Fireside Chat with Victor Hwang of Right to Start

Event Description

Entrepreneurs help drive job creation, boost incomes and generate wealth in our communities. However, starting and growing a business is often too challenging for many.

In this fireside chat moderated by Neil Kane, Victor Hwang, founder and CEO of Right to Start, a nonpartisan organization working to make it easier for everyone to start and grow their own business, will discuss how America can be renewed by its entrepreneurs.

This fall, Hwang is driving cross-country from California to Capitol Hill to deliver thousands of signatures requesting more support for entrepreneurs. These signatures represent communities across the nation, including South Bend-Elkhart, that believe in the power of entrepreneurship to uplift everyone, no matter their background, and in turn, our nation.

Victor Hwang is an economic growth expert whose ideas have shaped the lives of millions globally. He has assisted over 300 communities, cities, states, companies and countries in fostering economic prosperity. His clients include the World Bank, Ford Foundation, Inter-American Development Bank and USAID, as well as corporate giants like Accenture, IBM and Microsoft.

Hwang is the founder and CEO of Right to Start, a campaign advocating for expanded entrepreneurial opportunities. Previously, he served as vice president of entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation, where he led initiatives impacting over 200,000 entrepreneurs and transformed economic development practices.

He created two major conferences on innovation and entrepreneurship: the Global Innovation Summit and ESHIP Summit, drawing thousands of participants from around the world. Hwang also co-founded and led Liquidity, a Silicon Valley startup and T2 Venture Creation, a venture firm building startups and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Hwang has held leadership roles at Larta Institute and Veatros and practiced corporate and technology law at Mayer Brown and Irell and Manella. A contributor to Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch and Entrepreneur, his opinions have been cited in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. NPR recognized his graduation address to Austin Community College as one of “the best commencement speeches ever.”

He pioneered the "rainforest" metaphor in business, co-authoring the award-winning book "The Rainforest," which explores replicating Silicon Valley's innovation dynamics. Hwang holds a bachelor's degree with honors from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Chicago.

Admission

FREE