Ideas, And Conflict
“We at GEN always say that we want to invite people to consider entrepreneurship as an option.” — Cecilia Wessinger, Global Entrepreneurship Network From the third and final (official) day of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in Melbourne, some thoughts and takeaways from another day of enlightening sessions and conversations.
#GEC2023 Day 2: Takeaways And Impressions
Substantively speaking, this has been an excellent Global Entrepreneurship Congress, held in Melbourne, Australia. Want to learn about entrepreneurial efforts in space (inevitably, “astro-preneurship”) and then move to a session to hear inspiring stories about refugee entrepreneurship? It’s here, and everything in between. What is “corporate diplomacy”?
Global Entrepreneurship Congress Dispatch: Day One Takeaways Original
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) began this week in Melbourne, Australia.
Cisneros: S.A. sets standard as feds explore workforce development
The Biden administration has also been wrestling with workforce issues. After Congress passed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act last year, shortages of available and capable workers in the construction and semiconductor industries immediately became apparent. As they outline the next phase of U.S. workforce policy, Congress and the Biden administration should confer with and listen to public and private leaders in San Antonio and elsewhere.
Renewing Bipartisan Support for Children and Families
For years, the Bipartisan Policy Center has advanced bipartisan policies important to American families. While Republicans and Democrats may differ on their approach to policies such as child care, paid family leave or the child tax credit, there is strong agreement that public policy should support parents and children. This bipartisan support extended to policies shaping the child welfare system.
Who’s On Top Of The New Shopify Entrepreneurship Rankings?
The new Shopify Entrepreneurship Index ranks U.S. states and forty countries on several indicators ... [+] based on the performance of Shopify merchants. getty Delaware, Kansas, Montana, and South Dakota. Probably not what you were expecting. Yet those four states lead the nation on four different indicators in the new Shopify Entrepreneurship Index, released by the company today.
National Small Business Week: How Are They Doing?
Is it possible, or even fair, to generalize about the “state” of all small businesses? That’s the question usually lurking behind this column’s periodic reviews of small business surveys and data. In one sense, attempts at such generalizations are dubious: the small business population is simply too vast and diverse to make sweeping statements about it based on small-sample surveys. On the other, many of those surveys are quite good and long-running, which provides consistency.
Intuit And The Akcigit All-Stars: A New Small Business Index
of academic researchers is a welcome addition to the world of small business data.getty A brand new Small Business Index, released by Intuit QuickBooks and an academic team led by Professor Ufuk Akcigit, is the latest entrant in the small business data sweepstakes. And it is impressive. But first ... To The Methodology! If, when a new empirical analysis or data product is released, you immediately turn to the methodology section, you are not alone. Or, you are irredeemably nerdy. Or both.
Toward A 21st Century Small Business Administration
Conan O'Brien's "In the Year 2000" sketch from the 1990s would not feel out of place today regarding ... [+] some areas of small business policy. Getty Images Readers of a certain age may recall the 1990s sketch, “In the Year 2000,” on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. In it, Conan and his sidekick, Andy Richter, would make silly and often crude predictions about what might happen in that fantastical future year.
Why Latino Entrepreneurs Are Growing Rapidly-And How They Can Grow Even Faster Original
“They’re very resilient. They wish for growth: they’re very ambitious, even in difficult times.” That’s Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga, associate director of the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI) and lead author of SLEI’s latest State of Latino Entrepreneurship report. She’s discussing the report, which highlights the rapid revenue and payroll of Latino-owned businesses and their strong rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Is New Business Creation Still Setting Records? What Might That Mean For The Economy? Original
One of the biggest upside surprises of the pandemic years was an explosion in the number of new businesses being created by Americans. That “startup surge,” as the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) labels it, has persisted past the formal end of the pandemic. As shown in the chart above—from the Census Bureau’s Business Formation Statistics (BFS)—the initial spikes upward and downward in the second half of 2020 have since moderated.
Yes/No: Should Semiconductor Support Be Conditional on Child Care?
No: Don’t Load Public Goals onto Private Companies and Undermine Political Support The CHIPS and Science Act enjoyed strong bipartisan support, with 18 Republican Senators voting for something that had been championed by both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Todd Young (R-IN). The Commerce Department’s bait and switch on child care—not to mention other requirements—threatens to spoil this bipartisan consensus.
What’s The State Of American Small Business In Early 2023?
Recent small business owner surveys show some consistency but also differences in outlook. getty It’s been some time since this column last reviewed available data on the state of small businesses in the United States. Now, a new year is underway, a new Congress has convened, legislative sessions around the country are in full swing, and the 2024 presidential race has begun. What should policymakers in Washington and state capitals know about how small businesses say they’re doing?
Three steps for Congress to reauthorize and modernize the SBA
Who recalls what it was like to stream music before the iTunes Store? To look up information on the internet without Wikipedia? Or, for that matter, to do a web search when Google was an upstart that only accounted for one in 10 online searches? All of this was true the last time the Small Business Administration (SBA) was formally reauthorized by Congress. A few things have changed since then. In fact, 68 percentof small businesses operating today didn’t exist when SBA was last reauthorized.
6 Principles for Corporate Turnarounds
For a large part of my career, about 15 years, I did turnaround work at struggling companies. When a company was in financial or operational distress, I was asked to come in and help right the ship. I'd like to think I was successful--the results based on improved morale, productivity and profitability, including two positive exits for shareholders, should speak for themselves. I also served as an outside independent director of two companies where a similar outcome was attained.
Happy Global Entrepreneurship Week, Part 1: Will Surging Business Creation Continue?
It’s Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), a period each year when millions of people, thousands of organizations, and nearly every country on earth not only celebrate entrepreneurship but also seek ways to newly help and support entrepreneurs. To mark GEW, can we somehow gauge the state of entrepreneurship worldwide? The record-shattering increase in new business creation in the United States over the last two years has been documented here and celebrated by the Biden Administration.
Dear Divided Congress: Small Business First
Closely divided government, even with Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives, is set to continue. The new Congress will need issues that can both gain bipartisan support and stimulate the economy. Here’s a suggestion: start with small business. Prioritizing small businesses will loosen political gridlock because they offer both parties a way to support job creation, reinvigorate struggling communities, and enhance U.S. competitiveness.
Marking National Women’s Small Business Month: What The Data Say
October is National Women's Small Business Month.
In the Age of ESG, It's No-Win for Pension Managers
In the Age of ESG, It's No-Win for Pension Managers Pity our state public pension fund managers. Imagine you’re one, charged with growing the retirement assets of millions of current and former public employees. As you evaluate different funds fo Read Full Article »
In the Age of ESG, It's No-Win for Pension Managers
Pity our state public pension fund managers. Imagine you’re one, charged with growing the retirement assets of millions of current and former public employees. As you evaluate different funds for investing the retirees’ money, you must balance your fiduciary duty of seeking the highest returns with consideration of material risk factors that could threaten those returns.
Reducing Barriers To Entrepreneurship Among Military Spouses
Military spouses should be the next frontier of entrepreneurship support. An amendment recently introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would encourage support for military spouse entrepreneurs. Military spouses are an important potential source of new businesses—and entrepreneurship is a critically important economic option for military spouses. But to realize entrepreneurial ambitions, they need help.
Hispanic-Owned Businesses: Smaller Overall But Growing Fast
As National Hispanic Heritage Month wraps up this coming week, let’s take a look at how Hispanic small business owners and entrepreneurs are doing. Overall, based on various sources, Hispanic-owned businesses are growing fast, seeking financial fuel for that growth, yet still smaller in size than non-Hispanic-owned businesses. Smaller Sales But ... Nearly one-fifth of Hispanic-owned firms (18%) employ more than 10 people, according to the Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey (ABS).
The plural of anecdote is data
“The plural of anecdote is data.” That observation, by cognitive psychologist and “skeptical activist” Barbara Drescher, is not an apology for sloppy logic. Nor is it a rationalization for using a string of stories to prove a point without relying on hard data. Drescher made the comment while discussing the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy on the You Are Not So Smart podcast (which, by the way, is highly recommended overall).
Congress: Keep Chipping Away
The $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act approved by Congress last month has many virtues. It passed with bipartisan majorities in both chambers. It aligns government funding with technological areas at the core of U.S. geopolitical competition with China. It includes efforts to geographically diversify the American innovation base. Yet Washington needs to move quickly past self-congratulation.
Congress: Keep Chipping Away
By Dane Stangler August 10, 2022 The $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act approved by Congress last month has many virtues. It passed with bipartisan majorities in both chambers. It aligns government funding with technological areas at the core of U.S. geopolitical competition with China. It includes efforts to geographically diversify the American innovation base. Yet Washington needs to move quickly past self-congratulation.
Return Of The GEC: ‘Building One Global Entrepreneurial Ecosystem’ Original
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress returned in person this year for the first time since 2019. Author For the first time in three years, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship support organizations, advocates and policymakers, investors and many others gathered in person this week for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress. With representatives from close to 200 countries, and hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the 2022 GEC covered an enormous range of topics.
Are We At An Inflection Point For Entrepreneurial Dynamism? Original
In what direction will entrepreneurial dynamism go after the pandemic recedes? getty Will American entrepreneurial dynamism continue to rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic? Or, will it revert to the pre-pandemic downward trend? Those are the basic questions posed by an excellent recent report by the Economic Innovation Group (EIG). There are two presuppositions embedded in those questions. One is that American entrepreneurial dynamism was in decline prior to the pandemic.
Questions About The Post-Pandemic Small Business Financing Landscape
The pandemic has raised questions about where small businesses might seek credit. getty Even during an existential crisis, small businesses will go to great lengths to avoid taking on debt.
From Pandemic to Prosperity
“Business owners need to be experts in their own work, not application processes.” That observation, from a small business owner, is included in a new report out this week from the Bipartisan Policy Center: From Pandemic to Prosperity: Bipartisan Solutions to Support Today’s Small Businesses. The small business owner was specifically referring to the difficulties of loan applications. But it can also be seen as a generally applicable takeaway for all areas of small business policy.
From Pandemic to Prosperity
“Business owners need to be experts in their own work, not application processes.” That observation, from a small business owner, is included in a new report out this week from the Bipartisan Policy Center: From Pandemic to Prosperity: Bipartisan Solutions to Support Today’s Small Businesses. The small business owner was specifically referring to the difficulties of loan applications. But it can also be seen as a generally applicable takeaway for all areas of small business policy.
How Should Policymakers Help Small Businesses Now?
Small businesses continue to struggle with pandemic effects. But they're ready to grow. getty This is my new favorite numerative juxtaposition: 42% of small business owners continue to struggle financially due to the pandemic’s effects, but 73% are optimistic about the financial trajectory of their business in 2022. Those findings are from the most recent Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices national survey, released in January.
From Pandemic to Prosperity
Business Bipartisan Solutions to Support Today's Small Businesses By Dane Stangler , Michelle Kumar Mar 14, 2022 Report Small businesses, which employ close to half of America’s private sector workforce, have endured considerable volatility during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, the pandemic and its associated challenges spelled the end of their business. For others, the past two years have entailed oscillation between uncertainty and hope.
What Pre- And Post-Omicron Surveys Say About Where Small Businesses Headed
If there’s one chart that might encapsulate the broad experience of American small businesses over the past year, it’s this one. Hiring and supply chains are two of small businesses' biggest needs. U.S. Census Bureau. Taken from the Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey, this chart illustrates what small businesses cite as their top “future need.” It compares two time periods: early March 2021 (phase 4 of the survey) and early March 2022 (phase 8, with data through March 10th).
New Business Creation In 2022: Continued Surge-Or Another Slump?
One big question heading into 2022 is whether business creation will remain at elevated levels, as ... [+] it has since 2020, or fall to pre-pandemic levels. getty New business creation in the United States unexpectedly—yet happily—increased in 2020 and 2021. Reasons for the increase can be discerned: layoffs, shifts in how people want to work, industry changes including the move to more online commerce, greater shipping needs, etc.
Can Dynamic Entrepreneurship Advance Social Progress?
Social impact can be baked into startup strategy from the beginning, making "dynamic ... [+] entrepreneurship" more prevalent. getty A pretty standard idea in the world of productivity advice is that one should break goals and objectives into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Legal Services Should Be Core To Small Business Strategy-Lessons From Charley Moore
Small business and entrepreneurs of all kinds should factor legal issues into their plans and ... [+] strategies from the beginning. getty “They don’t know about the superpower that comes with great legal counsel.” That is not the first line of an ill-fated John Grisham novel. It’s a trenchant observation by Charley Moore, founder and CEO of Rocket Lawyer, provider of online legal services.
Should Congress Authorize More Small Business Relief? Yes and No.
There are rumors and whispers in some corners of Washington about the possibility of another round of federal assistance for small businesses. It’s unclear how likely this is to materialize. It is clear, however, that the idea is in the air and being promoted by some on and off Capitol Hill. The Build Back Better (BBB) Act includes $5 billion in additional spending for small business support.
State Of Small Business: What Recent Surveys Say At End Of 2021
Recent small business surveys highlight concerns and challenges heading into 2022. getty It feels a bit like Groundhog Day in the world of small businesses: higher prices, hiring difficulties, supply chain headaches. And unrelenting uncertainty over the trajectory of the national economy. Here’s a look, via recent small business surveys, at how they’re doing as we head toward the end of 2021. Overall Sentiment: On One Hand, On the Other First, the good news.
Will Small Business Participation In Procurement Finally Increase?
For eight years in a row, the federal government has met its statutory goal of small businesses receiving 23 percent of procurement spending. Underneath that top-line achievement, however, are worrying trends. Over the last decade, the number of small businesses participating in the federal procurement marketplace has fallen by nearly 40 percent. In that same time period, the number of new small business entrants into federal contracting fell by almost 80 percent.
Lessons in Designing National Incentives for Local Financing Innovations
This article is part of a Global Entrepreneurship Week (#GEW2021) series putting a spotlight on policies designed to help entrepreneurs start and scale, and the crucial role policy makers play in building a strong entrepreneurship ecosystem. December 2021 is the deadline for U.S. states to apply to the federal government for funding under a program called the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).
10/20 Event Recap: Workforce Diversity
Blog Post Business By Dane Stangler Nov 01, 2021 In recent years, “ESG” has gained greater prominence. Incorporation of environmental, social, and governance factors has become more important for companies with trillions of dollars flowing into ESG funds and rising shareholder activism around their consideration. Policymakers in Washington and elsewhere have also expressed growing interest in ESG. A lot is packed into these three letters.
Do we need a visa for immigrant entrepreneurs?
By Dane Stangler, Bipartisan Policy Center Listen to Dane Stangler discuss immigrant entrepreneurship on this week’s episode of the Rational Middle Podcast. A nation of immigrants. A nation of entrepreneurs. Both appellations have been applied to the United States throughout its history. Together, the two have played a large role in shaping American society and economic life. Immigrant entrepreneurs have founded and built some of our most iconic companies. They’ve pioneered entire new industries.
How ‘Real Places’ Should Think About Supporting Innovators And Entrepreneurs
What we call "innovation" has many different dimensions, according to Dan Breznitz. From idea ... [+] generation and production to steady improvement and application, innovation encompasses a wide range of activities. getty “Whether we have the spine at the regional level to jump on a new trajectory, is the question.
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