Hear Bradley Tusk speak on startups and politics at our DC meetup

We’re excited to announce that Bradley Tusk, head of Tusk Ventures and former Deputy Governor of the state of Illinois, will be joining us at our Meetup and pitch competition in DC next week.

Tusk has advised several of tech’s most successful startup companies including Uber, FanDuel, and the newly launched insurer Lemonade — and he’s coming to DC to share some of his insights with you.

One issue facing the tech community is obvious — how should the tech community deal with the policy decisions coming out of Donald Trump’s White House. Tusk sees another, somewhat more subtle question that startups should be thinking about. And that’s how to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the ways in which technology is changing the workings of government.

“We are going to see vehicles like healthcare reform and tax reform and others that will give you an opportunity to codify new laws,” says Tusk. “In most cases you’re going to get a much more favorable hearing than you would have in a Clinton administration or if the Democrats had won the Senate.”

Capitol Building. Photo courtesy of Flickr/Marìa Helena Carey

Capitol Building. Photo courtesy of Flickr/Marìa Helena Carey

Another item on the agenda for Tusk and I to discuss is the role that state and local governments play in startup success. As companies expand across the U.S. (especially in the case of businesses like Uber, Handy, FanDuel, and others), they face regulations, but from very different sources.

“Begging a taxi commission for forgiveness is a lot different than begging a U.S. attorney for forgiveness,” says Tusk. Startups have to take the politics seriously and they have to proactive about it, he advises.

Finally, we’re going to discuss the opportunity that government presents as a customer and some of the big challenges that startups can help government address.

It should be a great discussion. Make sure to pick up your tickets so you can be a part of it.