Community Organizers

Meet the business activists.

Clockwise from left Joshua Baer, Gavin Newsom, Richard Lugar, John Kerry, Caleb Zigas, Lisa Patt-McDaniel

Courtesy Company; Flickr/ecopolitologist; Flickr/Chairmanof the Joint Chief of Staffs; Ohio Department of Development; Sarah Peet

Clockwise from left Joshua Baer, Gavin Newsom, Richard Lugar, John Kerry, Caleb Zigas, Lisa Patt-McDaniel

 

The movement to make the U.S. more start-up friendly is diverse and largely uncoordinated. Here are six players who are making a difference.

Joshua Baer is managing director of the Capital Factory in Austin.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is opening city databases to entrepreneurs.

Senators Richard Lugar and John Kerry are co-sponsors of entrepreneur-friendly immigration legislation.

Caleb Zigas is executive director of La Cocina, a food-business incubator in San Francisco.

Lisa Patt-McDaniel is director of the Ohio Department of Development, which is working to boost angel investing in the state.