Congressional Startup Day

Congressional Startup Day is a nationwide celebration of entrepreneurial communities, organized each August by Engine, a nonprofit technology policy, research, and advocacy organization that bridges the gap between policymakers and startups. During the August congressional recess, members of the House and Senate meet with startups and entrepreneurs in their own states and districts. The meetings, which generally run 30 to 60 minutes, take founders out of the policy shadows and put them face to face with their elected officials. The goal is straightforward: let the people building new companies tell policymakers, in their own words, what helps them grow and what holds them back.

The event first began in 2013, launched with then-Representatives Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.). What started as Startup Day Across America has evolved into a fixture of the August recess, and the underlying mission has never changed: generate support for local startup communities and raise awareness about the important contributions of the country’s entrepreneurs. Over the years the day has been led by bipartisan co-chairs from both chambers, including Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Tim Scott and Representatives Yvette Clarke and French Hill in 2020, and Senators Cory Booker and Shelley Moore Capito with Representatives Young Kim and Dean Phillips in 2021. In 2021, Representatives Young Kim and Dean Phillips went a step further, introducing a House resolution officially designating August 18, 2021, as Congressional Startup Day.

The numbers tell the story of a movement. Since 2018, Engine has facilitated more than 400 meetings between startups and members of Congress, stretching from Anchorage to Miami and everywhere in between. The day sits at the center of Startup Advocacy Week, a weeklong initiative of meetings and events connecting all levels of government with the startup ecosystem. In 2022 the week’s events ran through the week of August 15; in 2024 the day itself fell on August 14 with events throughout August 12 to 16. Recent observances landed on mid-August Wednesdays: August 21 in 2019, August 12 in 2020, August 18 in 2021, August 17 in 2022, August 16 in 2023, and August 14 in 2024, with the most recent observances marked on August 1. Follow the hashtags #CongressionalStartupDay and #StartupDay to watch the day unfold in real time.

Startups are one of the most powerful engines of the American economy. They are deeply rooted in the communities they occupy, creating jobs, attracting talent, and turning local ideas into national industries. In 2019, the New Democrat Coalition noted that startups accounted for nearly two million new jobs that year alone. But young companies also face unique hurdles, from access to capital to patent policy to the cost of navigating complex regulations. Congressional Startup Day exists so that the people who understand those challenges best, the founders living them, have a seat at the table when policy is made. A single conversation in a district office can shape how a lawmaker thinks about innovation for years.

You do not need to be a founder or a lawmaker to take part. Anyone can follow the day’s events online, cheer on local startups, or visit an incubator or coworking space in their own community. Entrepreneurs who want to meet their representatives can reach out to Engine, which helps schedule meetings during the week. And every citizen can do the simplest thing of all: learn the name of one startup in their hometown and buy from them, share their story, or introduce them to a neighbor. The future of the American economy is being built in garages and coworking spaces in every state, and this is the day we pay attention.

THE STORY BEHIND CONGRESSIONAL STARTUP DAY

🏛 Launched in 2013
Congressional Startup Day began in 2013 with then-Representatives Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who wanted members of Congress to see startup innovation firsthand in their own districts. What started as Startup Day Across America has grown into an annual August tradition connecting lawmakers with local entrepreneurs.

🤝 Engine, the Organizer
The day is organized by Engine, a nonprofit technology policy, research, and advocacy organization that bridges the gap between policymakers and startups. Engine works year-round with thousands of high-growth startups to support technology entrepreneurship, and Congressional Startup Day is its flagship August event.

📜 A Day in the Congressional Record
In 2021, Representatives Young Kim (R-Calif.) and Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) introduced a House resolution officially designating August 18, 2021, as Congressional Startup Day. The resolution recognized the vital role startups play in the economy and the importance of giving entrepreneurs a voice in policymaking.

📅 The Week Around the Day
The celebration sits at the heart of Startup Advocacy Week, a weeklong run of meetings and events. The day has recently fallen on mid-August Wednesdays, from August 21 in 2019 to August 14 in 2024, with the most recent observances marked on August 1, the date carried forward for 2027.

🌍 From Anchorage to Miami
The day’s reach is genuinely national. Engine has coordinated startup-lawmaker meetings in every region of the country, from Alaska to Florida, in big tech hubs and small towns alike. The message is that innovation is not a coastal monopoly: founders are building companies in Des Moines, Detroit, Conway, and hundreds of other communities, and their representatives need to see it.

💼 Why Startups Matter
Startups create jobs, energize local economies, and turn bold ideas into real companies. In 2019, the New Democrat Coalition noted that startups accounted for nearly two million new jobs that year alone. The day exists so founders can tell policymakers directly what they need to keep growing.

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

🚀 Meet Your Local Founders
Visit a startup, incubator, or coworking space in your community during the week and see what is being built in your backyard. Ask founders about their journey and their challenges; you will leave with a new appreciation for the local innovation economy.

📧 Write Your Representative
Send a note to your member of Congress about a startup policy that matters to you, from access to capital to fair patent rules. Lawmakers listen hardest during the August recess, and a personal story from a constituent carries real weight.

📢 Amplify the Day Online
Follow #CongressionalStartupDay and #StartupDay on August 1, share stories of startups you admire, and tag your representatives. A little social media spotlight helps the whole country see where innovation is happening.

Celebrate Congressional Startup Day

On August 1, 2027, celebrate the founders building the future in every corner of America. Visit a local startup, write your lawmaker, or simply share the story of a young company you believe in. Innovation does not only happen in Silicon Valley; it happens wherever someone dares to start something new.