SALEM – Mayor Dominick Pangallo announced today that he has joined America the Entrepreneurial as a Founding Mayor. America the Entrepreneurial is the national campaign to renew America’s entrepreneurial promise in the 250th anniversary year of the United States, the world’s greatest startup.
America the Entrepreneurial calls for a revival of the spirit that built our nation – a promise that anyone should be able to shape a better future. Reviving the spirit is crucial, because new and young businesses create virtually all net job growth in America. Every 1% increase in entrepreneurial activity in a state correlates with a 2% decline in poverty.
America the Entrepreneurial is an initiative of Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization advancing entrepreneurship as a civic priority, and More Perfect, an American alliance dedicated to revitalizing democracy. It has already attracted a National Advisory Council of leading champions of entrepreneurship, a list of whom is available at www.americatheentrepreneurial.org/team. The campaign will expand to engage individuals, organizations, and government leaders and their jurisdictions nationwide in the months ahead.
The campaign recently released three playbooks that are designed to engage and activate those three separate audiences – individuals, organizations (“partners”), and government leaders and their jurisdictions – in support of entrepreneurship. Each playbook contains a list of possible actions – ranging from easy to more involved – as well as explanatory information.
“Salem has always been a city of innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs who have helped shape our community and economy” remarked Mayor Pangallo, “As we commemorate Salem’s 400+ and America’s 250th anniversaries throughout 2026, America the Entrepreneurial is an opportunity for us to recommit to the spirit of possibility that drives local businesses, fuels job creation, and strengthens our community. I’m proud to join this effort as a Founding Mayor and to support policies and initiatives that make it easier for entrepreneurs and small business owners to start, grow, and succeed here in Salem and across the country.”
“Making it easier to found and grow startups and small businesses is crucial to the American economy and the American Dream,” said Kim Lane, Executive Director of America the Entrepreneurial and Chief Operating Officer of Right to Start. “The beauty of entrepreneurship is that it benefits everyone, and every community can gain from having more new businesses and more economic vitality.”
