Right to Start Announces Third Co-Chair of the Network of State Entrepreneurship Leaders
Membership in NELN has Grown to 15 States
Kansas City, MO – September 16, 2025 – Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization championing entrepreneurship as a civic priority, today announced a third Co-Chair of the National Entrepreneurship Leaders Network (NELN), the first-ever network to unite state leaders of Offices of Entrepreneurship and/or similarly tasked agencies advancing new models of public support for entrepreneurship. NELN cultivates opportunities for these state leaders to connect, share, and learn, helping them strengthen their work regionally and drive impact nationally.
When NELN launched in May, it had two Co-Chairs, who advise Right to Start on NELN activities:
Ben Marchionna, Chief Innovation Ecosystem Officer at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Taylor Overton, Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship in the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Joining them now is a third Co-Chair:
Nora Meyers Sackett, Director of the Technology & Innovation Office in the New Mexico Economic Development Department.
In just four months, NELN’s membership has grown from officials in nine states to officials in 15 states: Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The state leaders whom NELN brings together are those with statewide responsibility for strengthening entrepreneurial opportunities, especially by coordinating policies, streamlining processes, and building up the ecosystem.
NELN hosts monthly virtual meetings to discuss topics relevant to the members’ leadership roles, share insights, and explore best practices. The meetings provide a valuable opportunity for state leaders of entrepreneurship to learn from each other. Upcoming meetings are designed to serve one of two purposes: address issues that NELN members are navigating, as they lead entrepreneurship efforts in their states; or, tap the collective expertise of NELN members to co-create tools and resources that can serve current and future NELN members. NELN also hosts an annual in-person event to deepen relationships, provide training, and facilitate collaboration.
“Statewide Offices of Entrepreneurship are essential to realizing the potential of entrepreneurship to generate business and job growth in every community,” said Victor W. Hwang, Founder and CEO of Right to Start. “It’s, therefore, important that the leaders of these offices have the national support that they need to realize that potential. Right to Start is pleased to be able to offer that support through the National Entrepreneurship Leaders Network.”
“It’s exciting to be bringing these statewide leaders together on a regular basis,” said Jason Wiens, Right to Start’s Senior Policy Specialist, who coordinates the activities of NELN. “It pools their collective wisdom and advances innovations that can ultimately benefit the entire nation.”
Right to Start operates NELN, providing strategic guidance, facilitating member interaction, and drawing on its expertise to support NELN members. There is no cost for state leaders to participate.
New and young businesses create virtually all net job growth in America, and more businesses correlate to higher incomes. Every new business per 100 people adds nearly $500 to average household income in a county, according to data from the GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab.
New businesses are also leading indicators of GDP growth; people who start businesses earn higher lifetime incomes, and more new businesses correlate with lower income inequality. Every 1% increase in entrepreneurial activity in a state correlates with a 2% decline in poverty.
Additional information on NELN is available at www.righttostart.org/neln. For further information, contact Henry Miller at hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com or 917-921-8034.
Right to Start is a national nonpartisan movement to advance entrepreneurship as a civic priority throughout the United States. Entrepreneurship has long been viewed as a solitary endeavor – the lone starter in a basement or garage. Right to Start’s vision is to transform America so that all communities prioritize entrepreneurship, clearing away obstacles to ensure that every American has an equal right to start and a level playing field on which to embark.