Jonathan Ortmans

Jonathan Ortmans

President, The Public Forum Institute

Senior Fellow, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

President, Global Entrepreneurship Week 2008

Jonathan Ortmans serves as president of the Public Forum Institute, an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating the most advanced and effective means of fostering public discourse and debate on major issues of the day. 

A current focus of the Public Forum Institute’s work concerns economic policy.  In this context, Jonathan oversees the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship, an initiative to focus the attention of the public, policymakers and opinion leaders on the value of entrepreneurship to the economy and society.  Through senior level national meetings, forums, use of available research and communications tools, NDE is helping policymakers better understand innovation and entrepreneurship, supporting them in their efforts to make sound public policy decisions that encourage the continued development of high-impact entrepreneurs. 

In 2007, Jonathan also assumed the position as President of Global Entrepreneurship Week, an effort in more than 60 countries funded by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Kauffman Foundation, IBM, Ernst & Young and the New York Stock Exchange to inspire people under 30 to explore new ideas and seek better ways of doing things.

Jonathan also serves as a senior fellow at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation where he has represented the Foundation’s interests across the globe. In this capacity, he has worked to help advance new thinking about the role of entrepreneurialism within a nation’s economy and culture and its power to address global problems. In addition, Jonathan has been able to serve as an important interface between new research and initiatives to advance entrepreneurship and the questions and concerns that arise from policymakers in our nation’s capitol.

Previously, Jonathan served as a congressional aide to the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means; executive director of the Columbia Institute for Political Research; and, has founded three businesses, the most recent of which carries his name.  Educated in England as an economist, Jonathan has been published in several journals, serves as an advisor on public engagement and outreach initiatives to several government agencies, foundations and members of the Cabinet, and devotes extensive time to moderating and facilitating meetings worldwide.

This Speaker's Events

Trade Forum: “Going Global: Accessing New Markets”

The panel will focus on emerging markets access and strategies for small businesses to tap into the global marketplace, including the collaborative technologies that can be valuable to any trade strategy.

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