Right to Start Releases Playbooks to Advance Entrepreneurship as a Nationwide Civic Priority
The Three Playbooks Are Separately Designed for Individuals, Organizations, and Government Leaders as Part of the “America the Entrepreneurial” Campaign
Kansas City, MO – November 13, 2025 – Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization championing entrepreneurship as a civic priority, today released three playbooks as part of “America the Entrepreneurial,” the national campaign to renew America’s entrepreneurial promise as the 250th anniversary of the world’s greatest startup approaches in 2026.
The playbooks are designed to engage and activate three separate audiences – individuals, organizations (“partners”), and government leaders – in support of entrepreneurship. Each playbook contains a list of possible actions – ranging from easy to more involved – as well as explanatory information.
For government leaders, for instance, the playbook includes the following possible actions: Become a “Founder” of “America the Entrepreneurial” as a public official (e.g., Founding Mayor, Founding Governor, etc.); Meet with an entrepreneur; Attend a local entrepreneur event; Publicly champion “America the Entrepreneurial”; Proclaim your community a “Founder”; Champion entrepreneurship in a public speech; Designate an entrepreneurship lead in your jurisdiction; Create a one-stop shop; Reduce or eliminate startup fees.
Together the three playbooks provide a range of offerings for Americans to advance entrepreneurship in their communities, their states, and the nation. The release of the playbooks is timed to enable them to be distributed widely during next week’s Global Entrepreneurship Week (November 17-23). All three playbooks are available at www.americatheentrepreneurial.org/playbooks.
“As I travel the country talking with entrepreneurs and their supporters,” said, Victor W. Hwang, Founder and CEO of Right to Start, “I’m often asked: ‘How can I help?’ These playbooks are the answer, and we hope they will channel the enthusiasm and eagerness of Americans to become actively involved in supporting entrepreneurship at this landmark time in American history.”
“These three playbooks provide a set of tools that Americans can use to mobilize support to make it easier to start and grow a business,” said Kim Lane, Executive Director of “America the Entrepreneurial” and Chief Operating Officer of Right to Start. “Many more Americans want to start a business than actually do, because they think it’s too hard. With these playbooks, we can now join together as a nation to build the environment in which Americans can pursue their dreams, create their own opportunities, and strengthen their livelihoods.”
A recent national survey conducted for Right to Start by a bipartisan team of pollsters found that 43% of voters have thought about starting a new business, but only half of them (21%) have tried. Voters of color are especially entrepreneurial. 54% of Black voters have thought about starting a business, as have 50% of Hispanic voters, compared to 40% of White voters.
The survey also showed that 92% of voters think it is difficult to start and grow a new business today. That assessment of difficulty crosses partisan lines: 94% of Republicans think it is difficult to start and grow a new business, as do 93% of Independents and 92% of Democrats.
“America the Entrepreneurial” is a national campaign that charts a bold course forward to renew the national aspiration that each of us can forge a better future – for a new generation. It is designed to restore entrepreneurship to the center of our national story, ensuring that anyone, regardless of who they are or where they live, can build, create, and contribute.
“America the Entrepreneurial” was conceived and is orchestrated by Right to Start. Its Co-Chairs are Victor W. Hwang, Founder and CEO of Right to Start, and John Bridgeland, CEO and Executive Chair of More Perfect. The campaign, which was launched in June at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indianapolis, has already attracted a National Advisory Council of leading champions of entrepreneurship, a list of whom is available at www.americatheentrepreneurial.org/team.
America was made by builders, dreamers, and risk-takers. Yet today we have a system that too often works against entrepreneurs. Needless barriers block millions of founders, even though new and young businesses create virtually all net job growth in America, and every 1% increase in entrepreneurial activity in a state correlates with a 2% decline in poverty.
Additional information on Right to Start and “America the Entrepreneurial” is available at www.righttostart.org and www.americatheentrepreneurial.org. To speak with Victor Hwang or Kim Lane, 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.