President Hillary Clinton would be great for entrepreneurs. At least, that's what Entrepreneurs for Hillary co-founder Shelly Porges thinks, and she would know. Porges has been immersed in entrepreneurship since she founded her first company over 15 years ago. Since then, she's built up startups, become an investor and worked as a senior government official to build up entrepreneurial ecosystems all over the world.
"We were having a meeting at the campaign headquarters and people were talking about about setting up Lawyers for Hillary and Doctors for Hillary," Porges told DC Inno in an interview. "I said, well gosh that means we need to do Entrepreneurs for Hillary."
Porges had well-earned her spot in taking on the job, with a career that really does comprise almost every aspect of entrepreneurship. At the State Department, she launched the Global Women’s Business Initiative before becoming a senior advisor to the Global Entrepreneurship Program. She left the government in 2013 to co-chair the national finance board of Ready for Hillary, helping lead fundraising and lay the groundwork for the Clinton campaign for two years. She left in 2015 to to become managing director of startup investment and advisory firm Reservoir Q Global, but even then was involved in the preparation for the 2016 race.
"I decided that this was the campaign of my lifetime," Porges said. "With Ready for Hillary, I helped raise over $15 million and mobilized millions of supporters before I shifted over to the campaign."
Porges went to work with co-founders and fellow entrepreneurs Lisa Diaz Nash, Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux, Maura O'Neill and fellow Washingtonian Jo Ousterhout. Together they've worked to build up and activate a network of entrepreneurs around the country to volunteer, donate and otherwise get involved in the campaign.
"Right now we're revving up exponentially. We have a very responsive network," Porges said. "We are already exceeding our goals, We are rapidly growing and I do mean rapidly. Just in the last couple of weeks we've been adding so many new people [to the network]."
Entrepreneurs for Hillary isn't just a one-way path to the campaign either. Porges said the group also acts as connection for Clinton and her campaign to learn more about the entrepreneurial community and the role they play.
"She understands that entrepreneurs are job creators, that we're part of the solution to so many issues," Porges said. "She's interested in what we are working on [in areas like] education and edtech. We bring innovation and solutions to the table."
"It's hard work but this is a labor of love," Porges said. "I will be so happy when she is inaugurated."
