Business Forward

In this episode, Business Forward hosted a briefing with former U.S. Secretary of Education John King for a discussion on what K through 12 education and workforce development means for small businesses and local economies. After a brief introduction and opening remarks, Secretary King answered questions on topics ranging from pandemic learning loss to preparing students for success and the future...

On October 15th, Business Forward, Small Business for America's Future, American Sustainable Business Council, and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosted a briefing with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo for a discussion on the Build Back Better agenda. After a brief introduction and opening remarks, Secretary Raimondo answered questions on topics ranging from climate to workforce vac...

On September 30th, Business Forward hosted U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm for a briefing and Q&A moderated by Executive Director of Business Forward Liz Fairchild on the Build Back Better agenda and how bold climate action will help business leaders across the country. Secretary Granholm answered questions on topics ranging from reconciliation to clean energy to what tax reform...

On September 23, Business Forward President Jim Doyle and Spitfire Strategies Director Annabelle Gardner hosted a media training on best practices when speaking to the media about voting rights and the Freedom to Vote Act . They also discussed how small businesses can help advocate for stronger voting reforms in their communities and best practices for writing an op-ed or letter to the editor.

On September 9th, Business Forward hosted Special Assistant to the President for Criminal Justice and Guns Policy Chiraag Bains for a discussion on the Administration’s plan for gun violence prevention. After a brief introduction and opening remarks, Chiraag answered questions from business leaders across the country covering topics from gun violence as a public health issue, criminal justice refo...

On July 29, Business Forward hosted Don Graves, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, for a briefing on workforce development and K-12 & adult skill building. In his conversation with NewDEAL leader and Montgomery, Alabama, Mayor Steven Reed, he answered questions from business leaders across the country on topics ranging from education to equity and workforce recruitment. They...

On July 14, Business Forward hosted former IRS Commissioners Fred Goldberg Jr. and Charles Rossotti for a briefing and Q&A on modernizing the IRS and shrinking the tax gap. They answered questions from business leaders across the country on topics ranging from the unequal distribution of the tax gap to what an updated IRS would look like. They also discussed how business leaders can get involv...

On June 29, Business Forward hosted a briefing with Chair Brenda Mallory, and Director of Public Engagement David Kieve, both at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, for a discussion on the Administration’s plans for climate change and environmental justice. After opening remarks and a brief Q&A with Chair Brenda Mallory, David Kieve answered additional questions from business lea...

On June 28, Business Forward hosted Amy Martin, President of Tennessee Cable & Broadband Association, Tom Schatz, President of Citizens Against Government Waste, Cassandra Denton, Owner of SanSational Creations, and State Representative Martin Daniels for a roundtable moderated by Jim Doyle, President of Business Forward, on the digital divide and Knoxville Utility Board proposal. Panelists di...

On June 16, Business Forward hosted U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm for a briefing and Q&A moderated by NewDEAL leader, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego on the American Jobs Plan and building our energy infrastructure back better. Secretary Granholm answered questions from business leaders across the country on topics ranging from the security and resilience of our energy system to Americ...

On June 8th, Business Forward hosted a discussion with Natasha Sarin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the U.S. Department of Treasury, and Zach Butterworth, Director of Private Sector Engagement at the White House Office of Public Engagement. After opening remarks from Butterworth on the American Families Plan, Sarin discussed the IRS and tax provisions of the Plan -- including i...

On June 3, Business Forward President Jim Doyle and Spitfire Strategies Director Annabelle Gardner hosted a media training on best practices when speaking to the media about the anti-corruption and voting rights provisions of the For the People Act. They also discussed how small businesses can help advocate for stronger voting reforms in their communities and best practices for writing an op-ed or...

On May 27, Business Forward hosted a discussion between Managing Director of the Clean Slate Initiative Sheena Meade and Director of Justice Reform and Racial Equity Policy at Microsoft Danyelle Soloman on the power of enacting clean slate policies for economic and workforce development. Chiraag Bains, Special Assistant to the President for Criminal Justice & Guns Policy at the Domestic Policy...

On May 20, Jim Doyle hosted a media training on best practices when speaking to the media about gun safety and strengthening background checks. He also discussed how small businesses can help advocate for stronger gun safety legislation in their communities and best practices for writing an op-ed or letter to the editor. If you want to sign on to our statement calling for the Senate to pass bipart...

On May 14, Business Forward and Small Business for America’s future hosted Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Bharat Ramamurti, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council for a briefing and Q&A on the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. They answered questions from business leaders across the country on topics from procurement...

On May 12, Business Forward hosted a briefing and Q&A on passing federal background check legislation for all gun sales with Sarah Trumble, Senior Director of Federal Affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety. Trumble outlined what federal background check legislation for gun sales would do, how it helps, its chances of passing in Congress, and the steps business leaders can take to help advocate in...

On April 22, Business Forward hosted a briefing and Q&A on the cost of restrictive voting laws with Charles Phillips, Managing Partner and Co-Founder at RECOGNIZE, and David Clunie, Executive Director of the Black Economic Alliance. Phillips and Clunie answered questions about the role of business in the voting rights debate, recent state-level efforts to pass anti-voter legislation, and discu...

On April 21, Business Forward, Small Business for America’s Future, and other partners hosted a briefing and Q&A on building our infrastructure back better with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. Secretary Buttigieg and NewDEAL Leader Mayor Woodfin of Birmingham, Alabama discussed integrating racial and regional equity into the American Jobs Plan rollout, creating good jobs, and provi...

On April 13, Business Forward and Small Business for America’s future hosted a briefing and Q&A on the American Jobs Plan with Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Bharat Ramamurti, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, Joelle Gamble, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and Zach Butterworth, Director of Private Sector...

Byron Auguste, CEO and Co-founder of Opportunity@Work, and David Sutphen, Chief Strategy and Engagement Officer for 2U, joined us for a discussion of skills and opportunity gaps, the public and private sectors’ roles in the future of work, and how the small business community can connect with workforce talent.

On April 1, Business Forward hosted a briefing on manufacturing in the Heartland. White House Associate Director of Public Engagement Will McIntee joined for introductory remarks on how the Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan will impact the Heartland. After these remarks, Mayor Nan Whaley of Dayton, Ohio moderated a discussion between CEO of Heartland Forward Ross DeVol and CEO of Heath-New...

On March 24, Business Forward welcomed New York business leaders Daphany Rose Sanchez, Executive Director and Founder of Kinetic Communities Consulting, and Susannah Bradley, Marketing Director for SunCommon, to discuss recent climate legislation and funding a just clean energy transition. During the conversation, our guests discussed New York’s climate leadership and the Climate and Community Inv...

On March 18, Business Forward welcomed Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, who represents Washington’s first district, for a briefing on H.R. 1, the For the People Act. During the briefing, the Congresswoman outlined the various pro-democracy reforms proposed in H.R. 1, including the creation of a nationwide standard for early voting, the expansion of opportunities to vote by mail, and increased protecti...

On March 16th, Business Forward and Small Business for America’s future briefed Bharat Ramamurti, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, on the American Rescue Plan. He answered questions from business leaders on the plan’s industry-specific provisions, how small businesses will benefit, and what is coming next. This briefing is part of a series of briefings Business Forward and our par...

On February 24, our network briefed Biden officials on the American Rescue Plan. Biden’s Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, Congressman Cedric Richmond joined us for introductory remarks, and Bharat Ramamurti, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, answered questions from business leaders on economic recovery, the plan’s equity components, and PPP loans. This brief...