SSTI Digest

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a new pilot program that will to support more than 1,000 startup and earlystage firms across the country. The goal of the Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps' (EMC) is to mobilize members of the current generation of successful business owners to mentor and support startups and entrepreneurs to help them become the next generation of great American companies. In February, SBA Administrator Karen Mills announced one of the EMC's first initiatives to match approximately 100 clean energy startups with mentors. Four regional ‘accelerators’ will identify and match mentors with the clean energy startups. The four accelerators funded in the initial stage of the EMC's clean energy project include:

Led by Govs. Bill Richardson and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Western Governors' Association (WGA) announced last week it would support opportunities to develop a clean, secure and diversified energy system for the West and to capitalize on the region's energy resources. The New Mexico and California governors, respectively, are among those represented by the nonprofit WGA.

James Souby, executive director of the Western Governors' Association for the past 13 years, is resigning to become president and CEO of a new private think tank.