WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced that Blackstone Charitable Foundation Executive Director Amy Stursberg has been selected to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE). NACIE members will advise the Secretary of Commerce on issues related to accelerating innovation, expanding entrepreneurship, and developing a globally competitive workforce.
“Through our ‘Open for Business Agenda’, the Commerce Department has prioritized supporting entrepreneurs and helping foster innovation, which are key drivers of America’s global competitiveness,” said Secretary Pritzker. “The new NACIE members are a diverse and dynamic group of successful entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors, as well as leaders from nonprofit organizations and academia. I appreciate their willingness to serve our nation on these important issues, and I look forward to working with the Council to advance innovation and cultivate a skilled workforce for today’s 21st century jobs.”
Amy Stursberg has served as the Executive Director of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation since 2008, where she has overseen and led a five-year Entrepreneurship Initiative, bringing four innovative programs focused on strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems – Blackstone LaunchPad, Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network, Blackstone Accelerates Growth, and Blackstone Innovation Grants – to twenty states across the county. Ms. Stursberg previously served as the last director of the September 11th Fund and held various positions at the Office of Management and Budget at the Office of the Mayor in the City of New York and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, as well as at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington.
“I am honored to be selected to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” said Amy Stursberg. “The Blackstone Charitable Foundation has focused its resources to support entrepreneurship and innovation, strengthening regional economies across the U.S. Through this work, I have seen first-hand the benefits of private-public partnerships between governments, business, non-profit organizations, and academia. Secretary Pritzker’s approach to supporting entrepreneurship through these collaborative partnerships across sectors demonstrates a sharp understanding of how competitiveness can be fostered nationally. I will be proud to serve on this Council at a time when so much depends on the development of strong ecosystems to support new and globally competitive businesses.”
NACIE will operate as an independent entity within the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), which is housed within the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).
About The Blackstone Charitable Foundation
The Blackstone Charitable Foundation was founded at the time of Blackstone’s Initial Public Offering in 2007 with substantial commitments from the Firm’s employees. Influenced by the enterprising heritage of the firm and its founders, The Blackstone Charitable Foundation is directing its resources and applying the intellectual capital of the firm to foster entrepreneurship in areas hardest hit by the global economic crisis. Through its investment expertise across several asset classes and geographies, Blackstone has a unique perspective on the global economy and a heightened understanding of how entrepreneurial activity is often the crucial catalyst in the growth of successful businesses, industries and communities. (For more information, see http://www.blackstone.com/citizenship/the-blackstone-charitable-foundation)
