Nevada Becomes Founding State of "America the Entrepreneurial" Initiative
First State with Dedicated Office of Entrepreneurship Reinforces National Leadership Ahead of America’s 250th Anniversary
CARSON CITY, Nevada | January 2025
The Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) and its Office of Entrepreneurship have announced Nevada's inclusion as a Founding State of "America the Entrepreneurial," a national movement to celebrate and expand entrepreneurship ahead of the 250th anniversary of American Independence on July 4, 2026.
The initiative, created by the national nonprofit Right to Start, is driven by a powerful premise: "For the 250th Anniversary of the United States, we are championing a full reset of how America supports its entrepreneurs, because entrepreneurs build the future. When the entrepreneurial spirit thrives, our nation thrives."
At its core, America the Entrepreneurial is a nonpartisan campaign clearing the path so every dreamer—from every corner of the nation—can build, create, and forge a better future. The movement aims to unite federal, state, and local governments with private partners and startup support organizations into a unified network, presenting an "entrepreneur-friendly national model" through regulatory reform, open public procurement, startup data transparency, and expanded community-based support systems.
"Innovation thrives when entrepreneurs have clear pathways, strong support systems, and access to the right resources. As a Founding State, Nevada is reinforcing the right to start a business by investing in policies and programs focused on removing barriers, expanding opportunity, and empowering entrepreneurs in every corner of the state to turn ideas into lasting economic impact."
— Melissa Saavedra, Director, Office of Entrepreneurship
Governor Joe Lombardo signs the Right to Start Act (AB77), establishing the nation's first dedicated Office of Entrepreneurship
Nevada at the Center of Entrepreneurial Policy
This participation places Nevada once again at the forefront of the national stage for entrepreneurship policy, following Governor Joe Lombardo's signing of AB77—the "Right to Start Act"—in 2023. AB77 made Nevada the first among all 50 U.S. states to establish a dedicated Office of Entrepreneurship under the Governor's office, legally and institutionally declaring that "every Nevada resident has the right to start a business."
Kim Lane, Executive Director of America the Entrepreneurial and COO of Right to Start, noted: "We've worked closely with the Office of Entrepreneurship within the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development, which is a national leader in advancing the cause of entrepreneurship. Nevada is now adding yet another key dimension to its national leadership on entrepreneurship."
Practical Benefits of Founding State Status
Federal Policy Access: Nevada positions itself as a model case and pilot state in federal startup and small business policy discussions, securing priority access channels for regulatory reform, pilot programs, and financial support.
Network Connectivity: Through collaboration with Right to Start, Nevada's startups, small businesses, and support organizations gain expanded opportunities to connect with national partners and funders.
Platform Integration: GOED's "Entrepreneurship Dashboard" and "Nevada Business Hub" will integrate with America the Entrepreneurial's data and storytelling platforms, serving as windows to showcase Nevada entrepreneurs' growth paths and success stories nationwide.
Enhanced Branding: Adding "Founding State of America the Entrepreneurial Initiative" strengthens Nevada's image as a "state of choice for founders," advantageous for attracting innovative companies, investors, and talent—not only in Las Vegas and Reno but also in rural, mining, and manufacturing hubs that GOED is actively developing.
"Nevada is ready to partner" — Governor Joe Lombardo
Nevada Small Business Profile 2025
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2025 State Profile, small businesses form the backbone of Nevada's economy:
Small Business Employment Share by County (Source: SBA/Census)
353,621 small businesses representing 99.3% of all Nevada businesses
578,767 small business employees representing 45.0% of Nevada's private workforce
Small business employment in Nevada grew by 62.1% between 1998 and 2022, exceeding the national small business employment growth rate.
Employment Dynamics (March 2023 – March 2024)
Between March 2023 and March 2024, Nevada saw 14,820 establishments open and 12,241 close, resulting in a net increase of 2,579 establishments. Small businesses accounted for 14,403 openings and 11,792 closings.
Opening and expanding Nevada establishments added 169,658 jobs, while closing and contracting establishments lost 139,675, for a net increase of 29,983 jobs. Small businesses contributed 23,302 of those new jobs—representing 77.7% of total job growth.
Small Business Count by Size and Industry
Source: Nonemployer Statistics & Statistics of U.S. Businesses, 2022 (Census)
Leading small business sectors in Nevada include: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (50,219 businesses), Transportation & Warehousing (48,285), Other Services (38,749), Real Estate (37,412), and Administrative & Support Services (30,980).
Small Business Lending
In 2023, reporting banks issued $647.3 million in loans to Nevada businesses with revenues of $1 million or less. Total reported new lending through loans of $1 million or less reached $2.0 billion, while lending through loans of $100,000 or less totaled $1.1 billion.
Small Business Exports
A total of 3,697 identified firms exported goods worth $7.2 billion from Nevada in 2023. Of those exporters, 3,156—or 85.4%—were small businesses. Small firm exports totaled $2.1 billion, representing 28.7% of exports by identified firms.
Business Ownership Demographics
Women own 46.0% of Nevada businesses while comprising 45.7% of the workforce. Veterans own 6.0% of businesses (5.5% of workforce). Hispanic entrepreneurs own 22.1% of businesses (29.8% of workforce).
About the Office of Entrepreneurship
As part of GOED's Innovation-Based Economic Development division, the Office of Entrepreneurship connects Nevada's entrepreneurs and small businesses with the resources they need to succeed. Its goal is to reduce barriers, strengthen programs, and identify regional challenges to help more Nevadans start and grow their businesses.
The office was established in 2023 when Governor Lombardo signed AB77, known as the Right to Start Act. This landmark legislation made Nevada the first state in the country to have a dedicated Office of Entrepreneurship, legally and institutionally declaring the vision that "every Nevada resident has the right to start a business."
AB77 mandates the Office to: review state-level startup regulations and administrative procedures to reduce unnecessary barriers; coordinate and connect entrepreneurial ecosystem support programs; and annually report growth metrics for new and early-stage businesses (including government procurement, regional and demographic startup data, and regulatory improvement recommendations).
This distinguishes Nevada's approach from traditional Small Business Advocacy offices that primarily address existing small business concerns. Nevada has built the first state model that strategically manages entrepreneurship at its earliest stages—the creation of new enterprises.
About the Governor's Office of Economic Development
Created during the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature, the Governor's Office of Economic Development is the result of a collaborative effort between the Nevada Legislature and the Governor's Office to restructure economic development in the state. GOED's mission is to promote a robust, diversified, and prosperous economy in Nevada, stimulate business expansion and retention, encourage entrepreneurial enterprise, attract new businesses, and facilitate community development.
About America the Entrepreneurial
America the Entrepreneurial is an initiative of Right to Start, a national nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization fighting to expand entrepreneurial opportunity for all. The campaign recognizes that "the path to starting and growing a business is harder than it should be, blocking millions of us from the opportunity to build a better America."
Right to Start emphasizes that America the Entrepreneurial "is building off of coalitions and entrepreneur communities built by Right to Start across the nation." When the Right to Start is realized, prosperity spreads through homegrown jobs, higher incomes, stronger communities, lower inequality, and less poverty.