CEOs' Burning Questions to the President

We asked members of the Inc. community what one question they want the president to address in Tuesday night's State of the Union. Here's what they had to say.

Jon Burgstone, managing director at Symbol Capital, with President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama will deliver his third State of the Union address tonight at 9 p.m. ET to a joint session of Congress and millions of viewers on television and online. This will be his chance to steal attention from the Republican presidential nominees, who have already charged that the address will be a rehashing of old ideas.

With his own re-election campaign at stake, this will be the president's opportunity to address the attacks that GOP opponents have been launching at him daily on issues of the economy, government spending and national debt, the war in Iraq, and health care.

This is Obama's best chance to offer a vision for a second term--so we thought it would be a great idea to ask Inc. readers and many on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S. what one question they would like to ask the President. The answers could help how these engines of the economy will vote in the 2012 election:

From Shazi Visram, CEO and Founder of HAPPYFAMILY, which makes organic food and snacks for babies and children:

I am personally so very aware of the multitude of challenges facing start-ups in general, it is a daunting task. Even for HappyFamily, a company that is just beyond start-up stage and has a massive growth opportunity, we are restrained by not having more options to institutional debt for working capital. Most banks require two to three years of profitable tax returns before considering debt as an option, which is difficult if you are just getting started. My concern is that if we do not invest more dollars in innovation, new enterprise and these potential job creators, with additional focus and support to encourage them to take the leap, that many great ideas and strong innovations could be missed opportunities for the country.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are the fundamentals of the strong economy America has built, and it’s very clear that we need to turn back and put more emphasis on innovation in order to help get us out of the recession and create new jobs in the marketplace, yet it is challenging to launch a small business in an economy that has incredibly tough credit constraints. What would you do in the coming to term to support small businesses and encourage private investing?

From Rene Shimada Siegel, founder and CEO of High Tech Connect, an agency that provides marketing consultants:

The independent labor force is the fastest-growing segment of the American workforce today, and is expected to grow from 16 million to more than 21 million over the next few years. Because they’re cost-effective and independent, these independents are going to help small businesses augment regular staff. Some of them are going to turn into small businesses, and that’s going to stimulate employment. In fact, like me, many independent business owners start as sole proprietors and evolve into small businesses that employ others. So if you’re going to stimulate the economy, why don’t you help support those budding seeds—the independents that will soon be business owners?

"The President should change the name of the Small Business Administration to something like the Entrepreneurial Opportunity Administration. Names mean a lot." -Jon Burgstone, managing director at Symbol Capital

From Eron Zehavi, chief rewards officer and co-founder of Prodégé, an advertising and marketing firm that offers "virtual currency" to its users, in exchange for their registration, every time they search, purchase, play games, and share opinions online:

There is an alarming growth rate of obesity among Americans, as well as those inflicted with diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. At the same time, consumption of high fructose corn syrup has risen at parallel rates and the number of feedlot cattle being fed corn instead of grass is at an all time high. Given that the government has paid over 77 billion dollars in corn subsidies since 1995, it can be argued that the government is really subsidizing obesity and poor nutrition. What is your plan to remedy this situation?

From Andy Levine, founder of Sixthman, which designs theme cruises with an emphasis on celebrating the communities around pop musicians and their fans:

People need confidence that we are moving in some direction instead of gridlock. And when our elected leaders can't make decisions it sets a bad example to the rest of the country. What is he planning to do differently to give us confidence that he and congress can actually make decisions and move forward on issues?

We are an overweight and in-debt nation because of choices we make. What is the plan to educate the country about the relationship with food and money so that young people have the tools to build smart habits and disciplined lifestyle?

I believe the two issues are related to one another and am curious why it is not a critical part of the education system from an early age. No one feels better in their live than when they achieve physical and financial health. As a nation, we know more about taking care of our cars and gadgets then we do about our bodies and our finances. We are born free but then make ourselves slaves by falling into traps that were set by the generation before us. When America begins making good choices around food and money, we will be the best example for the rest of the world.

Nicole Marie Richardson is the executive editor for special projects at Inc.com. She manages the website's largest projects, including the Inc. 5000, an annual list of the fastest-growing, privately-held companies in America. @nicole_marie79

Eric Markowitz reports on start-ups, entrepreneurs, and issues that affect small businesses. Previously, he worked at Vanity Fair. He lives in New York City. @EricMarkowitz

Kimberly Weisul is editor-at-large for Inc co-founder of One Thing New. She was previously a senior editor at BusinessWeek, where she spearheaded coverage of entrepreneurship and small business. @weisul

Eric Schurenberg is the editor-in-chief of Inc. Before joining Inc, Eric was the editor of CBS MoneyWatch.com and BNET.com and managing editor of Money Magazine. As a writer, he is a winner of a Loeb and a National Magazine Award. @EricSchurenberg