Background:
Ron Conway, a renowned Silicon Valley investor, shared his personal connection to immigration reform.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Catalyst:
Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, called Conway on a Sunday afternoon to express his concern about the educational limitations faced by undocumented immigrant children.

Founding of forward.us:
Zuckerberg’s encounter with undocumented children motivated him to co-found forward.us, an organization dedicated to advocating for immigration reform. Conway enthusiastically joined the cause and became an active supporter.

Current Efforts:
Forward.us has been operating in stealth mode, building grassroots support across the country. The organization aims to create an army of supporters to bolster lobbying efforts in Washington.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform:
Conway outlined specific changes he wants to see in the immigration system: Startup visas for entrepreneurs Green cards for immigrants graduating from U.S. colleges Raising the H-1B cap Pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants

Call to Action:
Conway emphasized the need for immediate action and expressed his hope for a new president and Congress to address immigration reform.

Impact on America:
Conway highlighted the importance of immigration for America’s future, emphasizing that all Americans are immigrants.

Immigration’s Impact on Startups:
Immigrants who graduate from college often return to their home countries, negatively impacting the U.S. economy. Immigrants who stay in the U.S. contribute to job creation, with additional support staff hired for every engineer. A significant number of tech startups in America (28%) are founded by immigrants, despite making up only 13% of the population, indicating their disproportionate contribution to innovation.

Challenges Faced by Immigrants in Startups:
Many educated immigrants who study in the U.S. are forced to leave due to visa expiration, taking their skills and potential contributions with them. CEOs of startup companies have been forced to leave the country due to visa issues, disrupting their businesses and teams.

Pathways to Citizenship and Immigration Reform:
Conway believes that the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. should have a pathway to citizenship. He also emphasizes the need to retain educated immigrants who have studied in the U.S., as they contribute significantly to innovation and economic growth.

Demand for Engineers and Need for Innovation:
America has a high demand for engineers, with schools only producing a fraction of the required number. Retaining great minds and skilled immigrants is crucial for the U.S. to maintain its leadership in innovation.

Conway’s Opposition to Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric:
Conway rejects the anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies of the Trump administration. He believes that the borders are adequate and does not support the construction of fences or walls.

Political Extremism and Frustration with Washington, D.C.:
The American population is frustrated with the political landscape in Washington, D.C., particularly the emergence of extreme ideologies. Presidential candidates like Trump and Cruz, representing far-right views, and Bernie Sanders, with his socialist stance, have gained traction due to this frustration.

Bernie Sanders and Socialism:
Conway emphasizes the lack of support for socialism in America and the detrimental impact it would have on the tech industry’s growth.

Political Gridlock and the Need for Cooperation:
The political division in Washington has led to gridlock, with parties refusing to work together and engage in constructive dialogue. This lack of cooperation is particularly evident in issues such as gun safety and immigration reform.

Frustrations with Gun Safety Efforts:
Conway shares his experience visiting Washington, D.C., to advocate for gun safety measures, only to witness the deep divide and inaction on the issue. The lack of progress in addressing gun violence adds to the frustrations with the current political system.

Term Limits as a Potential Solution:
Conway suggests that term limits for elected officials could be a way to address the problems caused by entrenched politicians. Term limits would introduce fresh perspectives and potentially reduce the influence of special interests.

Overview:
Ron Conway shares his thoughts on the current political climate, the importance of entrepreneurs in politics, and provides practical steps for individuals to get involved. He also discusses the proliferation of angel investing and offers his perspective on its impact.

Political Frustration and the Need for Change:
Ron Conway emphasizes the widespread frustration with the political system in the United States. He observes that the behavior of politicians has led to the rise of candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, who represent a desire for change. He notes that similar patterns of turnover and repeated problems occur every few years in politics.

Entrepreneurs in Politics:
Conway expresses his hope that successful entrepreneurs will enter the political arena, bringing their skills and perspectives to government. He believes that entrepreneurs’ involvement in politics would benefit the country. However, he acknowledges the challenges in attracting entrepreneurs to political careers.

Steps for Individuals to Get Involved:
Conway encourages individuals to get involved in the political process by registering to vote. He acknowledges the presence of non-US citizens in the audience and stresses the need for immigration reform. He mentions the website forward.us as a resource for advocating immigration reform and builtbyimmigrants.com as a platform for sharing personal immigration stories.

The Rise of Angel Investing:
Conway discusses the surge in angel investing, where individuals provide capital to early-stage startups. He observes that many people today are involved in angel investing, and he questions whether this trend is positive or negative. He wonders if the influx of angel investors with varying levels of expertise and motivations might create challenges for startups.

How Venture Capital Funding Impacts Innovation:
Ron Conway believes that increasing venture capital funding can positively impact innovation in the United States. He emphasizes the importance of more startups receiving funding to drive innovation. Conway acknowledges that only a small percentage of entrepreneurs secure funding, and he welcomes new angel investors to expand funding opportunities.

Advice for Entrepreneurs in Choosing Investors:
Entrepreneurs should be selective in choosing investors. Valuable investors add value by introducing founders to venture capitalists, providing access to their relationship networks, and offering domain expertise. Entrepreneurs should seek investors with relevant industry knowledge and expertise.

Impact of Non-Founders’ Advice:
Conway advises entrepreneurs to consider advice from non-founders with domain expertise. He believes that these individuals can contribute valuable insights and connections despite their lack of direct entrepreneurial experience.

Benefits of Including Industry Experts in the Founding Team:
Conway highlights the potential benefits of including industry experts in a founding team. He emphasizes that their experience and connections can complement the vision of innovative founders. Conway cites examples of successful startups that have benefited from the involvement of industry experts.

Building Relationships for Founder Support:
Conway emphasizes the importance of building relationships to support founders. He describes an instance where he introduced the founder of Square, Jack Dorsey, to the chairman of Visa, leading to Visa’s investment in Square. Conway believes that fostering relationships with industry leaders can be instrumental in securing support for startups.

AngelList as the Democratization of Angel Investing:
Conway views AngelList as a platform that democratizes angel investing. He highlights the platform’s role in making angel investing more accessible to a broader range of investors.

Building Relationships for Startup Success:
Ron Conway emphasizes the importance of face-to-face interactions between entrepreneurs and investors. These meetings allow for a deeper understanding of the startup’s needs and a commitment to support from the investor.

The Role of Angel Investors:
Conway stresses the crucial role of angel investors in providing early-stage funding for startups, especially when traditional venture capital firms may overlook them.

The Founder’s Responsibility:
Conway believes that the founder or CEO of a company is ultimately responsible for building and shaping the company’s culture. This culture attracts like-minded individuals and contributes to the company’s success.

The Importance of Relationship Building:
Conway shares his experience of building relationships with venture capitalists at all levels, not just the top-tier firms. He emphasizes the value of these relationships in securing follow-on funding for startups.

Learning from Others:
Conway advocates for continuous learning and openness to new ideas. He sees networking and interacting with diverse individuals as a way to gather valuable insights and perspectives.