Virginia's Young Adults and Entrepreneurs Cite Pro-Growth Policies as Source for Virginia's Top Business Ranking

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Generation Opportunity team traveled to the Charlottesville, Virginia, area for several events and discussions with young adults, business association representatives, entrepreneurs, business owners, and other experts. Generation Opportunity also served as a co-sponsor of the Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, which included business executives representing dozens of regional businesses. The group also participated in the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business E-Conference 2011, built on the slogan – "Innovate, Effectuate."

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"Virginia is rated first in the nation for business by CNBC and, based on comments from business leaders and young adults we talked to, the reasons why are clear. The state has a reputation for low taxes, a well-trained workforce, and leadership that places a higher value on more opportunities for people than higher taxes and over-regulation," said Paul T. Conway, President of Generation Opportunity and a former Chief of Staff for the US Department of Labor. "For elected officials in Washington, D.C. seeking to address the unemployment crisis, Governor McDonnell and Virginia's elected leaders offer a timely lesson on how less government interference leads to more confidence among entrepreneurs planning new ventures and businesses hoping to expand hiring."

Virginia, named the most pro-business state by both CNBC and the Pollina Corporate Real Estate study, has appeared among the top ten states in several other recent national reports that monitor favorable business environments. In the Charlottesville area of the state, the local Chamber of Commerce event showcased regional banks, medical companies, marketing companies, community colleges, media outlets, real estate companies, technology groups, and media production companies.

Generation Opportunity talked to multiple business organizations and business owners and listened to their perspectives on the practical impacts of pro-growth policies. Based on their everyday experiences, those in the business community said lower taxes help attract and retain businesses and create an environment that encourages innovation, experimentation, and risk-taking by entrepreneurs. Young adults from throughout the region agreed and cited Virginia's pro-growth policies as a source of inspiration and a key to increased job prospects.

Kent Williamson, President of Paladin Media Group, a leading local business that hosted a site visit for the Generation Opportunity team, explained the approach entrepreneurs take and what makes them successful, stating, "All businesses begin with an idea and young entrepreneurs have the creativity and the passion to bring these ideas to life. Is it without risk? Of course not, but nothing worth working hard for ever is." 

The Charlottesville area visit marked the latest round in Generation Opportunity's ongoing organizing efforts in Virginia. The organization has participated in and engaged young adults through various activities at the University of Virginia, Liberty University, Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, Patrick Henry College, Washington and Lee College, Virginia Tech, College of William and Mary, and Old Dominion University. Generation Opportunity staff have also trained young leaders from Blue Ridge Community College, Christopher Newport University, Marymount University, Northern Virginia Community College, the University of Richmond, and Tidewater Community College on how to be more effective at organizing both on their campuses and beyond their campuses.

Over the course of the past year, the group has also conducted on-the-ground grassroots organizing efforts within various communities in Richmond, Lexington, Blacksburg, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, and Centreville. These activities included discussions with young Hispanic entrepreneurs and leaders at the 9th Annual "Que Pasa? Festival" – a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month for folks in the Richmond area. During informal field surveys among young Virginia adults conducted by Generation Opportunity, Virginia's Millennials consistently cite the lack of jobs and the poor economy as their top issues of national concern.

ABOUT GENERATION OPPORTUNITY

Generation Opportunity is a non-profit, non-partisan 501 (c)(4) organization that seeks to engage everyone from young adults, to early career professionals, college students, young mothers and fathers, construction workers, current service men and women, veterans, entrepreneurs and all Americans who find themselves dissatisfied with the status quo and willing to create a better tomorrow.

Generation Opportunity operates on a strategy that combines advanced social media tactics with proven field tactics to reach Americans 18-29. The organization's social media platforms – "Being American" on Facebook and "The Constitution" on Facebook – have amassed a total fan base of more than 1.8 million. Both pages post links to relevant articles and reports from sources ranging from the federal General Accountability Office (GAO), to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Brookings Institution, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, and The Heritage Foundation.

Read about Generation Opportunity here; visit "Being American" on Facebook here, and "The Constitution" on Facebook here.

For our Spanish-language page – Generacion Oportunidad – click here.

CONTACT:
Matthew Faraci
202-997-1636
[email protected]

SOURCE Generation Opportunity