Immigrants are a major driver of the American entrepreneurial economy. More than 40% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children, over 50% of American billion-dollar “unicorn” startups have at least one immigrant founder, and immigrants are nearly twice as likely as the native-born to start a new company.

And thanks to newly released data from the Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs (ASE), we now know that, perhaps unsurprisingly, the San Jose metropolitan area – often considered the heart of Silicon Valley – is the metro with highest share of immigrant entrepreneurs in the U.S.

After a furious check-writing phase through early-to-mid 2015, investors in VC-backed companies remain cautious in 2016, as major economies continue to face economic uncertainty and startup companies experience a difficult exit environment. 

Q3 2016 saw USD$24.1 billion invested across 1,983 deals globally, representing a very slight deal increase from Q2 2016, but a 14 percent decline in total quarterly funding. Although the deal volume is still quite healthy by pre-2014 standards, this was the lowest quarter of funding since Q3 2014.

Get the free 103-page report for all the latest financing trends globally. 

Image: https://www.cbinsights.com

Ask people who live and work in the American north-west’s metropolitan hub of Seattle, and there’s one thing you’ll hear again and again: the city sure is changing. Maybe it’s the booming economy and all the people attracted to the area as a result: driven by entrepreneurship and innovation, Seattle was America’s fastest growing major city in July 2013. By May of 2015, it was growing at 2.1 per cent annually and still ranked in the top five.

Politicians like to brag about American entrepreneurs. Hilary Clinton did it in her speech at the Democratic National Convention; Paul Ryan has called the United States the most innovative in the world. On Thursday, the White House released a fact sheet asserting that “America continues to be the world’s most innovative country.”

But what if it turns out that America isn't as entrepreneurial as our leaders like to believe? And that the smaller U.S. safety net, which reflects a national belief in self-reliance, is one reason?

Under President Obama’s leadership, America continues to be the world’s most innovative country, with the greatest potential to develop the industries of the future and harness science and technology to help address important challenges.

President Obama has relentlessly focused on building U.S. talent and capacity in science and technology; making the long-term investments that will continue to power American innovation; and setting ambitious goals that inspire and harness the ingenuity and creativity of the American people.  

This may come as unpleasant news, but all stress isn’t bad. That doesn't mean that feeling overwhelmed and exhausted at work isn't a problem—it is. But some stress, in short bursts, can actually drive your performance on the job if you know how to use it.

And that's a bit of a balancing act. You don't need to be told that too much stress can hurt your health and productivity. But many people don't quite grasp how to use a certain degree of work-related stress to help them. Here's a look at the different kinds of stress you're likely to experience and how to strike that delicate balance.

Mary O’Connor had long wanted researchers to decipher her genetic code to better understand a deadly heart condition that runs in her family. But the 52-year-old woman balked at providing a saliva or blood sample to researchers because they would neither promise to give her the results nor pay her for her trouble.

O’Connor, of Nantucket, Massachusetts, finally submitted her sample in March after a start-up medical company, DNAsimple, gave her $50 for it—no windfall, but enough to meet the monthly co-payments for three of her medicines. Plus, she’ll get another payment every time a new sample is needed.

On September 27, 2016, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced the redesignation of 12 manufacturing communities under the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative. The communities were all initially designated under the first round of the IMCP competition in 2014.

The IMCP is an EDA-led program designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities nationwide by supporting the development of long-term economic development strategies that help communities attract and expand private investment in the manufacturing sector and increase international trade and exports.

Image: https://content.govdelivery.com

By guiding the design of customer interactions, the principles of behavioral science offer a simple, low-cost route to improved customer satisfaction.

Service operations seem a natural setting for the ideas of behavioral science. Every year, companies have thousands, even millions, of interactions with human beings—also known as customers. Their perceptions of an interaction, behavioral scientists tell us, are influenced powerfully by considerations such as its sequence of painful and pleasurable experiences. Companies care deeply about the quality of those interactions and invest heavily in effective Web sites and in responsive, simplified call centers.

MD Start, a European medical technology accelerator, announced Thursday that it has raised $11.5 million to create and fund four new French companies that can fulfill unmet needs in the medical device market.

The round was led by French Tech Acceleration Fund managed by Bpifrance, a French public investment bank. Other returning investors were French venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners, Dublin-based Medtronic, and LivaNova, a London-based medical device company.

Image: http://medcitynews.com

How much will you need to retire?

Well, in 2014, Matthew Illian, a member of the Investment Committee at Marotta Wealth Management, Inc., wrote that “Someone retiring now in 2014 with $1 million at age 65 can safely withdraw $43,600 a year. However, (because of inflation), today’s 20-year-olds will need over $7 million to have that same lifestyle when they retire. In 1970, they would only have needed $166,000 in retirement to have a similar purchasing power for the rest of their life.”

BANGKOK – The Royal Thai Government is introducing the “Creative Thailand 2016” as a showcase of the creative economy concept, the nationwide campaign covering creative people, creative places, and creative products. It will be under the theme “Think Big”, scheduled to take place at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) from 19 to 23 October, 2016. In parallel with the Creative Thailand 2016, there will also be the 41st Bangkok International Gift Fair and Bangkok International Houseware Fair (BIG + BIH), which represents the creative products aspect of the event.

Image: http://www.traveldailynews.asia

When I was young and just starting out in my career, one of the networking principles I followed was the common advice of “introduce two people every week.” So every week, I dutifully fired up my computer and typed out an email introduction to two people I’d thought of that week who would benefit from knowing each other.

A few weeks later, after introducing a friend of mine to a fairly well-known author whom I’d collaborated with, I got an email back from the author. His message was short but it cut to the bone: “Not cool. Please reach out first for permission to share my contact information.” Without checking with him first, I’d given this new person permission to contact him whenever and forever.

Recent Census data indicate several metro areas' populations are expected to grow by at least 50 percent from 2015 to 2040. Without peeking, can you identify those places?

The owner of a graphic design firm worries that her clients have dried up despite her best efforts. Even a seemingly bulletproof marketing plan that worked in the past is now yielding crickets. What should she do? And how exactly should she go about deciding what’s best for her business?

Your problem-solving instincts may tell you that she’d better start brainstorming and making a detailed spreadsheet with a step-by-step plan. But both anecdotal evidence and published research suggest that taking a moment of inaction may be just as, if not more, important.

In fine dining, a Michelin star is commonly seen as the ultimate certification that a restaurant meets a particular standard of excellence. As a result, Michelin stars attract diners willing to pay hundreds of dollars per person. What most industry outsiders don’t appreciate, though, is just how much is involved in achieving and maintaining a star rating.

For instance, chefs complain that Michelin prioritizes “consistency,” which means that Michelin-starred chefs must forgo the opportunity to experiment. In addition, Michelin expects restaurants to maintain certain standards of decor, a long menu, a well-stocked wine cellar, and a large staff, all of which can be ruinously expensive. As a result, restaurants can feel that the increased demand attracted by Michelin stars is not worth the additional expenses and constraints, and some have even gone as far as returning their stars.

Like Kennedy’s moonshot, the next president will need to think boldly, not incrementally. There is no better place for the next president to start than with his or her own house.

Fixing the federal enterprise first will send a strong signal to the private sector while leading from the front. Make the federal enterprise the bastion of strong security technology and practices and set the bar high as the exemplar for the private sector and the nation.

GAINESVILLE and BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Institute for Commercialization of Public Research (the Institute) announced today results of a new study conducted by The Washington Economics Group, Inc.® (WEG), a boutique economic consulting firm led by nationally recognized business economist Dr. J. Antonio (Tony) Villamil. The study measured economic impacts of the Institute between 2011 and 2016, and concluded that the organization's impact throughout the state of Florida increased significantly during the past fiscal year (2015-16), resulting in a total economic impact of $630 million over the six-year period.

NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Engine Advocacy and Tusk Ventures released their second "Grading the Candidates on Tech" report card, this time grading the positions that candidates for the U.S. Senate are taking with key issues facing startups and the innovation economy. Twenty-two candidates were rated based on their level of support, understanding, and familiarity with technology and the priorities of the nation's startup community. Final grades reflect candidates' positions on key issues including broadband access and infrastructure, intellectual property, data security and privacy, and talent acquisition.

Bob Dylan was named the winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature Thursday in a stunning announcement that for the first time bestowed the prestigious award to someone primarily seen as a musician.

The Swedish Academy cited the American musician for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”

Image: Bob Dylan perform on the stage in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 20, 2011. Dylan won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced in Stockholm on Oct. 13, 2016.