Federal Communications Commission DA 21-292 DA 21-292 Released: March 10, 2021 FCC ANNOUNCES MARCH 24, 2021 TECH STARTUP ROUNDTABLE WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING MINORITY, WOMEN, AND SMALL BUSINESS TECH ENTREPRENEURS GN Docket No. 17-208 By this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announces that the Diversity in the Tech Sector Working Group of the FCC’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE) will co-host a virtual event along with the FCC’s Media Bureau entitled Tech Startup Roundtable on March 24, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT. The event will be held virtually and will be open to the public on the Internet via live feed from the FCC’s web page at www.fcc.gov/live and on the FCC’s YouTube channel. The roundtable will feature Minority, Women, and Small Business (MWS) Tech Entrepreneurship Support Organizations that facilitate entrepreneurship in their local cities. Within certain cities, these organizations have become “tech anchor institutions” for conversations, funding, and policies regarding the building of local, inclusive tech ecosystems, and the development of both diverse tech founders and worker pipelines. The roundtable will highlight best practices of industry leaders in training and employment diversity in the tech field. It will feature three structured discussions to share how MWS Tech Entrepreneurship Support Organizations are rapidly becoming economic cornerstones for minority communities, thereby expanding workforce training and employment opportunities in underserved communities, centered around the following themes: ● Theme 1: Firsthand accounts of how MWS Tech Entrepreneurship Support Organizations have sustained operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they function as “tech anchor institutions” in cities to support the rebuilding of tech businesses. ● Theme 2: Capital formation and access to federal small business funding, including grants and loans, for which MWS Tech Entrepreneurship Support Organizations might qualify. ● Theme 3: The range of emerging tech industries for new businesses – including opportunities and challenges – and how MWS Tech Entrepreneurship Support Organizations may serve as conduits to support small tech founders, including those owned by women, minorities, and other diverse entrepreneurs. The complete roundtable agenda is attached to this Public Notice. Open captioning will be provided for this event. Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Requests for such accommodations should be submitted via e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or by calling the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY). Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed, as well as contact information for the requester if more information is needed to address the request. Please allow at least five days’ advance notice for accommodation requests; last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible to accommodate. Members of the public may submit comments to the ACDDE using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System, ECFS, at www.fcc.gov/ecfs. Comments to the ACDDE should be filed in GN Docket No. 17-208. More information about the ACDDE is available at https://www.fcc.gov/advisory-committee-diversity-and-digital-enpowerment. You may also contact Jamila Bess Johnson, the Designated Federal Officer for the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment, at (202) 418-2608, or Jamila-Bess.Johnson@fcc.gov; or Julie Saulnier, Deputy Designated Federal Officer, at (202) 418-1598, or Julie.Saulnier@fcc.gov; or Jamile Kadre, Deputy Designated Federal Officer, at (202) 418-2245 or Jamile.Kadre@fcc.gov. – FCC – Tech Startup Roundtable  A Conversation with Diverse Tech Entrepreneurship Support Organizations Diversity in the Tech Sector Working Group of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment and the FCC’s Media Bureau Federal Communications Commission Washington, DC March 24, 2021 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 10:00 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. Welcome Remarks Anna M. Gomez Partner, Wiley Rein LLP Representing Hispanic National Bar Association Chair, Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE) Heather Gate Director, Digital Inclusion, Connected Nation Vice Chair, ACDDE Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee Senior Fellow, Governance Studies and Director, Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings Institution Chair, Diversity in the Tech Sector Working Group, ACDDE 10:25 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Opening Remarks Dr. Fallon Wilson Board Chair, Board Chair of the Tennessee for Higher Education’s HBCU Success Office Subgroup Lead, Startup Diversity Subgroup, ACDDE 10:30 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Panel: Diversity in Tech Entrepreneurship Panelists: Shelly Bell Founder/CEO, Black Girl Ventures Dr. Quincy Brown Director of Engagement and Research, AnitaB.org Foundation Lili Gangas Chief Technology Community Officer, Kapor Center Jerome Hardaway Founder, Vets Who Code Dr. Makada Henry-Nickie David M. Rubenstein Fellow, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution Andrew Lowenthal Executive Director, Out in Tech Alicia Ortega Co-Director and Co-Founder, Native Women Lead Sabrina Short Founder and CEO, NOLAvate Black Andy Stoll Senior Program Officer, Entrepreneurship, The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Panelists will discuss the three themes listed below, with each discussion led by a different moderator or pair of moderators. Theme 1: Firsthand accounts of how Minority, Women, and Small Business (MWS) Tech Entrepreneurship Support Organizations have sustained operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they function as “tech anchor institutions” in cities to support the rebuilding of tech businesses. Moderator: Christopher Wood Executive Director, LGBT Tech Member, Diversity in the Tech Sector Working Group – Startup Diversity Subgroup, ACDDE Theme 2: Capital formation and access to federal small business funding, including grants and loans, for which MWS Tech Entrepreneurship Support Organizations might qualify. Moderators: Dr. Allison Scott Chief Executive Officer, Kapor Center Member, Diversity in the Tech Sector Working Group – Startup Diversity Subgroup, ACDDE Brian Scarpelli Senior Global Policy Counsel, ACT – The App Association Member, Diversity in the Tech Sector Working Group – Startup Diversity Subgroup, ACDDE Theme 3: The range of emerging tech industries for new businesses – including opportunities and challenges – and how MWS Tech Entrepreneurship Support Organizations may serve as conduits to support small tech founders, including those owned by women, minorities, and other diverse entrepreneurs. Moderators: Rashidi Hendrix Founding Partner, Metallic Entertainment Member, Diversity in the Tech Sector Working Group – Startup Diversity Subgroup, ACDDE Clint Odom V.P. Strategic Alliances & External Affairs, T-Mobile Member, Diversity in the Tech Sector Working Group – Startup Diversity Subgroup, ACDDE 12:10 pm-12:20 p.m. Comments/Questions from the Public 12:20 pm-12:30 p.m. Next Steps and Closing Remarks Dr. Fallon Wilson Board Chair, Board Chair of the Tennessee for Higher Education’s HBCU Success Office Subgroup Lead, Startup Diversity Subgroup, ACDDE Jamila Bess Johnson Designated Federal Officer, ACDDE 2