Many entrepreneur associations and support organizations engage in public policy advocacy, but how many are effective? It is all too easy to deliver more heat than light, with PR-friendly events and reports that distract from real, day-to-day influence within government.
Join this interactive workshop with leading entrepreneur policy advocates to dig into:
How the Sausage is Made – Advocacy for Policy Change
This session brought together prominent advocates for policy change from the UK, India, Nigeria, and the US to discuss the intricacies of engaging with government and transforming policy landscapes for startups and small businesses. Speakers shared their experiences, challenges, and successes in bridging the gap between entrepreneurs and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, relationship building, evidence-based advocacy, and the power of personal stories. The conversation highlighted both the universal principles of effective advocacy across different jurisdictions and the unique contexts and challenges faced in various countries.
Outline
Introduction of Panelists:
Dom Halas (Startup Coalition, UK), Shweta Rajpal Kohli (Startup Policy Forum, India), Tom Sullivan (US Chamber of Commerce), Oswald Osaratan Goadier (Digit A, Nigeria).
Dom Halas:
Transformation of the Startup Coalition from enthusiastic amateurs to an influential body. The role of Dom in lobbying the government, including during the Silicon Valley Bank collapse and the pandemic. The importance of translating between the worlds of startups and government. Using founders' qualitative stories alongside quantitative data for advocacy. The UK government's media-driven environment and using pressure tactics. Building relationships with MPs and politicians who care about technology. Navigating challenges after initial successes and maintaining relationships during difficult political times. An instance of upsetting the government and the lesson learned.
Shweta Rajpal Kohli:
Inspiration for launching the Startup Policy Forum (SPF) to bridge the gap between founders and government in India. SPF's rapid growth and member base. Key priorities including reverse flipping (startups domiciling back to India), digital payments, AI regulations, and data privacy. SPF's pillars: policy advocacy, supporting startups going global, community building, and promoting the Indian ecosystem. Example of driving policy change for reverse flipping, reducing the process from 12–18 months to 60 days. The unique value founders add to the policy process by providing real-world insights and disruption awareness to policymakers. A key insight: "Everything is possible but nothing is certain" in policy work.
Tom Sullivan:
Overview of the US Chamber of Commerce's representation of 3 million businesses. Example of achieving policy change: establishing a small claims court for copyright infringement to help creators. Current focus on preserving pro-growth tax provisions set to expire. Changes in the policy landscape, including increased political polarization. What doesn't work: founders pretending to be political insiders. How change is achieved: through trust, authenticity, relationships, and celebrating small victories. A mistake made: putting all advocacy weight into one Senate relationship and neglecting a potential foe. Engaging the Trump administration on tariffs and deregulation, using narratives like Philip Freeman's story.
Oswald Osaratan Goadier:
His journey from entrepreneur into government. The process behind the Nigeria Startup Act, driven by the private sector with government support. The importance of getting consensus and finding commonality of 'whys' in policy development. What surprised him in government: the lack of trust stemming from a lack of participation, leading to public sector overreach. How disruption is perceived in the public sector (as change needing protection or regulation). Convincing skeptical entrepreneurs to engage with government despite slow processes and trust deficits. The ongoing problem of trust deficit and the need for continuous collaboration and transparency. The "big tent" approach to bringing stakeholders together and navigating tensions. Current work with UNDP Timbuktu, focusing on continent-wide ecosystem development and policy harmonization. The "soil" of policy being critical for entrepreneurial growth.
Victor Hwang:
Founder of Right to Start, advocating for entrepreneurship as a civic priority and human right. The core barrier: entrepreneurs are dynamic and lack time/money for traditional lobbying infrastructure. Reframing entrepreneurship as a fundamental right (the "right to start") resonates deeply with Americans. Using this rights-based narrative to ignite engagement and drive legislative action at the state level. The unpredictable and winding path of moving ideas into implemented policy at the state and local level. The importance of stories and translating narratives into policy expertise. Example of an unexpected veto and the lesson learned about not trusting the political flow. Strategies for persuading busy founders to engage: lowering barriers and making participation easy (e.g., simple shares, videos, prepared meetings). Hope in a polarized climate: entrepreneurship as a unifying issue (94% approval) and a means of renewing society. Entrepreneurship is a 360-degree problem, requiring a broad policy approach, not a silver bullet.
Panel Discussion:
Similarities and differences in operating contexts across countries. Schweta on explaining advocacy to Indian founders, treating government as a customer, and founders learning through doing. Tom and Victor on standing out in the crowded US advocacy market using a "bouquet of options" and competitive tracking, and the power of emotional stories. Oswald on building internal credibility and using diverse skill sets and tactics (rallies, animations, op-eds) to mobilize support. The importance of founders knowing the policies governing their business. Discussion on grassroots vs. grass tops advocacy, concluding both are essential. Discussion on teaching founders about advocacy: formal courses versus learning by doing and the importance of peer-to-peer training. The impact of physical environment on advocacy dynamics.
Notable Quotes
"I always joke that that my job is to translate between two different worlds and and sometimes that that is very literal." – Dom Halas, on the role of an advocacy professional.
"everything is possible but nothing is certain. That's policy for you because you know what you have to go for the moonshot and you have you can't give up... the effort is in your hands, but the outcomes are not." – Shweta Rajpal Kohli, on the nature of policy work.
"Change is achieved through trust. It starts with authenticity. It grows through relationships. But if the advocacy professionals don't have trust, you cannot achieve change." – Tom Sullivan, on the core element of policy change.
"policy is actually the soil. The environment which you plant those ideas in is really critical." – Oswald Osaratan Goadier, emphasizing the foundational role of policy for entrepreneurial growth.
"this issue of entrepreneur opportunity is a 34 is a 94% polling issue and this is about the only thing only major economic issue that we agree on today." – Victor Wong, highlighting the unifying potential of entrepreneurship advocacy.
Key Takeaways
Translating & Bridging the Gap: Effective advocacy requires professionals who can understand and translate the needs and perspectives of both entrepreneurs and policymakers, bridging the inherent cultural and temporal differences between these groups.
Authenticity and Storytelling: Founders' authentic stories are crucial for adding a qualitative, human element to evidence-based advocacy, making policy issues relatable and impactful for decision-makers.
Relationships & Trust: Building trust and maintaining relationships with politicians and civil servants is fundamental, requiring honesty, consistency, and support, even during challenging political periods.
Collaboration & Inclusivity: A "big tent" approach that brings together diverse stakeholders from both the private and public sectors, fostering collaboration and coordination, is essential to overcome fragmentation and drive unified policy goals.
Lowering Barriers to Engagement: Given entrepreneurs' limited time, advocacy organizations must make participation easy and accessible, enabling founders to contribute their stories and perspectives without requiring deep policy expertise.
Resources Mentioned
Startup Coalition (UK)
Startup Policy Forum (India)
US Chamber of Commerce
Digit A (Nigeria)
Right to Start (US)
UNDP Timbuktu initiative
Jen (likely GEC, the conference host)
US India Business Council
Midian International
Bloomberg (Philanthropies)
Sequoia Capital India (now Peak XV)
Uber
Salesforce
Office for Budget Responsibility (UK)
Clubhouse (social media platform)
Stanford (referenced for an AI paper)
Amazon (mentioned as a platform for a business)
National Assembly (Nigeria)
AFCA (African Continental Free Trade Area)
Action Items
Entrepreneurs should recognize government as a key stakeholder and build relationships in "peace time".
Advocacy organizations should facilitate opportunities for founders to tell their stories and bridge the gap with policymakers.
Organizations should consider peer-to-peer training or bootcamps to help founders overcome the fear of engaging with government.
Founders should understand the policies and regulations governing their specific business and environment.
